It’s been a while since I’ve written here and that’s okay.

Yes, I said it, even though it’s totally against the no. 1 rule of the internet gods of algorithms and engagement: post frequently, and consistently, and consistently frequently, or else no one will click on your content and read your words or care about what you have to say and they’ll forget all about you, forever and ever the end.

But something I’ve been trying to lean into really radically is that I’m a writer and not a content creator. That I need time to recharge and sit in stillness in between these spurts of hyper visibility that come with putting a book out into the world.

A couple of weeks ago, in the midst of an anxiety episode, I blurted out to my therapist: if I’m not writing I don’t feel like myself. It’s who I am.

Which kind of shook me because I’ve always been strongly in the camp of “we shouldn’t solely define ourselves by our writing.” We have an unhealthy tendency to do that.

So I sat with it and realized I didn’t mean it in an “I have to write every day and crank out 1000 words or else I can’t call myself a writer” kind of way.

I meant it in the “if I’m not doing the things that made me a writer in the first place—the living and observing and connecting and pondering and dreaming of it all and yes, eventually, writing—then I feel kind of lost and detached from these very true parts of myself” kind of way.

So I’ve been taking the summer to detach from the more visible parts of the author life. I didn’t want to announce it and this is probably the closest I’ll come to doing so. I want to come and go, on and off, as I please, and shouldn’t we all feel free to do that?

A lot of wonderful things happened (and are happening) these last several weeks (read all about them below)! But even good things take energy, and I got tired and realized I need to retreat a bit. And, though I won’t spend much time on this because, privacy, obviously hard things take energy too.

We’re all still existing in the ups and downs of it all, regardless of how visible it is to the algorithms.

Till next time!

Natalia

fun stuff that’s happened lately

A Maleta Full of Treasures published! I had a wonderful launch at my local indie (where you can order signed copies if you’d like) and traveled to San Antonio and Tampa and Madison, Wisconsin for events.

I got to finally share a Secret Project that’s come to fruition: a middle grade novel co-written with the amazing author Chantel Acevedo (look for The Never, Ever Sisters in 2026!).

I had an essay about translation and why words like Maleta can’t be translated in The New York Times.

And some very wonderful people are helping book me for speaking engagements in the coming school year: How Now Booking for events related to my books for kids and teens, and Authors Unbound for my adult books. Reach out if you’d like me to visit your school, university, or organization to talk about books or teach a writing workshop!

books I’ve written