Irina Gonzalez

Journalist | Editor | Multi-Passionate Writer | Founder & Editor-in-Chief Raising Gen Alpha

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January 2018 Writing Life: My new year has kind of hit a snag [#yearofwriting]

Posted on January 31, 2018February 22, 2019 by Irina Gonzalez

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It’s the start of the year and it felt like a really exciting time when I wrote down all of my writing goals for 2018 recently. One of the things I didn’t consider at the time, though, is that I’d still like to continue doing these #yearofwriting posts because they have been a really good for me. I really enjoy keeping myself accountable with all of my work and still putting all of my clips on here. It’s very encouraging, and I hope to keep encouraging myself. So without further ado…

What was published: 

  • Here’s What Happened When I Went From Couch Potato to Exercising for 30 Days Straight [Brit+Co]
  • Why you’ll be obsessed with tiger nails in 2018 [MamásLatinas]
  • Have some ‘Fifty Shades Freed’ fun with these 12 toys [MamásLatinas]

HipLatina, specifically: 

  • Trump Administration Pulls Protected Status for Salvadoran Immigrants
  • This Is Why Lin-Manuel Miranda Thinks it’s So Important for Latinos to Be Politically Active
  • Latina Fitness Pro Massy Arias Reveals How She Used Fitness to Battle Her Depression
  • Amara La Negra Reveals How Her Mom Helped Her Embrace Her Blackness
  • Bella Thorne Angers Internet With Careless Mudslide Tweet
  • Selena Gomez’s Mom Reveals True Feelings About Jelena Romance and It’s Relatable AF
  • 12 Lin-Manuel Accomplishments That Helped Put Latinos on the Map
  • What the Response to This Father Being Deported Reveals About the U.S.
  • 10 Reasons Why Orlando Is a Great Spot for Couple’s Getaway
  • 12 Must-Read Latina Authors, According to Lin-Manuel Miranda
  • 12 Tips For Eating A More Plant-Based Diet (Even If You’re Not 100% Committed Yet)
  • 8 Ways to Socialize Without Drinking (If You’re In Recovery)
  • Gina Rodriguez Calls Out Hollywood for Lack of Latinx Representation
  • Oscar Nominations 2018: Guillermo del Toro Sweeps But Latinos Still Underrepresented in Hollywood
  • I’m an American Citizen But I Still Fear Being Deported
  • Catherine Zeta-Jones Responds to Whitewashing in Cocaine Godmother and It’s Total BS
  • What We Can Learn From ‘Jane The Virgin’s Career Ups And Downs
  • 11 Things You Need to Know About the Planned Elopement
  • 8 Things I Learned About Alcoholism Since Going Into Recovery
  • 12 Packing Tips From a Packing Pro
  • The Best Places to Vacation in Florida That Aren’t Miami
  • The ‘Despacito’ Snub Proves the Grammys Aren’t Changing With the Times
  • The Situation in Puerto Rico Is About to Get So Much Worse After FEMA Cuts Aid
  • What You Need to Know About “Chain Migration” & What It Actually Means

Look at all of that! Definitely a great way to start the year, I think. However, there IS a big change from the way I tracked #yearofwriting last year to the way I want to track it this year… Last year, I tracked the number of pitches (and assignments) that I received and I also tracked my word count. It turned out that I was able to write 277,889 words and sent out 92 pitches (with 16 acceptances). Although it was great to track all of that, it also took a LOT of work and that’s just not my focus this year.

Instead, I am focusing more on growing my business as a freelance writer and editor, and I want to primarily track my income. This month was really good for me because I spent 70% of my time (and had my earnings come from) my Freelance Editor gig at Brit+Co (more on that later) and the rest came from my steady freelance writing gigs (HipLatina and MamásLatinas), which is great.

How much I made: $5650

So all of that is great… EXCEPT that this is my last month as a Freelance Editor at Brit+Co. Unfortunately, I heard about a week ago that my position was being eliminated due to some budgeting issues. That’s a huge bummer and, honestly, I am kind of freaking out… But I am also still kind of processing and will likely have more to say about this in a bit. In the meantime, I’m still writing and… Trying to look forward to starting February on a less-than-stellar-but-hopefully-still-nice note.

Want more? Check out all of my writing above and subscribe to my newsletter for news and updates, then follow me on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest.

Category: Brit+Co, HipLatina, MamásLatinas, Year of Writing

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Irina Gonzalez is a journalist, editor, and multi-passionate writer. She is a Generation Alpha expert and author of the Raising Gen Alpha newsletter, where she writes about the hope and hopelessness of bringing up kids born 2010-2024 in a world that feels like it’s on fire—figuratively and literally.

Irina's 20-year media career has been defined by her fearless use of storytelling to shine a light on those who feel outside the "norm." Her work serves to remind us that we are never truly alone in our struggles and empowers us to overcome the societal barriers that stand in the way of our mental and emotional well-being. By promoting a message of empathy and inclusivity, Irina is helping to create a better world for all of us, and for generations to come.

©2023 Irina Gonzalez