On Writing 2017

A Weekend of Love

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I haven’t been able to write much on this blog because I have been busy finishing my final paper for my literary criticism/theory class. 😦 But, luckily, I was able to have a wonderful weekend. What started as a sort of simple yayaan with my MA classmates, became an eye-opening experience on my part.

Last May 20 and 21, I attended the first writing workshop of Reb Fiction (Rebel Fiction) under the Precious Pages Corporation. They are one of the imprints of this famous publishing house. So, I am not really familiar with their titles, but it caught my attention because they are a brand that focuses on Young Adult fiction. This is interesting because there are a lot of different stories and printed books out on the market that are catering to the “young” readers, but the genres of stories aren’t really that wide with Filipino prints. Reb Fic, on the other hand, is trying to offer more varieties of novels or novelettes for the young readers to enjoy. This is a plus point on my part because I hope to see “riskier” or even a bit of “experimental” texts that are still going to be relatable to the YA field.

There are a lot of popular novels under the YA genre, but those are mostly foreign prints like Harry Potter, Hunger Games, and others (I grew up with less known ones like those written by Margaret Haddix, the Nick and Norah book, and even that of The Curious Case of the Dog in the Night Time). This is a good chance for Filipino writers to work on YA stories and further add that certain touch of “Filipino” sentiments and values.During the workshop, I also learned more about the YA genre (and market) as well as the process of building a “hero/heroine.” I was even able to present one story already. Now, I hope to work on that manuscript as soon as possible, so that the ideas are still fresh in my head. But… I think I need to go back to my final paper first and (face my fears 😂) finish the semester well before this. Still, (crossing my fingers) I hope to submit it to Reb Fic before the end of this month. 😀 ❤

Refresh Sundays

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As I find a way back to writing regularly in this blog, I have this Sunday topic that I wish to complete maybe twice a month. I am going to post about my travel experiences as well as some possible stories that I plan on writing soon. So, here’s to more adventures and stories to share!

Refresh Sundays

Mga Napulot sa Pagbabasa 20170426

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Nakakalungkot na bagay na ang panitikan ay di gaya ng ibang aralin na nasusukat ang bisa sa tulong ng mga pagsubok at pagsusulit. Ang ating mga pagsubok at pagsusulit ay sumusukat lamang sa pagkakatanda sa mga kaalamang gaya nito: Sino ang may-akda ng ganoon? Ano ang pangalan ng pangunahing tauhan? Ilan ang anak ni Ganoo’t Ganito? Ano ang nangyari sa panganay? Sa bunso? Nguni’t walang pagusulit na sumusukat sa nagiging bisa sa katauhan. At ano ang mga bisang ito? Marahil, lalo niyang nauunawaan ang kanyang sarili ngayon. Marahil, lalo siyang nalalapit sa katotohanan, sa kagandahan, sa liwanag.

– Genoveva Edroza-Matute (1956)

It is unfortunate that literature is not like other subjects the efficacy of which can be measured through experiments and tests. Our tests can only measure how well we remember facts like: Who wrote that? Who is the main character? How many children does So-and-so have? What happened to the eldest child? The youngest? But no test can measure the impact of literature on the person. And what are the effects of literature? Perhaps the student will become more considerate of other people. Perhaps she now understands herself more. Perhaps she brings herself closer to the truth, to beauty, and to the light. (translation directly quoted from Caroline Hau’s work on The Problem of Consciousness in the book Necessary Fictions, 2000)

Learn, Write, and Complete a Story (Part 1)

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I suddenly realized that reading has become a tedious work these days. It now serves as an action that I need to complete for the sake of meeting an academic requirement. As I follow this new habit, I gradually lost the interest in meeting new characters as I have become busy in understanding (at least trying to understand) the ideas of various local and international literary critics. Then aside from discovering this extensive form of “reading,” I also realized that I lack an important knowledge about Philippine literature.

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On Writing (4): Am I losing my drive for writing or it’s mere procrastination?

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There are numerous opportunities for me to start bringing life to the unimaginable stories out of my head. But most of the time I slack off instead. After this, I only get frustrated at the end of the day because of wasted hours.

Frustrations
Writing has always been one of my toughest frustrations (next to singing). I’m aware of how random I could be throughout the day, so I’ve got to make use of my productive “break.” However, actual writing tends to come rarely these days. 😥 This is due to my lack of a fixed writing habit. I try to be consistent with my schedule, but distractions meet me which I embrace so openly.

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On Writing (3): Language – Filipino or English?

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Filipino or English, what should I use to better share my ideas? 

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With a background in communication studies specifically in language and culture, I learned that there isn’t a “better” language. Moreover, the thought of providing a distinct hierarchy of languages that makes one the best is affected by various factors which can be seen within the society and outside the society. There isn’t that one particular criterion that lets you identify one language that is better than another. The use of a particular mode of communication is also a result of people’s interactions and are associated with various factors such as the community’s history, values, and traditions.  I won’t expound on the minute details for each one as you may search for it in various scholarly articles (communication theories, language acquisition, multilingual concepts).

In my own writing, however,  I still am bothered by this concept. Even with the idea of using various languages as an individual element in communication, I get troubled whenever I try to choose over the two languages that I know. Like right now, I am using English. Ha! Continue reading