Lighthouse Litfest with Ingrid Rojas Contreras

This post has been in my draft folder for a million years. Well, since last month. Finally, finally, I'm going to finish it.

Even though I'm super broke, and even though I had to break out the old credit card to make it happen, I was able to go to the Lighthouse Litfest Advanced Writing Workshop with Ingrid Rojas Contreras. (The Pulitzer-Prize Finalist awesome writer with crazy-beautiful eyebrows. Yes, that Ingrid Rojas Contreras.)

I was super nervous and kept blurting out stupid stuff/half-formed thoughts during the workshop and kind of acted like an idiot all weekend. But then I got a feedback email from her at the end of the workshop that had new ideas for revision and now I'm inspired again.

This is totally braggy (and a little psycho because I printed it out and highlighted it and hung it on my bulletin board at work) but she said I was a good writer. Technically, she said that I was an "astounding writer" and she was a National Book Award Finalist so it must be true. I read that and I felt so happy and hopeful like my next book was just going to write itself.

Then I started trying to actually write the book and it has been horrible and hard. But then I think of my highlighted note and see the last line in my mind that said my essay was "truly very good" with like an emoji heart, the kind you make manually with the greater or less than sign (I always forget which is which) and a number three and then I can keep going. I can even finally post this blog entry.

Also, most importantly, you should read her books: Fruit of the Drunken Tree and The Man Who Could Move Clouds which are also obviously truly very good.<3