Interview with Your Character

One of the ways to create a realistic character is to ask him/her questions so you could know him/her more. Now, there are a number of questions that you can ask, this is just a sample set that stumbled upon in the Internet. (Credits to the owner) 10 questions lang ito and random topics lang, pero puwede mong dagdagan ng mga medyo deeper questions kung gusto mo. 

I "interviewed" my characters in this manuscript I'm writing. And I think this method is effective in a way that I can clearly see the differences in my characters' personalities.

My heroine's answers. (Note: Medyo may attitude problem siya.) 

1.      What did you eat for breakfast? Just coffee. I don’t eat breakfast. Did you make it yourself? *Shrugs* the coffeemaker did, technically.  What time do you eat breakfast? I don’t eat breakfast nga. How many times do I have to say that? Do you wash the pan after you cook the eggs or do you leave it for the maid to clean? I don’t have any maid. Do you have a maid? Please stop asking questions with obvious answers, it’s irritating.

2.      Do you have a cat? No. How many cats do you have? None. Do you wish you were a cat? What! How many litter boxes do you have? Please. Nauubos ang pasensya ko sayo. Do you clean the litter boxes every day? Or does your maid clean the litter boxes? Shut up.

3.      Do you go out for lunch or bring a pack lunch? Do you take an extra long lunch break and charge the company? Of course not. I don’t think it’s any of your business how I’d like to eat my lunch.

4.      Are you an only child? How many siblings do you have? Are you close or are you estranged? I have two sisters. Medyo close. No, not really. I’m too different to them. They’re kind people, I’m not.

5.      If you are adopted, do you know your birth parents? Do you want to find them? N/A

6.      Do you call your mother every day, or only on her birthday, Mother’s Day, and Christmas? Are your parents alive? They are alive. I call once in a while. Or they call me. I don’t have much time for chit chats you know. I’m a busy person. And BTW, this whole interview is growing more and more irritating with every set of questions.

7.      Do you like to cook? Do you use recipes or make up your own recipes? Do you eat out every night? I don’t cook. I order, I eat out, I boil… things. That is all.

8.      Do you put both socks on first, or one sock, one shoe? And this question is relevant because…?

9.  Do you have a dog? Is the dog a rescue dog or bought from a breeder? I don’t like and I don't need additional responsibilities, so no.

10. Would you like me to get you a glass of water? Or would you rather have soda? Wine? Whiskey? Kape na lang.

These are my hero's responses:

1.      What did you eat for breakfast? Still eating it actually. *laughs* Basta heavy lagi ang breakfast ko. Today, I had sinangag, itlog and adobong chicken. Did you make it yourself? Yes. Sadly, I don’t have neither a wife nor a house help to do this for me. What time do you eat breakfast? Around 7? I wake up at 6 tapos luto, kain. Do you wash the pan after you cook the eggs or do you leave it for the maid to clean? Pag sinipag ako. Pag hindi, sa gabi na siya mahuhugasan ehhehe Do you have a maid? Wala nga eh. Wala akong ipapasuweldo. :)

2.      Do you have a cat?  How many cats do you have? Wala eh. I wish I have, kahit isa lang. Para naman may sasalubong man lang sa akin pag-uwi ko sa bahay sa gabi. I have a dog at home though. Si Mommy ang nag-aalaga sa kay Bruce Ferrera. Ba’t may surname siya? Wala lang. Do you wish you were a cat? Hmm. Come to think of it, parang masaya ngang maging pusa. You have all the right to be lazy and demanding, tapos all the girls love you pa rin. How many litter boxes do you have? Do you clean the litter boxes every day? Or does your maid clean the litter boxes? Wala eh.

3.      Do you go our for lunch or bring a sack lunch? I pack lunch. Sayang ang matitipid. Do you take an extra long lunch break and charge the company? Grabe naman! Mabait ako. Hindi ko ginagawa yang ganyan.

4.      Are you an only child? Buti na lang hindi. How many siblings do you have? 16. Kasali lahat ng friends ko na inampon na rin ng parents ko. Are you close or are you estranged? Too close for comfort, sometimes, hehehe

5.      If you are adopted, do you know your birth parents? Do you want to find them? I am not adopted but if I were adopted, I’ll thank my parents kasi they gave me the best family that anyone could ask for. And then yes, I’ll look for my birth parents. Gusto ko silang makilala.  

6.      Do you call your mother every day, or only on her birthday, Mother’s Day, and Christmas? Are your parents alive? Twice, thrice a day? Natataranta kasi si Mommy pag di niya naririnig ang voice ko every three minutes, hehehe

7.      Do you like to cook? what about, I dont have a choice? Do you use recipes or make up your own recipes? I enjoy making up my own recipes, not so much when I’m vomiting and having a diarrhea because of it. Do you eat out every night? Kung may manlilibre sa akin. Libre mo ko?

8.      Do you put both socks on first, or one sock, one shoe? Both socks muna. Bakit? May Psychology ba behind that?

9.      Do you have a dog? Yes, at home. Is the dog a rescue dog or bought from a breeder? It was given by my godfather. He’s 8 y.o. na now, a Golden Retriever. Pero gusto ko nga din ng rescue dog. Or a bulldog. Ayaw pa akong payagan ni Mommy, kasi siya din naman daw ang mag-aalaga dun.

10.  Would you like me to get you a glass of water? Or would you rather have soda? Wine? Whiskey? Wine. Yung at least 18 years old para di na minor. *winks*

Try mo din. :)

More on Common Mistakes

Ilang mga bagay na dapat po nating bantayan sa mga manuscripts natin. :)


1. REDUNDANCY 

Halimbawa: 
"Chen, nas'an si Ate Malou?" tanong niya kung nasaan si Ate Malou. .
"Chen, nas'an si Ate Malou?' tanong niya kay Chen.

Correct: "Chen, nas'an si Ate Malou?" tanong niya.

2. DOUBLE NEGATION

Halimbawa: Hindi niya naiwasang hindi maiyak. 
(*Kung Math ito, ika-cancel natin ang dalawang hindi. So ang ibig sabihin nito: Naiwasan niyang umiyak. Walang iyakang naganap.)

Correct: Hindi niya naiwasang maiyak.
(*Puwede ring naiyak siya. Tapos. )


3. DAHIL SA / DAHIL: Nitong nakakaraan, dumadami ang napapansin kong nagkakamali rito. 

DAHIL SA - kapag ang kasunod na salita ay pangngalan (noun)

Halimbawa:

Dahil sa kahirapan...  

Dahil sa kawalan ng katarungan...

Dahil sa pangyayaring ito...

Dahil sa lalaking iyon

DAHIL - kapag ang kasunod na salita ay hindi pangngalan

Halimbawa:
Dahil wala silang pera...
Dahil shunga siya...
Dahil lumindol...
Dahil kay Einstein...


4. SINA / SILA:

Common error: 
Sila Lina yata ang bibiyahe. 

*Should be sina not sila.  

SINA kapag may mga pangalang (name) na kasunod.
SILA - (pronoun) pamalit sa mga pangalan 

Halimbawa:
Sina Lina at Marivic ay magkaibigan. Sila ay nagkakilala noong grade school pa.


5. BLANGKO ANG MUKHA -  ang literal na ibig katumbas sa English ay 'faceless'.

Kung hindi ito ang ibig sabihin, dagdagan ang phrase at gawing, "blangko ang EKSPRESYON SA mukha." Ibig sabihin, walang mababasang emosyon sa mukha noong character. 


Sa totoo lang, hindi naman big deal nga ito. Madali lang namang baguhin ng editor kung sakali. Pero mas okay siyempre kung matutunan nating ayusin habang nasa kamay pa lang natin yung manuscript. 

Salamat sa pagbabasa. :)

First Meeting

Your main characters should meet within the first 10 pages of your manuscript. 

Readers are eagerly anticipating their magical, sexual-tension-filled, heart-stopping, knee-melting, blush-inducing, sparks-flying first meeting, don't make them wait too long. ;)

Kahit Ano Lang...

Ayon sa kasabihan sa Ingles na 'Practice makes perfect'. Kung ikaw ay isang manunulat ng Tagalog Romance, isa lang ang paraan para maging mas mahusay pa-- magsulat ka. Kahit ano pa yan o tungkol saan, basta magsulat ka. Gaya ng tabak, kailangang laging hasain ang iyong talento para hindi mangalawang.

Heto ang ilan sa mga puwede mong gawin upang mas masanay ang talento mo sa paglilipat at pagpapahayag ng iyong mga ideya o saloobin sa pamamagitan ng mga naisulat na salita. Nahahasa rin nito siyempre ang pagkamalikhain mo pagdating sa pagbubuo ng mga pangungusap at pagkakabit-kabit ng mga ito. Kung ikaw naman ay nangangarap pa lamang na maging manunulat, aba'y simulan mo nang sanayin ang sarili mong gawin ang mga ito.
Maaaring hindi madali ang ibang nasa listahan pero sigurado akong makakatulong ito sayo.

1. Mag-blog. Puwede na rin kahit sa Facebook lang o Twitter. 
2. Sa halip na mag-forward lang ng text messages, lumikha ng mensahe para sa mga kakilala mula sa sariling ideya. Iwasang mag-abbreviate at sanaying gamitin parati ang tamang baybay ng mga salita.
3. Sulatan ang mga kakilala nang madalas, kahit maiiksing Thank You note lang sa desk ng officemate mo, o reminder para sa mommy mo na ididikit sa ref. Kung nanay ka, singitan ng maiiksing notes ang lunchbox ng anak mo. Sweet pa dating n'un.
4. Sa mga estudyante, piliting habaan ang sagot sa mga essay exams. Mag-review para may saysay ang isasagot. Muli, piliting gamitin ang mga tamang spelling ng mga salitang gagamitin. 
5. Magsulat ng mga reviews ng mga pelikula, music albums, puwede ring libro. Puwede ring editoryal ukol sa mga pangyayari sa bansa/mundo/sports/kapitbahay. Nasa sayo na kung gusto mo itong ilathala sa Internet o hindi. 
6. Kapag magreregalo, dagdagan na rin ng maiksing sulat ang gift mo. Magiging mas espesyal din iyon para sa tatanggap. 
7. Kahit hindi Valentine's Day, subukang sumulat ng love letter para sa sinumang mahal mo sa buhay. Yihee!<3>
8. Magkaroon ng isang diary o kaya devotional notebook. Piliting magsulat doon nang regular.
9. Magsulat ng fan fiction. Noong Grade 6 ako, nagsulat ako ng romance story nina Pink at Blue Ranger. Ni hindi ko pa alam noon na 'fan fic' pala ang tawag doon. Marami sa mga manunulat ngayon ay sa ganito nagsimula.
10. Itala ang mga puntos habang nakikinig ng sermon sa simbahan o kaya sa seminar pupuntahan mo. Isulat maging ang mga komentaryo/ideya/pagsang-ayon/pagtanggi mo ukol doon. 
11. Kapag may pagkakataon, sumulat ng mga suggestions para doon sa mga establishments/organization na humihingi niyon. 
12. (Kaya pa ba?) Kung gusto mo at kaya, gumawa ng tula o liriko ng isang awit.
13. Kung balak mag-suicide, maghanda ng suicide note.  (Wag totohanin. Joker lang talaga si Gore Vidal. Ehehehe )

Panghuling Salita:

Mas makabubuti kung makahihiligan mo ring magbasa. Marami kang matutunan doon, creative and technical-wise.

Dear Budding Writers,

It's time you start

B L O S S O M I N G!

Lost in Translation

Spoiler Alert: By 2013, Bookware Publishing will start releasing Tagalized novels from different international publishers. In connection to this, I’d like to give a few pointers for those who are planning to give translating for MSV a try. :-)

• One of the main objectives of translation is for the reader to understand these novels better; to make them easier to read. So don’t use Tagalog terms that are too deep. Instead, use terms that Filipinos, in this day and age, are using. 
• Do not change the names of people, setting, events, currencies, units of measurement, and other things that reflect the life and culture of the characters in the novel.
• Do not add anything.
• Unless the publisher gave you a permission, do not crop or delete anything from the original novel. 
• Retain the tone of the novel. If the tone is serious, do not add words or phrases that will ‘sound’ otherwise.
• Translate it as it is, unless a sentence will be too mouthful to read or difficult to comprehend.
• Use simple sentences. Split sentences if needed. 
• Don’t translate idiomatic expressions literally. If there is a Tagalog counterpart for it, use that idiom instead. If there’s none, just give the meaning of the idiom in Tagalog. 
• If a certain word or phrase doesn’t have a direct equal in Filipino (or the equivalent term is outdated), retain its English form instead.
• English writers usually write longer and more detailed narratives. If you think it would be better (meaning, easier to read) to condense it, do so but with the permission of your editor.
• If you think your characters will sound odd saying the dialogue in its Tagalog form, then leave it alone.
• Don’t convert endearments if it would make the speaker (character) sound ‘baduy’, weak or lame.
• Do not split paragraphs; international publishers have their own rules regarding this.
• 'Tame' love scenes if you find it too graphic. Use the 'tamer' Tagalog equivalent words for body parts.  

Reminders: 

* Again, the goal is to make the manuscript EASIER to read. 

* Read your work to see if your Tagalog sentences make sense.
* DO NOT Google Translate. Please.
* The manuscript you’re working on belongs to someone else, and that someone has his/her own writing style. Respect it. Save your ideas for your own manuscript, and translate objectively. 

Goals A Novel Must Accomplish

Aside from  providing entertainment, kilig and that sense of hope in happy endings, there are other goals that a Romance novelist should aim for while writing his/her manuscript.

These are the following:

Make your readers fall in love with your hero. 

• Since romance novels are books made for women, heroes play the most crucial part in your novel. You have to make him really heroic and lovable. 
• Aside from giving him a 'tall, dark and handsome' description, add trivial things about him--things that will make your readers appreciate him even beyond his good looks.  

Make your heroine likable.

• Your heroine is your readers' mirror. Create her character in a way that readers can relate to her, or at least, sympathize with her. That way, emotions will be easier to pass on from the characters to the readers. They'll cry when she cries, laugh when she laughs, etc.
• Think of the women you admire and list the things you like about them. Inject some of these qualities to your heroine.
• Justify her actions. It's okay to add weaknesses but don't make your heroine wimpy, slutty, too emotional or anything shady/uncommendable/hateful.

Prove that your characters did fall in love with each other.  

• Stories may be written differently; some with shorter timelines, some with longer. But no matter how much (or not much) time they spent together, you have to prove that it was love that happened between them--not a fling, not just physical attraction, but one true love. They may be in denial at first, but later, your characters will have to admit that it was indeed love.
• You may use a third party to help your protagonist compare his/her feelings for the other character.
• Add more scenes between your hero and heroine---more kilig scenes, as much as possible. Or scenes that will show you characters' lovable sides.

Never assume that your readers will just accept a statement that your characters are in love without giving them enough proof. When it comes to love, writing-romance-novel-wise, it's not enough to SAY it, you have to PROVE it. It's more of SHOW than TELL.  

Happy writing! :) 

When Writing A Series...

1. Decide even before you begin the first book whether it will be a part of a series or not.
2. Treat each story as an individual book, focusing only on one pair of characters. 
3. Stir readers' curiosity about your other characters (the lead/s on the next story/ies) by making them 'look' and 'sound' interesting. Introduce them but don't give too much details, to the point that they outshine the leads.
4. Make sure that majority of the scenes in a novel will focus on the lead characters of that particular title. If a minor character will appear on more scenes than the major leads, it might confuse your readers.
5. Use the point of view of either the hero or the heroine.  
6. Each story must be different from the others. Different characters, different personalities, different goals, different conflicts; different gestures, manner of speaking and ways of thinking, too.
7. Do not overwhelm the readers with too much details.
8. Keep a series 'bible' to make sure there are no loopholes or inconsistencies, and timelines match. 
9. There should be a central theme to give your series its own sort of 'character' or identity. *
10. Give 'parallel' titles. *

*Note: For marketing and aesthetic purposes. :-)   

Tag It!

A 'dialogue tag' is the phrase or words you add after a dialogue. 

Example: "Hey!" Chris called.

In this sentence, 'Chris called' is the tag.

The main use of dialogue tags is to tell readers who is the speaker. If it's clear already who is speaking what, you don't need to add tags. It will only interrupt the flow of dialogues. 

I suggest you mind your tags later after finishing your manuscript, during the 4Rs (Read, Review, Revise and Rewrite) phase, not while writing the dialogues.

TIPS WHEN USING DIALOGUE TAGS.

1. Avoid redundancy. 

Example: "I'm shy," she said sheepishly. 

2. Avoid too many adverbs.  

Example: 
"I loved you then," he whispered sincerely.
"That is not true," she said indignantly.
"Nagsasabi ako ng totoo!" he raged violently. "Why can't you trust me?"
"Nooo!" she cried miserably. 

3. Make sure the tag matches the dialogue.

Example: 
"Get out!" he whispered.  (incorrect)

4.  English word + Tagalog word = not correct

Example: "No way!" yelled niya. 

Use either, 'she yelled' or 'tili niya'. 

5. Don't abuse 'sabi niya'.  

It's simple and straight to the point so this is actually the best tag, but don't overuse it. There are other--and more 'descriptive'--verbs you can opt for. 

Here is a list of verbs you can choose as replacement for 'sabi' or 'said':

amin
anas
angal
anunsyo
banggit
bulong
deklara
sagot
sang-ayon
tili
tudyo
udyok
untag
usal

acknowledged
argued
barked
bragged
confessed
demanded
hissed
mumbled
muttered
promised
replied
snarled
sobbed
threatened
wailed
whined

6. Make sure you're using the correct punctuation marks. 

Best Writing Tip:  READ.  

Common GRAMMAR / SPELLING Mistakes Tagalog Romance Writers Make

FYI.  Refrain from making these mistakes if you can... :-)

• Excessive use of exclamation points (!) and ellipses (...) 
• Misuse of 'NG' and 'NANG':

          NANG - when, once
                      - same as 'noong'                       
                      - synonymous to 'upang' or 'para' 

                      - na + ng 
                      - more or anymore
                      - used as an adverb of manner 
                      - ligature for repeated words (ex: tawa nang tawa)
          NG      - of 

• Interchanging BUKOD and MALIBAN

          BUKOD - aside from

          MALIBAN - except 

• Switching KUNDI and KUNG DI

          KUNDI - but 
          KUNG DI - abbreviated 'kung hindi'  ; if not.

• Misuse of MALUWAG and MALUWANG

          MALUWAG - loose
          MALUWANG - wide, roomy

• Interchanging: 

          YOUR and YOU'RE
          ITS and IT'S
          HE'S and HIS
          LOOSE and LOSE
          LEAVE and LIVE

How To Crop Your Manuscript

Sure you spent a considerable amount of time constructing that scene; researched for that specific detail, and even used encyclopedia for that piece of information, but if it's making your novel impossible to fit in a 96-page book, you would need to press DEL whether you like it or not.

Here are some pointers on how to make your manuscript shorter:

1. Delete dialogues, monologues and other details that are not that important.
2. Apply SHOW vs. TELL Rules. If a scene/action/detail is of minimal significance to the story and can be narrated, do the latter to save space.
3. Scenes where not one of the leads is present can be deleted, especially if it does not have direct effect on the story line. 
4. Amputate dead scenes.
5. Remove 'chitchat' scenes.
6. Shorten narratives.
7. Simplify descriptions of places.
8. Reduce the number of chapters. Instead of having the usual 10, reduce it to 8. Chapter headers occupy a great deal of space.

Important: Don’t get too attached to your manuscript. Revise with your mind (preferably open at the time you start this) and not with your heart. 

Happy cropping!

What's In A Name?

A fictional character's name, like a real person's name, leaves an impression in people's mind. Names say a lot about someone, so name your characters (especially the protagonists) the way you'd name your children. 

Here are some things to consider when naming characters: Social Status/Background, Nationality/Ethnicity, Age, Personality.

1. Social Status / Background - 
Examples: 
         Elena - from class C family
         Bridgette - daughter of the town mayor 
         Jason - son of an engineer and a college professor

2. Nationality - 
Examples:
        Megumi - half-Japanese heroine
        Chin -  half-Chinese, hero's ex-girlfriend
        Fabio - one-fourth Mexican, hero's best friend 

* If you want to give a foreign name for a pure Filipino character, at least give a reason why he's named like that. Say, his mother named him after a celebrity. 

3. Age - 
Examples: 
       Yan-Yan -  6 years old, heroine's niece 
       Armando - 53 years old, hero's father
       Nissy - 15 years old, heroine's younger sister

4. Personality-

It is okay to give them funny names if that is really your intention. But if not, por favor, refrain from using ridiculously-spelled names. 'Fillif' doesn't sound intimidating, neither does 'Dyordann'. 'Meileen' and 'Rhowse' sound like crazy, immature women. 

There is absolutely nothing wrong with using the correct spelling of a name. 

    Tip: Use a book on baby names for the first names, and directories for last names.  

Starting A Manuscript

There are hundreds of ways to start a novel, but here are some tips from the experts as compiled by Jon Winokur (@AdviceToWriters )

• "Take out another notebook, pick up another pen, and just write..." – NATALIE GOLDBERG
• “Get your facts first, and then you can distort them as much as you please.” - MARK TWAIN
• “I never started from ideas but always from character.” - IVAN TURGENEV
• “It begins with a character, usually, and once he stands up on his feet and begins to move, all I can do is trot along behind him with paper and pencil trying to keep up long enough to put down what he says and does.” – WILLIAM FAULKNER
• “The secret is to start a story near the ending.” - CHRIS OFFUT
• "Start as close to the end as possible." - VONNEGUT
•  “In the planning stage of a book, don't plan the ending. It has to be earned by all that will go before it.” - ROSE TREMAIN
• “Bring all your intelligence to bear on your beginning.” - ELIZABETH BOWEN
•  “Lie. Put down on paper the most interesting lies you can imagine...and then make them plausible.” - CHRIS BOHJALIAN 
•  "Every writer has his or her own method..." – JUDY BLUME