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. :)

;)

In my opinion, this should be one of our goals when we write. 

It's Never Too Late

Reminder from C.S. Lewis.

Write. Now na.

10 Writing Habits

I was tagged by @Maria Feda Davies (yep, our very own Jade Anne Franco) on Facebook. I'm not on FB, so dito ko na lang ilagay. :) 

I-tag ko si Dior Madrigal, Alexie Aragon, xxakanexx, saka si pajama_addict. 

1.   Di ko kaya yung putol-putol na pagsusulat. Mas productive ako (sa tingin ko) kung tipong isang araw na walang pasok na dere-derecho akong magsusulat, kaysa araw-araw tig-dadalawang oras.

2.   I choose visual pegs for my characters para madaling mag-describe ng hitsura nila. Tapos naka-wallpaper yun sa laptop ko para inspiration, hehe.

3.     Gusto may background music. Gumagawa pa ‘ko ng OST-like playlist tapos ‘yun ang pinapakinggan ko habang nagsusulat ako. Habang gumagawa ako ng ibang bagay (nagtatrabaho, nagbibiyahe, o anuman), pinakikinggan ko yung playlist para ma-motivate ako. Kaya ayun, forever nang may earphones sa tainga ko.

  

4.   Di ako puwedeng magsulat sa kama, makakatulog ako.

5.  Ayoko nang may istorbo kapag writing time ko.

6.  Nag-a-outline ako pero di rin nasusunod. :/

7.  I keep a notebook (notebooks, actually, dahil ang dami ko nun), sulatan ng ideas. Pag tamad akong mag-take notes, vino-voice record ko.

8.   I research. Di ko siya masyadong feel pero ginagawa ko yun, kasi kakahiya naman sa babasa ng sinulat ko kung mali-mali ilalagay kong info sa MS ko, di ba?

9.   Mahilig akong mag-edit at mag-revise ng MS. Kahit halfway pa lang, binabasa ko na siya at pinapalitan yung mga names, yung scenes, nag-chop-chop ng scenes, etcetera. Makulit ako, as in. Baka sa isang nobela, mahina na yung 3 times ko siyang irerebisa.

10. Matagal akong magsulat. Ang pinakamabilis kong natapos ay inabot ng 1 buwan. Yung pinakamatagal… ahm, sinimulan ko nung 2008, ayun di pa rin tapos ngayon. :/

Crutch Words

Be aware of your crutch words (i.e. the words you usually use) and slowly minimize using them. Replace them with synonyms while doing your revisions. :)

Narrative Tenses

Lahat ng pangyayari sa isang nobela ay assumed na tapos na at kinukuwento na  lang ng kung sinumang narrator (puwedeng iyong isa sa characters kung naka-First Person). 

This is also the reason why we seldom write 'ngayon', 'kinabukasan', 'kamakalawa' in the narratives. Kasi tapos na nga iyon, kaya dapat: 

•    Ngayon =  nang araw / oras / sandali na iyon
•    Kinabukasan = nang sumunod na araw
•    Bukas  =  sa susunod na araw
•    Kamakalawa = dalawang araw mula noon 

Pati sa places, ganoon din. Hindi natin sinasabi na 'Nag-jogging siya rito.' sa narration. Not rito kundi roon/doon. 'Sa lugar na iyon', not 'sa lugar na ito'.  Maliban na lang kung nasa dialogues itong mga ito.

Thus, the verbs in your narratives should be in the PAST TENSE.

Examples:

•    Uminit ang ulo niya sa nakita.
•    She closed her eyes.
•    Sumakit ang tiyan niya.

Puwede rin ang PAST PROGRESSIVE or PAST PERFECT kung may isa pang action na nangyari, habang kasalukuyang nagaganap iyong first verb.

Examples:

•    He was thinking about sleeping when his phone rang.
•    Naglalaba siya nang may kumatok sa pinto. 

   (Note: Dahil nasa Tagalog, mukhang present tense yung 'naglalaba' pero dahil may isa pang action na nangyari (kumatok), past progressive yun talaga.)  

Kung nangyari iyong action bago doon sa timeline ng istorya, dapat naka-PAST PERFECT ang tense ng verb.

Example:

•    Chen had put corrections on the manuscript, when I told her it's the wrong file. 
•    He had had his share of women, before they met.  

   (Note: Puwede ring 'He'd had' kung naalibadbaran ka sa 'had had')


Pero kung may ilalagay na something na hindi mo maatim na ilagay in past tense dahil hanggang ngayon ay fact iyon, write it in another way. 

Try kong ipaliwanag, ah. Try lang.  :)

Example: 
Say, you wanted to say:      
   The earth revolves around the sun.

Write it like this:                 

•  The earth had been revolving around the sun. (happened in the past, nangyayari hanggang ngayon)
•  The earth would always revolve around the sun. (future)
•  The earth would be revolving around the sun. (future)                              

Instead of this:                   Try this:

She likes coffee.         She had always liked coffee.    
She is impatient.        She had always been impatient.
                                
If it still sounds wrong to you, rewrite the sentence or better yet, translate it in Tagalog. Mas madali kapag naka-Filipino na ang verb dahil at least tatlo lang ang tenses natin.

Kung may questions, send mo lang po sa comments section. :)

Good day, everyone!

Sicknesses and Styles

Every writer has a 'sickness' (sorry for the word, but that's how I call it) -- a weakness. An evidence that they're not perfect. A room for improvement.
Some weaknesses are curable --and with varied levels of curability, while some aren't.
   
Some writers are more creative; others are more gifted technically. Some are better with descriptions, others with dialogues. Some are experts when it comes to touching the reader's emotions.

Some appeared better when they are writing a specific genre (or subgenre of romance), some can excel in anything.

No writer is perfect; just as no style is better than the other.

Style is SUBJECTIVE. There is no productivity in comparing one writer's style to that of another writer, unless it's a constructive, honest-to-goodness criticism.

Create your own and though you cant please everyone with it, be proud.
Be authentic. Be you. :)

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.

Makibaka! Wag Matakot!

Today marks our patria adorada's 115th Independence Day. In connection to this, you will hear/read news/articles about real independence within the day: like 'Are We Really Free?' or something like that. 

And because I'm a gaya-gaya puto maya, thus, this entry. *smile*

Believe it or not, some (or maybe most) of us aren't free. We are hostages of these horrible beasts and I'd like to declare revolt against these things that enslave some (or maybe most) of us. 

Brothers and sisters, let's all break free from these chains. Utang na loob.

1. FEAR.

• Let's face it, there are a lot of things we ought to be afraid of; some real, some maybe irrational. 
• To me, it is a chain that holds us from doing what we should do. 
• It is the lack of courage; but courage is not parallel to absence of fear. Therefore, you can be afraid and still find the courage to do what you have to do. 
• If I will remain afraid of making a small step, how will I be able to reach my destination? 
• The road to success is never easy. And along the way, there are many roadblocks, hazards, and perhaps, you may have to take a few detours. Expect it. I don't--and can't--ask you to be unafraid, because fear is normal. But opt to focus more on your goal. It will drive you to be where you want to be.
• You want to be a writer? Have the courage to submit your work. 
• Break this chain that's controlling you for the longest time!

2. INDOLENCE.

• Sometimes fear isn't the reason why we don't act on our goals. We may have this disease called 'katam' and we want to do things the easiest way possible. Puwede namang mag-shortcut, why take the long and hard way? Uubra namang mag-plagiarize, bakit ka pa mag-iisip ng sariling kuwento? *insert cuss words* 
• But, you know, the sweetest fruit sprouts from the bitterest trees. (Whatever, I just made that up. Ehehe. ) Anyway, what I'm trying to say is that, there is no success sweeter than a success well earned. You so deserved it that even your competitors/detractors/critics agree (beyond reasonable doubt) that you do deserve to win/succeed. Even you yourself agree that you deserve it. And that only happens when you know you work you @ss off to be there. You had sacrificed sleeping and/or eating on time just to make this possible. You cried buckets of tears to pursue this. You did what others deem impossible. You dared to do everything. You are a victor. Ikaw na, Ate!  *cue 'We Are The Champions'*
• But none of this will happen, if you'll stay under a tree ala-Juan Tamad and wait for success to fall down from the sky straight into your hands. I tell you that's impossible. Because God doesn't like lazy people and even forbids them to succeed. (read the book of Proverbs if you have doubts)
• You need information? Research. You want to learn? Study. You want to be great? Practice. You failed? Try harder. 
• Slay indolence! Kill this beast! 

3. MEDIOCRITY. 

• I think, mediocrity is the brother of indolence and the son of fear. (Akalain mo, magkakamag-anak pala sila! I-genocide na yan!) 
• It is the choice to remain within your zone because it's safe and comfortable there. You know, no risks, no pain, no hurdles, etc. 
• But a great leader once mentioned that there is no status quo. That you are either going up or going down. If you aren't improving (up), then, you are going the opposite way (down).
• You may or may not be the best compared to your contemporaries, but you can be the best that you can be. I think that's a LOT better. 
• Our greatest rival is ourselves. Challenge him every now and then. 

I am waging war against these three--Fear, Indolence and Mediocrity. Break the bondage! Break free from your chains!  

If you're with me, I ask you to throw your right fist in the air and shout 'Freedom!' wherever you are. Makibaka! Huwag matakot! Tama na! Buwagin na! Ayoko na! Ayawan na!

Mga utu-uto. *sticks tongue out* 

Have a stress-worry-and-frustration-free Independence Day, people! Peace.

ATYCHIPHOBIC NO MORE

Last Sunday, June 2, 2013, I spoke to our church's youth group about handling failures.

I was hesitant at first upon learning the topic they assigned to me. But me being me, as much as possible, I don't want to just back out from a challenge, especially one given by my pastor. 

So I accepted the challenge, while inside my head, worry and light atychiphobia (fear of failing) is bugging me. Do I have 'k' (as in karapatan) to talk about handling failures when I myself have made a lot of misjudgments and mistakes--and I haven't completely forgiven my self for doing all those.

But God is good. And He is omniscient. I believe He had planned for this topic to be given to me so He could speak to me while I was doing my research. 

Anyways, I just want to share these things I learned from my research (mostly from Ptr. Ed Lapiz's book and Nick Vujicic's testimony). 

I know as writers--whether you're a newbie or pro--you may have failed, too. Is it a rejection of a manuscript? Is it a negative comment from a critic? Whatever it is about, don't let your failure discourage you.  

Here are the steps on how, according to Pastor Ed, we should handle a failure.

1. ASSESS THE FAILURE.

More often than not, failure is nothing but a negative outlook in life. We lose sight of what's more important because we focus too much on what our eyes can see, rather than wondering about the truth beneath the surface. But the only difference between a stumbling block and a stepping stone is perspective.

What's beneath the surface has more weight.

2.  REPAIR AND LIMIT THE DAMAGES.

• Forgive those who have failed you. It is possible that you are the source of other people's failures, so ask for their forgiveness. Restore relationships. Your family, your friends, the relationships you have with other people---these are more important than any material thing--than any success you could ever have.

3. STUDY, PRACTICE AND IMPROVE. 

Make use of your failure to be a better person. Turn  obstacle into opportunity. "Failure is education," according to Nick Vujicic. The more you fail, the more you will learn. 

3. TRY AGAIN. 

Quitters never win so don't just give up. Here are some quotes I've collected about trying again.

• "It is hard to fail, bit it is worse to never have tried to succeed." - Theodore Roosevelt
• "Why do we fall? So we can pick ourselves up?" - Thomas Wayne (Batman Begins)
• "I've failed over and over and over again in my life, and that is why I succeed." - Michael Jordan
• "Never say die." - Ginebra Kings

-  Journey :)

• "Never say nev---

Okay, that's enough. I think you got my point already.

4. BE POSITIVE.

Be thankful of the things you have and stop complaining about the things you don't have. Concentrate on the things that you can change or improve. Stop comparing yourself to other people.

Nick Vujicic said, "Life is not about what is happening to you, but how you react to it." It all depends on you. 

I pray you'll find encouragement in this entry. Let me end this with a quote that my brain cells were able to conjure a few hours before my talk last Sunday: 

                                  "Failure may be inevitable, but it is never invincible." 

Good day, everyone! 

UPGRADING...

Back in the day, when I was in elementary and signing slum books was popular, I would always write this line on the space next to the question, 'What is Your Motto in Life?':

"Knowledge is the key to success."

I can't recall where I got it, and I'm not sure if my study habits behavior grades lifestyle then showed that it is indeed the guiding principle of my life, but it sounds 'intellectual' to me then. (Yep, me=poser.)

Today, many years later, as I type this entry, I realize one thing. My 'motto' kuno then is okay, but it's enough. In my opinion, it should be written like this:

"CONSTANT PURSUIT OF knowledge is the REAL key to success."

This is an irrefutable truth. It is every man's greatest feat --- whatever your age is, wherever you are, whatever profession you have, no matter how good/successful you are in that field.

Sure, there is no such thing as perfect. But you can strive to be a better version of your self. I mean, if you can't be perfect, at least, try be nearer to it, di ba?

At this point, I'd like to tell you this:

A newer version of YOU is available. 

Would you like to upgrade?

Dear Budding Writers,

It's time you start

B L O S S O M I N G!

Life Lessons from Writing

I don't know exactly what *disease* I've acquired this morning but it left me feeling a little nostalgic and melancholic. The ill feeling just won't go away so I decided to embrace these emotions and grab this opportunity to write something *sentimental*. So pardon me if I'm starting 2013 with an emo-sounding entry, hehe.

Anyway, here are some of the things that writing taught me.

1. Fall in Love

What we're writing about are books about love. Ergo, we have to experience loving firsthand to be able to write about it. 

We have to fall in love with this craft.
We need to be the first to fall in love with our characters.

We need to be in love with life.
We need to be in love with the concept of being in love.

2. Let Go

I've always used conceiving a child as analogy to writing, because I do believe it's an incredibly difficult endeavor to accomplish. Our works are our children, our labors of love. But there are times when we just have to let go. 
We have to let go of characters that won't jive with each other.
We have to let go of that plot/idea that isn't working.

3. Forgive Yourself

They say, we are our own worst critics. We tend to expect a lot from ourselves that sometimes when failure sets in, we find ourselves disillusioned. And then, we give up. 
We all have that one novel we're not very proud of. Maybe you're still disappointed about how a certain manuscript turned out to be; or you still remember that loophole-filled MS you once submitted. 
Along with the beginning of this year, let's all start anew. There is hope. There's enough time to redeem the writer in you.  

Ayan. Thank you for indulging the emo in me. :-)

10 Signs That There Is A Dormant Writer In You

1. You have very rich imagination.
2. You see daydreaming as a productive activity.
3. You’re good at multi-tasking.
4. You have this since-time-immemorial love affair with books.
5. You’re good with words, you even ‘invented’ some.
6. You love using descriptive details when telling stories to your friends.
7. You correct spellings, tenses, grammar lapses on written articles and on other people’s speeches.
8. You enjoy researching and/or learning new things.
9. Your mind comes up with at least 3 plots when someone asked you, ‘if the world were to end tomorrow, what would you do today?’.
10. You look at Christmas parties, family reunions and get-together activities as opportunities to get new ideas from. 

10 Commandments For Desire Novelists

    I call these 'Love Scene Sins' ^{® :}

1. Thou shalt add many ‘tension’ scenes before the LS takes place.
2. Thou shalt not add a love scene just for the heck of it.
3. Thou shalt not use medical terms for body parts.
4. Thou shalt concentrate on the emotions and thoughts of the characters, and not on the mechanical descriptions of love making.
5. Thou shalt add more tender scenes like staring at each other's eyes, touching faces, kissing nose or temple.
6. Thou shalt use ‘tamer’ words in place of the intimate body parts.
7. Thou shalt use English narratives when describing parts of the scene that may sound offensive or vulgar in Tagalog.
8. Thou shalt not write a love scene concerning taboo topics like rape, incest, infidelity, voyeurism, sadism, exhibitionism, etc.
9. Thou shalt not write too many love scenes in one novel.
10. Thou shalt write only what you are comfortable to read. 

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. :-)