Natalia Loya Herrera
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natalialoya.bsky.social
Natalia Loya Herrera
@natalialoya.bsky.social
77 followers 70 following 68 posts
Writer, lawyer, nerdy kinda dame. I run and play so-so Flamenco guitar. THE LABORATORY ASSISTANT coming June 2026 | Apprentice House Press
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I recently signed a traditional publishing contract with a university press. 🍾 I confess it was a long and tear-filled road getting here.
Writers: if you’re struggling in the query trenches, or thinking about giving up, this thread is for you. (1/11)
#amwriting #amquerying #5amwritingclub
#5amwritersclub

Solid morning. Worked on my New Mexican historical novel then looked over the typesetting from #THELABORATORYASSISTANT. :) :) Off to the gym for a quick workout.
Getting into yoga and omg, my downward dog is a JOKE. 😭 #yoga
Level-up: Enabled dictation on scrivener! Making my research notes way easier. #amwriting #5amwritersclub
Some of those traditional old school songs are difficult! I will not tell your flamenco friends, LOL.

My problem with this is that I got caught up with other songs and gradually started to forget it. I don’t really read guitar music very well.
It’s that time of year when I once again attempt to learn the fancy version of La Llorona in time for Halloween. This is my year! #guitar #music
a cartoon character is holding a guitar on a stage .
ALT: a cartoon character is holding a guitar on a stage .
media.tenor.com
It was in a good way. Though I will not post spoilers on here, LOL. The writing itself was gorgeous and had a wonderful lyrical pattern in some parts. I was very much transported.
@gmgray.bsky.social Gray, your Forest Eyes story fucked me up.
Institutions really need to start requesting BlueSky handles. There are too many people conscientiously boycotting X for them to keep expecting X accounts.
Finally fixed a scene that had been plaguing me for over a year!
#5amwritersclub
“Hearing loss doesn’t flip a switch from “typical hearing” to “not hearing.” It’s slow, creeping. You start asking people to repeat themselves. You feel exhausted after social events. You laugh along with jokes you didn’t quite catch. You start withdrawing from… conversations…” Yup. #hearingloss
Attended my first social event with my new hearing aids. Went pretty okay, I think, still getting used to the different settings.

It’s a trip being 38 with “profound” hearing loss but I’m hoping that being open about it may make it less painful for others dealing with similar. #hearingloss
Gently reworked a particularly emotional scene in my book today. Officially at the half-way point of incorporating my editor’s suggestions.

#amediting #amwriting
You know what? I paid almost *~$9.00~* for a regular, non-Hallmark Mother’s Day card this week.

No one is getting greeting cards anymore. From now on, I buy my own personal stationery and hand-write the cards myself. #racket #areyouevenjokingme #inflation #amwriting (greeting cards apparently)
Habemus Papam (and an Augustinian! 💕) Hoping to see more advocacy for compassion and social justice.
Roses are red
DEI is dope
MAGAs are mad cause of a
I’m still mirin’ the jaunty tip of his hat.
Phenomenal artist. Listening to Ramblin’ on my Mind in honor of this day. #guitar #blues
#BOTD 1911. Remembering Singer, Songwriter, and Guitarist Robert Johnson. (d.1938) #Skyblues #Crossroads
Question for the writers and English majors!

In dialog trail offs, are we doing (…), ( . . . ) or even ( … )? I did research and it looks like the Chicago Manual of Style uses ( . . . ) but I wanted to see what others were doing.

#amwriting #amediting #5amwritersclub
I love that note! It’s an obvious and tactile reminder that small consistent efforts lead to real results.

I rely on my early morning bursts of anxiety-induced insomnia to put words down LOL. Yours is probably a lot healthier.
Thank you, Paul! And Flamenco compás mystifies most of us! I’ve gotten better but its grasp still slips from me. What kind of writing do you do?
Storytelling is sacred. Even if they are not perceived as “marketable”. Good luck out there. 11/11 #5amwritersclub
So writers: if you’re heartbroken, stuck, or exhausted:

Pause. Create something else. Return when you’re ready.

Write because the tale is worth it, because the characters take possession of your creative faculties and demand it. ⬇️