Based in South Texas, Olivia Delgado’s writing has been featured in Harness Magazine, Penmen Review, Pearl Press, Better on Vinyl Magazine, and The Intentional Muse. My debut chapbook, Girl Bred from the 90’s, was published by Querencia Press in 2022.

Writing is often a solitary activity that leaves more doubt than certainty. Judgment or praise from those familiar with your writing doesn’t exist when you are developing this skill alone. In 2015, I joined an online writing group which altered everything. Promoted on Instagram, it offered a way to explore your voice in thirty days. This introduced me to strangers who had no personal loyalty or view into my life, except through words. A unique experience, which surpassed thirty days, left me feeling capable and worthy of writing a chapbook. It connected me to my version of a girl from the ’90s who was able to free her writing.

Connecting with a Community of Writers

Girl Bred From the 90’s” was released in 2022, combining pieces I crafted in my writing group with those shared in literary journals. The task felt monumental, and I knew I was opening myself up to failure. I did it anyway. It had been seven years since I took on the challenge of “writing myself alive,” a title created by the founders of the group, Tyler Knott Gregson and Andrea Balt.

During the time this group was active, prompts were shared among a community of people who joined. It started with words but led to a bond built on a shared desire to heal and let go. This journey opened me up to other writing and ideas on how to view significant life events, both small and large. I found ways to enhance my writing through support. My poetry became sharper, and I realized I could apply the mundane and challenging moments to the page. I grew as a person as well. Exploring others’ truths gave me reason and courage to explore mine. Some prompts were simple, while others were deeply therapeutic, unleashing years of narratives and declarations I otherwise would not have revealed. There were activities that asked us about our traumas and childhood, while others addressed the literary aspect of writing. It was moments where we veered away from these rules and generated our own rituals and memories that built a lasting impact. Amid this time, two other groups were created. Ideas beyond writing originated from here, but always returned to friendship and creation. The group is now inactive, with many connections fading, snapping, or deepening. However, what remains is an archive of words that serves to bookend these years and show that it mattered.

Finding the Appropriate Independent Press

Querying felt a lot like proofreading: wading through the mess to discover your highest potential as the only option. I learned that finding publishers willing to work with new writers was key to developing my voice in both my career and the industry. That discernment was a direct result of sharing my poetry and being willing to listen. Once my chapbook was completed, I began the task of querying the perfect independent press. I knew finding the right one would make a significant difference. After gaining the courage, I began looking into different choices. I focused on researching and familiarizing myself with the type of authors they promoted. Understanding the voices that built each one gave me a greater chance of being considered. Because my chapbook was heavily influenced by nostalgia, poetry, and prose, I had to find a press that felt my style was the right fit. After months of submitting, along with many rejections and unanswered emails, I received a response from Querencia Press. I couldn’t believe they offered me the opportunity to publish my chapbook. The experience was gratifying. I felt fortunate to find an independent press whose editor cared for and appreciated my voice. When my chapbook “Girl Bred from the 90’s” debuted, my mind was put at ease knowing that my poetry would belong to a press that uplifted unknown authors.

The Vulnerability of Sharing Your Writing

A writing group is a network of honesty and energy that pushes us to question what we want to convey. Just as reading helps us strengthen our words and refine our voices, so too does exposure, whether it comes through praise, constructive feedback, or blunt truths. Joining this writing group happened by chance, or perhaps by fate, as the writer in me chooses to believe. The vulnerability of sharing is uncomfortable. That sneaky human need to compare, question, and retreat can make one either isolate or engage in their craft. Because our work as a writing group was a collaborative experiment, one that stretched beyond its deadline, it gave me a way through. Even in its demise, a lasting impression made me feel like a writer, one worthy of continual growth. It became clear I couldn’t have done it without that community. Writing is generally an individual endeavor; however, it fundamentally relies on connecting through the words and histories of others, which can be pivotal in moving your story forward.

Girl Bred from the 90’s by Olivia Delgado

In this collection, Olivia Delgado explores coming of age as a millennial, particularly from the perspective of those in minority groups. Set in a simpler time filled with potential, this is an exploration of wild change, but also the persistent nature of what has always been.

Buy the book now: Amazon