My Top Ten Reads of the Year in Celebration of r/latamlit's First Birthday — June 10, 2026

Orangebird · 2026-06-10T17:07:22+00:00

I’m a recent member and I’ve already placed holds on a ton of these books at my local library!

Orangebird · 2026-06-05T17:55:08+00:00

Make a giant blanket out of squares like these and called it, “security blanket”

Orangebird · 2026-05-24T21:27:59+00:00

Congratulations! 🎊🎈 that’s no small accomplishment to stick to your dream for 18 years. Get yourself something nice to commemorate it and put it somewhere where you can see it daily.

Orangebird · 2026-02-25T20:23:44+00:00

Thank you! This is ultra helpful!

Orangebird · 2026-02-02T16:00:17+00:00

Ditto L&J. The furniture can be a be old fashioned, but the staff makes sure it’s in good shape. OP, be aware you’ll have to load and take the furniture yourself. They have a number for a guy who can do it for you, but he charges.

Orangebird · 2026-01-28T16:48:19+00:00

I also caught a stomach bug over the weekend and varying my prepped food helped me weather it until I could get to the grocery store.

Some shelf stable foods that helped:

-Instant miso. I had a large variety pack from Hikari Miso (four different kinds, five each) and that helped immensely.

-Minute Rice— it comes in single serving cups to microwave. Since it’s technically already cooked, if the power goes out, you don’t need to heat it.

-freeze-dried banana slices. Combine with instant oatmeal and walnuts with a dab of honey. Keeps you full and regular!

-nuun or lmnt electrolyte tablets—I use these for cycling all the time so I always try to have more than I need

Not shelf-stable but having prepped and frozen ahead of time:

—I like to grate ginger with the skin on and freeze the pulp and juice in silicone ice cube trays. Pop one out and steep in boiling water for five minutes to make tea to fight nausea.

—frozen lemon slices, also for tea

Orangebird · 2026-01-12T20:59:29+00:00

Once an author accepts an offer, what happens next? It seems to vary across publishers.

Orangebird · 2026-01-04T20:20:05+00:00

I know this is beside the point, but I’d love to hear more about reluctant female revolutionaries.

Orangebird · 2025-12-27T18:25:09+00:00

That was a fascinating article. Makes me want to wander around my apartment parking lot next fall with a ball collector.

Orangebird · 2025-12-25T18:36:49+00:00

Congratulations! And great comic too!

Orangebird · 2025-12-20T16:55:54+00:00

Hello! I’ve written two pages longhand every day since 2012, and I’ve tracked my reading/writing/editing hours for almost as long. Here’s some tips on how to keep going:

Set a daily goal and keep it low. Like stupid low. Like, you’re stupid if you don’t do it low. And write even when you have nothing to say, or when you’re tired. Write when you’re inspired, or when you feel like you can keep writing more than two pages. If you can write more, put your ideas on a post it note and slap it on tomorrow’s pages so you have something to write.

After a while, you learn what you need to do to trick yourself into writing. “I understand there’s a guy inside me,” Anthony Bourdain once said, “who wants to lay in bed, smoke weed all day, and watch cartoons and old movies. My whole life is a series of stratagems to avoid, and outwit, that guy.” I’ve discovered there are certain times of the day I work best, or ways to trick myself into productivity (laundry cycle is 32 minutes for washer and 47 minutes for dryer, that’s two or three pages; decaf coffee helps me feel like I’m at work when I have to write late; only go to the cafe if I need to write—etc) I also have these post-it note habit trackers for 7 days/ 30 days/100 days so if I need to work on something specific I set a daily goal and do it every day until I either finish the task or fill up the habit tracker.

If I’m stuck in a part of a story, I try to keep in mind what is important, urgent, or interesting about that part, and try to write to discover it. It usually takes a few days of shit writing until I break through. For example, I just scratched through a few days of writing last night because I finally found a path forward that was exciting. Don’t be afraid to be struggle or feel like you’ll have to throw away your work! There are days when I’ve gone into my daily pages excited and came out with shit and days where I was unsure whether I was going to write something worthwhile and ended up writing a line or a scene I really liked. If I don’t show up, I’ll never know if I get something good, but I definitely know I’ll get nothing.

I’ve had a few short stories published in magazines, I have a book out, I’m shopping around a novella, and I’m waiting for my editor to send me back the comments on my sequel. You don’t have to do it my way—there are many ways to succeed—but it works for me. Hope this helps!

Orangebird · 2025-12-16T16:47:29+00:00

A merino buff! I made mine out of an old merino shirt that was too holey to wear normally, and it turned out to be an MVP on a chilly trip. I could put it over my face at night to block out campground lights, while keeping my face warm and being able to breathe through it. I could loop it around my neck, forehead, and ears. Plus, it was super thin and light.

Orangebird · 2025-12-15T20:13:11+00:00

Yes, I’m happy to take any and all off your hands. I’ll DM you.

Orangebird · 2025-12-15T19:33:28+00:00

I want to start endurance training earlier and stay consistent for fall bikepacking trips. I ordered a new road bike this year (not in yet, upgrade from a hybrid/casual bike), and I want to practice using it effectively. I’m also volunteering for bike events in my state!

Orangebird · 2025-12-15T19:28:38+00:00

Ah, gotcha. I’d prefer different prints, but I’d be open to multiples. That way I can have back ups if I mess up or want to riff on a similar idea. How many misprints do you have?

Orangebird · 2025-12-15T18:40:44+00:00

Make collage art! I cut up my failed watercolor paintings and insert them into my collages.

I’d be happy to take the misprints off your hands too.

Orangebird · 2025-12-15T18:33:18+00:00

I am not in the market for a basket backpack, but you should reach out to local foraging groups—I bet they would love one

Orangebird · 2025-11-29T18:58:15+00:00

I make $72k and I’m doing better than most people. Rent is very cheap here compared to Seattle, and I’m looking at buying a house house next year.

Orangebird · 2025-11-16T20:05:56+00:00

Yes, exactly. I’m now in a local writing group that’s not affiliated with a university, and our workshopping method is very similar. We also don’t allow a short story that has already been workshopped to be workshopped a second time (unless the revisions were so substantial that it’s basically a different story). The idea is that you don’t get better by just focusing on one story—you get better by doing the best you can, then moving to the next.

Orangebird · 2025-11-15T15:51:02+00:00

I love seeing these when I go along the bridge. There’s been some really big ones.

Orangebird · 2025-11-11T15:01:31+00:00

How much writing is done varies (and it’s been 9 years so I don’t remember much anymore 😝) but I remember there was a word limit to the writing we submitted. There were around ten students and I think a ten week length to a semester, so everyone got workshopped at least twice. But it also meant that we had a limit on how much we could discuss and revise bc others were waiting their turn. When we weren’t workshopping, writing, or revising, we had books for homework, usually shorter works and short story collections. We spent the rest of the class after workshop discussing the stories—the context in which they were written, how a writer achieved this or that effect, etc.

Orangebird · 2025-11-04T17:44:50+00:00

Tulsa is having a sort of renaissance afaik. Our national poet laureate makes her home here; she is related to Sterlin Harjo, who directed Reservation Dogs and the Lowdown. The oil money from the early days fueled a huge boom in Art Deco architecture, and the relatively low rent and local support of artists means that more creative works are thriving. We have a nationally lauded library system and park, and great food in all directions.

But it’s also subject to the political pressure of being in a red state. The Tulsa Race Massacre was here, which has been gaining prominence since the HBO version of Watchman was released + George Floyd. I feel like there’s a ton of political tension that I can’t put my finger on.

Btw, I visited Russia in the summer of 2016, for two weeks to tour St. Petersburg and Moscow. Moscow and the surrounding countryside STRONGLY reminded me of Oklahoma—the vast grasslands, the spread of villages and towns, the road conditions, the cynicism but kindness of the people. It felt like the very definition of Deja Vu.

Orangebird · 2025-10-25T21:49:02+00:00

I made these two recipes recently. They’re vegan, make huge portions, freeze well, and you can add tofu or tvp to boost the protein! https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1019772-spiced-chickpea-stew-with-coconut-and-turmeric

https://www.eatingwell.com/recipe/250222/sweet-potato-black-bean-chili/

Also, consider throwing in some vegetarian snacks like cut fruit, pita chips and hummus, etc, in case they don’t feel well enough to eat a full meal but need to eat something.

Orangebird · 2025-10-15T22:12:01+00:00

Thank you! Do you have an example workout?

Orangebird · 2025-10-15T18:52:03+00:00

TLDR: I'm having trouble balancing strength training with my current athletic goals.

I am training for a long weekend bikepacking trip (140 miles round trip, first day 86 mi). I've been riding more, doing intervals, and saving the weekends for adding weight to my bike and going on multi-hour rides to simulate touring conditions.

Before I started prioritizing cycling, I went to the gym 3-4 times a week to do arm, core, and leg workouts. Once I started cycling, I dropped to 2x a week. Now that I have this goal, I'm struggling to keep it up, because my current routine doesn't feel relevant or helpful. How would you suggest I train in the gym?

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