Natalia M. Sylvester

I’ve been focusing on redesigning my website lately and that’s created a kind of domino effect with this blog. In writing, you really have to stay focused on the point of the story so that everything you write services it in one way or another, which is why I’ve decided to shift the focus of this blog to just freelance writing. I’ll still be writing about creative writing, but possibly on another blog. I’m still working out all the details, but will let you know the link once everything’s ready.

Aside from the blog, I have some other big news to share in the weeks to come. Let’s just say I’ll be putting the idea that we writers can work from anywhere to a very big test. So expect that things will look a bit different around here in 2010.

On a little side note…am I the only one who feels weird just saying ‘10? It seems we’ve grown so used to saying Oh-nine, Oh-eight, Oh-anything, that one lonely little syllable sounds insufficient all of a sudden. Doesn’t really roll off the tongue, does it?

You knew this was coming. Everyone’s talking about it. Local news stations have an account. Your kids’ PTA has one. Most of the blogs you follow have one. Heck, even your dry cleaner has one.

So what can you really get out of Twitter other than updates on your friends’ lunches and the whereabouts of your coworkers on their off days?

Short, insightful glimpses into the lives of people that matter to you.

Now, let’s not get personal. I’m not talking about a best friend or a grandchild. I’m talking about people that matter to your goals. I was just as hesitant to join Twitter as the next guy until I realized how many literary agents tweet little nuggets of information to whomever is willing to listen in. The result is that I’ve learned more about publishing from Twitter than I would have from any book. Getting the information in such concise spurts (and from so many different perspectives) leaves no room for jargon or overwhelming confusion. The point is…people get to the point.

The hardest thing about joining Twitter is figuring out who to follow (follow me!). Shameless plug aside, if you have a book in the works and you’d like to learn a thing or two about publishing, here are my recommendations for some of the most informative literary agents you’ll find on Twitter (shall we call them Twiterary agents? Sound too creepy? Yeah, I thought so, too). Read the rest of this entry »

Today what’s on my mind is a bit of a shameless plug, but there’s a lesson here, I promise!

Here it is: NPR mentioned my essay on racism amongst Latinos, which I wrote for this month’s issue of Latina magazine, on yesterday’s “Tell Me More” with Michel Martin. The essay was born out of a pseudo-compliment I’ve received most of my life from other Latinos (listen for it at about the 5-minute mark).

The thing is, I never would’ve found out about this if it weren’t for my obsessive habit of Googling my name on an almost daily basis (admit it, you do it, too). Since I’m in the process of re-writing my site for SEO, I often check to see how it’s ranking (you’d be surprised how many Natalia Maldonado’s are out there). Read the rest of this entry »