This month’s update will be shorter because the ultimate frisbee season is in full swing, so I don’t have as much book-related news to share. However, there is one topic that I wanted to touch on in this update, and that is the new direction I’m working on for my book.
As I mentioned in my previous two author updates, I recently had a big idea for the next draft of my book. That idea is to incorporate elements of magical realism and historical fiction into the text in order to make the book feel less like a memoir.
I was planning to explain why I wanted to make this shift, but as I was writing, I quickly realized there was too much ground to cover. So, I will release that write-up as a separate article and share it when it’s done.
For now, I will simply say that I’m really excited about this new direction and what it means for the story.
Before attempting to alter my story, I wanted to read a variety of novels that feature magical realism, speculative fiction, or historical fiction. Rather than reading these books one after another, I’m alternating between them to get a sense of how each story incorporates elements of each genre.
Whenever people talk about magical realism, the book that inevitably comes to mind is Cien Años de Soledad (One Hundred Years of Solitude) by Colombian author Gabriel García Márquez. Next on my reading list is Como Agua Para Chocolate (Like Water for Chocolate) by Mexican author Laura Esquivel. While both books preset magical or supernatural events in a straightforward manner, it’s interesting to see differences between their storylines.
A fascinating sub-genre of Magical Realism that is very relevant to my project is a story with characters who were forcibly disappeared. The two I’m reading in this category are Perla, by Uruguayan American author Carolina De Robertis, and Hades, Argentina, by Argentine American author Daniel Loedel. What is really interesting about these novels is that the disappeared are portrayed as ghosts, people who simultaneously exist in the world of the living and the dead.
For speculative fiction, I’m reading As Long as the Lemon Trees Grow by Sirian author Zoulfa Katouh. This book was recommended by my friend Kelsey and has been somewhat of an emotionally challenging read for me as it takes place in wartime Siria. It is well written, and I am enjoying it, but I find that I can only engage with it for a chapter or two at a time.
Finally, for historical fiction, I’m reading Half of a Yellow Sun by Nigerian author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie and The Things We Cannot Say by Australian author Kelly Rimmer. My friend James recommended Half of a Yellow Sun, which centers around “Biafra’s impassioned struggle to establish an independent republic in southeastern Nigeria during the late 1960s.” [1] My friend John recommended The Things We Cannot Say, which has a split narrative that jumps between 1940s Europe and the modern-day United States.
For the month ahead, I still have another few weeks of frisbee left, which will keep me busy. However, in mid-May, I will attend The Muse & The Marketplace conference in Boston, where I will receive direct feedback from an agent about my pitch material.
I look forward to telling you all about that experience in my next update. Until then, I hope you have a wonderful month.
Sincerely,
Nelson/Roberto
1. Wikipedia. 2023. "Half of a Yellow Sun." Wikimedia Foundation. Last modified October 5, 2023. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Half_of_a_Yellow_Sun.
Throughout most of January, I participated in the Under the Volcano writing residency in Tepoztlán, Mexico, which was an unforgettable experience that I will reflect on for some time. The remarkable people I met there inspired me to continue developing my craft.
This past month has been a good one. I was able to get some writing done and have finished seven chapters of my magical realism rewrite. I also started working on one of the new historical fiction scenes, and have been preparing for my writer’s retreat in Mexico.
This month’s update will be shorter, as most of November was occupied by my fall coaching job. Despite the hectic end of the season, I was able to get some writing done and prepare for my trip to Tepotzlán, Mexico.
