She has encouraged many aspiring writers' efforts by editing their works: "Shaking the Family Tree" (1998) and "Why I Travel and Other Essays by Fourteen Women" (2000) with Erlinda Panlilio. Hidalgo found the idea of writing short and simple initiation stories appealing. It reflects in her collection of short stories: "Ballad of a Lost Season and Other Stories" (1987), "Tales for a Rainy Night" (1993), "Where Only the Moon Rages: Nine Tales" (1994), "Catch a Falling Star" (1999) and the most recent one "Sky Blue After The Rain: Selected Stories and Tales (2005)."