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RomanceClass Podcast

Writing Now

RomanceClass Podcast Episode: Our Kpop/Kdrama Influences

Posted on April 10, 2021

Episode 4 of the RomanceClass Podcast got us talking about K-ent influences in our books and it was just one of those conversations that could go for days. So much fun and just so much to talk about. Super thrilled to have been part of this panel.

If you missed it, it’s up on RomanceClass YouTube and will be in your favorite podcast places soon.

Sharing my notes and some additional thoughts that came after (because 2 hours to talk about Kdramas and Kpop, clearly not enough):

Kdrama

  • Origin story. My first K-ent consumption was the movie My Sassy Girl, got into the angsty Kdramas (Spring Waltz, Endless Love, Winter Sonata), finally landing on early romcom faves (Full House, My Girl).
  • Influence in writing. Competent leads, soft boys, found family! Kdramas are really great at writing squads and squad dynamics, which I enjoy writing as well. Also small moments that, as author Chris Mariano said in the chat, made the grand gestures feel deserved.
  • “Fixing” things seen in Kdrama in your writing. No wrist grabs, no toxic alpha leads, no love corners. Definitely no truck of doom and no inexplicable plot devices, i.e. sudden death/illness/horrific past reveal/horrific turn of events.
  • Favorite actors/actresses influencing characters you’ve written so far? Wrote books pegged on Park Seojun x Park Minyoung, Lee Minho x Kim Goeun (books coming up!), and Jo Jungseok x Jeon Mido (You Belong With Me from the Tropetastic Kindness Bundle).
  • Recommend a KDrama. Let me drop a few faves: Hospital Playlist, The King: Eternal Monarch, Healer. We’re watching Vincenzo now and so far it’s amazing! *lighter emoji*

 

Kpop

  • Origin story. Sister 1 was a fan of Super Junior, Sorry Sorry era and needed a concert buddy which is automatically me. I came in not knowing anyone, experienced ‘why are there so many cute boys’ panic, and came out a stan.
    • Sister 2 was a fan of SHINee and made me watch the Ring Ding Dong MV. I remember asking wtf is ‘rocka rocka fantastic fantastic elastic elastic’ until I saw Taemin drinking milk and my heart went ‘mom, I love him.’ I also loved Onew’s voice (thought he was the maknae) so it was OnTae from the start for me. Kind of slipped away 2013 thereabouts and came back late 2017 which is a painful time to come back 🙁 but am glad to be here.
  • Influence in writing. One of the hooks of idols for me is how they seem to bare their souls to their fans, and it’s refreshing specially coming from mainstream alpha males with communication issues and mangst. Kpop idols openly tell you their dreams, their struggles, how they approach sadness and happiness, and it informs how I write my fictional boys, at the very least how they process and communicate their emotions.
  • Will you ever be too old to be influenced by KPop? Never. I need them even more these days.
    • Case in point: SHINee’s comeback in the midst of this pandemic is a much needed space for joy and grief, literally keeping me sane and alive.
    • Fun observation: Watching Taemin in Nagoya, I met some lovely J Shawols who were in their 40s thereabouts, and they were asking me how many more stops in the tour I was attending. Made me think how wonderful it is to grow old with your idols, and how growing old with them means you have less fucks to give and more money to spend on concerts and merch.

 

Hope you’re enjoying our panels as much as we are! Catch up on YouTube, Spotify and all other places you get your podcasts.

Episode 1. Tropetastic Kindness Bundle Launch

Episode 2. Rockstars!

Episode 3. Fanfic

Episode 4. Our Kpop/Kdrama Influences

Episode 5. Fancasting Our Books

RomanceClass podcast is produced by Mina V. Esguerra and Tania Arpa. This episode was hosted by Tara Frejas, with panel composed by me, Chi Yu Rodriguez, Tara Frejas, Katt Briones, Six de los Reyes, and Danice Mae P. Sison.

Listen to the #RomanceClass​​​​ Podcast everywhere fine podcasts are available.

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Writing Now

The Tropetastic Kindness Bundle: Happy Ever After for Charity

Posted on March 6, 2021

We wrote happy endings for charity! <3 The Tropetastic Kindness Bundle is available on Gumroad until April 14, for $5 or the price you set.

It started with talk of what if there was one condo (thank you Carla de Guzman), and what if we let the Roleta of Fate choose our tropes (thank you Dawn Lanuza), with visual guidance of a proper floor plan (hail, CP Santi!) and viola, the Tropetastic Kindness Bundle is born.

15 Filipino authors and 15 short stories of romance, set in a fictional condominium building in Ortigas. The roleta gave me enemies to lovers (also known as the Six de los Reyes special), which turned out to be un-write-able at present. I thank the love and friendship of Ines Bautista-Yao for willingly swapping her sibling’s best friend trope, hence I was able to meet the funlines with my story contribution.

You Belong With Me (Heat Level 3) is about 33-year old Mira Banzon, recently home and “retired” after years of working in Dubai. She asked her kuya for a place to stay the night in the city but somehow ended up at the door of Johan Antonio, her kuya’s best friend. The same man she may have had feelings for since way back, feelings she’d decided not to pursue. But what if he felt the same way about her too?

Writing in these pandemic times have been weird such that I am only able to write in response to an overflow of K-drama feelings. The brick wall comes after the first draft though. Energy to revise and finish the work has been non-existent.

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For this story, the trigger was Hospital Playlist, and the muse was the Ikjun-Songhwa ship that is yet to sail. The difference this time is this is a project with friends, for a good cause, and there were funlines to meet. I respond to due dates (no one is surprised), and I am grateful to the RomanceClass community for helping me push a completed work out there.

Super thanks too to my writing accountabili-buddy Katt Briones and our reward-first-sprint-after system. Beta reader friends KB Meniado, Bianca Mori, Katt, and editor Ines.

If you’ve purchased our bundle (thank you!), you’d have gotten an email on our first payout and the charities we were able to support. If you haven’t picked up our stories yet, The Tropetastic Kindness Bundle is available on Gumroad only until April 14, for $5 or the price you set.

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ICYMI: Season 4 of the RomanceClass podcast premiered with the Tropetastic Kindness Bundle launch. Catch the episode on the RomanceClass YouTube and Spotify.