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Writing Now

Soundtrack of our Breakup

Posted on August 27, 2015

My second baby Songs of Our Breakup is out! *jumpshot* I’ve been hearing lovely things from the handful of people who’ve read it, and one common comment is that the book needs a soundtrack. Well, it kind of does have a soundtrack. Unofficially, that is.

Writing for me usually requires a vacuum. But sometimes, writing requires a playlist.

It made sense that I needed music to write a story about an indie rock band, taking on the task of penning lyrics for the first time ever. I was ambitious, I know. But it was super fun. The words came to me at the oddest moments. The lyrics to Slipstream for one, got into my head while I was waiting for the train at Ayala Station. By the time I got off at Quezon Avenue, the song’s first draft was complete.

The point is sometimes we need noise. A pounding drumbeat, a metallic guitar riff, or just some good old rock and roll.

Below are some (vintage) songs that accompanied me while I was deep inside my writer’s hole for Songs of Our Breakup.

Click, shuffle, and repeat.

The Script. Man on the Wire.

The Strokes. You Only Live Once

Sandwich. Masilungan

Sandwich. In Case of Fire

Eraserheads. Kailan

Ed Sheeran. The A Team

John Mayer. Slow Dancing in a Burning Room

The Killers. Shot At The Night

Maroon 5. Beautiful Goodbye

Arctic Monkeys. Bigger Boys and Stolen Sweethearts.

Muse. Starlight

Video credits to owners.

Writing Now

Neil Gaiman on Worry, and Belief

Posted on August 2, 2015

Last month, I joined StrangeLit, an online writing workshop sponsored by Buqo. The goal is to produce an at least short-story length PN/PNR/UF work. The past week, work had been toxic and cruel (not complaining, just stating a fact, haha), and although I would end the work day exhausted, I always had enough energy to read the StrangeLit lessons from our mentors Paolo Chikiamco, Marian Tee, Kate Evangelista, and today Budjette Tan. Their words of advise were golden, and they revived me.

Today’s inspiration came in the form of a StrangeLit lesson from Budjette. He said a lot of valuable things about writing your first story that I will try my hardest to take to heart. And he couldn’t have ended his lecture better than with the words of a man called Neil Gaiman.

Something to reread as many times as needed, in those days when self-doubt and a neurotic mind threatened to devour all sense of creativity.

We are creators. When we begin, separately or together, there’s a blank piece of paper. When we are done, we are giving people dreams and magic and journeys into minds and lives that they have never lived. And we must not forget that.

Don’t worry about trying to develop a style. Style is what you can’t help doing. If you write enough, you draw enough, you’ll have a style, whether you want it or not.

Don’t worry about whether you’re “commercial”. Tell your own stories, draw your own pictures. Let other people follow you.

If you believe in it, do it. If there’s a comic or a project you’ve always wanted to do, go out there and give it a try. If you fail, you’ll have given it a shot. If you succeed, then you succeeded with what you wanted to do.

Neil Gaiman

Book Review Writing Now

August is #BuwanNgMgaAkdangPinoy

Posted on August 2, 2015

I write this as I take a break from #StrangeLit duties (Activity 2 achievement unlocked!), and because I was super excited to find out that this month, August, is Buwan ng mga Akdang Pinoy. I’m thrilled to join this campaign, mostly because of two things. Firstly, these past few months I’ve been binging on works of Filipino authors, and secondly, I am also struggling to be a successful one myself (the struggle is fun and tiring and very real, guys).

This month, despite my own writing goals, I aim to finish reading the following works of super awesome Filipino authors: Continue Reading

Music Dance and Lyrics Writing Now

The Flower Boy Soundtrack

Posted on July 22, 2015

I don’t normally play music when I write. I need silence. I need a vacuum. I need my mother to stop talking to me about errands and my cat to stop purring on my lap (though that’s really very sweet of the cat. I’m sorry, I take that back).

When I get stuck though, I turn to music. And usually, the music plays in my head. Sans iTunes, YouTube or Spotify. For Blossom Among Flowers, I was writing a story set in Japan about bishounen–beautiful boys or flower boys, and the spunky, manga-addicted, high school girl caught between them. So it made sense to me that my in-head playlist was composed purely of J-pop/J-rock (albeit vintage) hits. These would be the following:

Arashi. Love So Sweet

Arashi. One Love

L’Arc~en~Ciel. Link

L’Arc~en~Ciel. Stay Away

Hikaru Utada* Flavor of Life,

Hikaru Utada Traveling

Ai Otsuka. Peach

Photo and video credits to owners.

*Yes, I named my Hikaru Saito after this wonderful, glorious woman.

Writing Now

This Week, I Gave Birth to a Book

Posted on July 22, 2015

Really, I did!

Well I guess technically I’ve had Blossom Among Flowers with me for almost a decade now, but this is the moment in time, the third week of July 2015 (on the 18th day according to Amazon), that my baby is finally out. She can actually mingle with the world now, you know?

I realize the child-bearing comparisons are a bit weird. But I’m just very excited.

I know there’s still a lot for me to do. You don’t know me, or my writing. Nobody’s probably reading this today. But for now, on the third week of July 2015, that’s okay. I’m still basking in the post-save&publish glow. It’s all kinds of wonderful.

Writing Now

Blossom Among Flowers, Super Final Word Count

Posted on July 17, 2015

Blossom Among Flowers at 65,002 words.

I say super final because I now refuse to touch it. Not because I don’t love this book anymore. But because I’ve had it in my computer for almost a decade now. Even longer than the longest relationship I’ve ever had (and that one was long). If that’s not love, I don’t know what is. It’s been through at least three beta-edits and two editors, and now I have finished my super last pass on my very first book, literally a piece of my heart and good chunk of years of my life (apologies for the cheese).

Editing and writing are always best done before breakfast for me. But the tricky part there is that it usually extends to way past lunch time. I’ve been surviving on cookies and tea for hours now. So now it’s time for a proper late brunch (labrunch?).

Later I will format. Then my cover designer needs to come home from Boracay. Then after eight years, I can finally hit Save and Publish <3

***

Title: Blossom Among Flowers

Genre: Young Adult

Description:

Unlike most people, 17-year old Hikaru Saito likes being invisible. Perfectly happy with her nose buried deep in her growing manga collection, she hardly notices how her “harmless hobby” is taking control of her life. But when she fails an important exam, Hikaru is forced to spend more time with her studies and her new tutor, fellow student, campus genius, and golden boy Takeshi Hinata.

Unfortunately for Hikaru, Takeshi’s popularity in school forces the spotlight on her too. His adoring fans don’t like seeing how much time they spend together and punish her for it. Luckily, Tetsuya Sakuishi, a new young and beautiful teacher, is always there to save the day for Hikaru. It doesn’t help that his smile distracts her, however.

Like her tormentors, Hikaru cannot understand why Takeshi keeps showing up in her life long after the tutoring sessions are over. As if the complications of grueling exams and university applications weren’t enough, a haughty socialite mother, an imposing business mogul father, and a princess-in-hiding all come bearing down on Hikaru. Through it all, Takeshi is there, looking at Hikaru like she’s not invisible after all.