ink blots and pen tales

2011 list, 2012 wishes

2012-01-03T09:07:00.000+08:00

Worm Status: Had my fill (2011)

1. Altered Voices by Scholastican
2. Kalki by Gore Vidal
3. Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief
4. Super Fiction or the American Story Transformed ed. by Joe David Bellamy
5. Twisted 9 by Jessica Zafra
6. 277 secrets your cat wants you to know by Paulette Cooper and Paul Noble
7. The Ice limit by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child
8. Pattern Recognition by William Gibson
9. Garfield Rounds Out-His 18th Book.
10.Seeds of Fear ed. by Jeffs Gelb and Michael Garrett
11. Night Shift by Stephen King
12. Playboy's Stories of the Sinister and Strange by Playboy Press
13. The Great Secret by L. Ron Hubbard
14. The best of THIS IS A CRAZY PLANETS by Lourd Ernest H. de Veyra
15. Third from the Sun by Richard Matheson
16. The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde
17. Armour of God by Paul Block and Robert Vaughan
18. The Alexandria Link by Steve Berry
19. Metropolis by Thea Von Harbou
20. Transformations: Understanding World History through Science Fiction ed. by Danielle Roselle
21. Murder on the Menu ed. by Waugh, Greenberg & Asimov
22.The Doomsday Key by James Rollins
23. Kiss Kiss by Roald Dahl
22. Pugad Baboy 23 by Pol Medina Jr.
23. Dirty Dancing: Looking Back 2 by Ambeth R. Ocampo
24. The Museum of Dr. Moses by Joyce Carol Oats
25. The Power by Frank M. Robinson
26. Getting published by Paul Raymond martin
27. STORIES OF THE SUPERNATURAL by Scholastic

Whew! I am so glad that I doubled my reading list from last year. Looking forward to new reads this year. Currently, I am in between these paperbacks:

A Short Guide to Writing About Art by Sylvan Barnet
Songs of Love and Death ed by George R. R. Martin and Gardner Dozois
Alfred Hitchcock Presents: Stories to stay awake by Random House
The Rosetta Key by William Dietrich
The Sandman Papers ed. by Joe Sanders

Now if you ask me how I can find the time between work, travel, household chores and writing my stories...well it's in those hours while traveling to and from work, those few minutes before bedtime and those precious seconds while waiting for the just about anything. God gave me the thirst for knowledge and stories so I am like a sponge, ever absorbing and always eager to learn.

I hope to go on more workshops this year. There are times that I feel that my life is just beginning. Isn't that great?

nerdy wish list

2011-12-23T15:28:00.001+08:00

Only a few more days and it's Christmas. I wish I had the bookshelf space and money to buy these 3 books.

The Lost Diary of Rizal by Filipina author Scy Sze(Lunar Publishing, P340)
Naermyth by Karen Francisco (Visprint Publishing, P250)
"HOW TO MAKE A BENTA -
Anecdotes, Lectures & Articles from the Advertising Wars"
By Greg B. Macabenta (P500)

I wouldn't mind getting an ebook too. Hay! I really wish Santa would visit my house soon.

vigan adventure

2011-10-24T11:13:00.000+08:00

it's my first out of town trip this 2011. along with my buddies, joyee and jaz, we set out to Vigan, Ilocos Sur. the trip itself was planned a month and a half before, with some glitches here and there. i did the research part, finding the best value for the tour. i ended up with Shore2Shore Travel Services. they were very flexible and accommodating. Our package included:

Tour 1 - Thorough Vigan Tour
Baluarte, Burgos Museum, 3 Hours Calesa Tour (Bantay Church and Bell Tower, Crisologo , Museum, Jar Making, Hidden Garden, Syquia Mansion, Heritage Village), St. Paul Metropolitan Cathedral, Arzobispo Palace and Museum, Salcedo Village, Heritage River Cruise

there we were sitting at the Partas Bus station, Pasay waiting for the 11pm bus out of Manila. Fare costs P600. expected travel time was 10 hours but we arrived 2 hours earlier since our driver was determined to make the bus fly. at 8am we got off the bus and walked the early morning streets of Plaza Salcedo. breakfast at Mcdo Cathedral (we call it that because of the fake belfry) was the pretty much the same as in Manila and we checked in our hotel (Hotel Salcedo de Vigan). one thing i noticed is that the entire location is near the plaza. you really can't get lost as long as you've been to the place once. we did a lot of walking there since everything was accessible- the market, souvenir shops, bakery, eatery, church, etc. and on the occasion that we'd need to ride a tricycle, fare was a minimum 10 pesos.

VIGAN TOUR-DAY ONE

wanting to get the most out of our Vigan trip, we set off preparing our journey to the Marcos Memorial in Batac, Ilocos Sur. it was a 2 hour bus trip from Vigan according to my dad so we took the scenic route (ordinary bus). we didn't expect that the bus would take a lot of stops and so we arrived in Batac very hungry and tired. after lunch at Jolibee, much like all lunches in Manila, we set off to the ex-president's memorial. to confirm--the figure above is indeed WAX. the real body of Marcos is underneath the crypt that the dummy is lying on. next was the World Peace Center -Marcos Photo Gallery. here you can view the past and present of the Marcos family including wedding pictures, state visits, articles on the Marcoses, their family line and it also features a wall mural. all this is for FREE.

Day One was exhausting but quite enjoyable as we ventured back to Vigan in Plaza Burgos during the afternoon. we followed our empty stomachs and headed off to the Vigan Empanadahan to sample their unique fare. Vigan empanada is a tortilla type snack. the dough is rolled and flattened out and then the filling is added. it consists of Vigan longganisa, shredded cabbage and carrots. and then it is folded into half and dropped into a large "kawa" (a very large frying pan) for deep frying. it comes out crispy outside and hot and delicious inside. it's eaten with a vinegar dip. Costs around P35-Regular, P10-Bite sizes (no longganisa in the filling). with satisfied bellies, it was back to the hotel for the night but not without drinking some hot choco at The Perfect Cup cafe to unwind. we looked forward to day two since it will be the start of our Vigan tour.

VIGAN TOUR-DAY TWO

we woke up to a rainy Friday morning, a gloomy and wet start for a day of adventure. but the cold weather didn't dampen our excitement as evidenced by our gleeful conversations in the hotel lobby. thank goodness no one was there to tell us off.

while waiting for our tour guide to pick us up, we had breakfast at the hotel resto having our share of, what else, but a VIGAN breakfast! it's basically vigan longganisa, garlic rice, fried egg and atchara with black coffee and a balikotcha ( a sugary tablet that doubles as a sweetener). definitely a heavy meal. here's a trivia: biguenos rarely eat bread. they are not fans of pandesal. instead they have native snacks made of rice and coconut or kankanen and eat heavy meals. i think it has to do with their source of livelihood. they are farmers, blacksmiths and potters. and they need all the energy to last the day to finish their work.

carlo, our tour guide, started us with a walk through calle crisologo. this famous street features old spanish style houses and a bricked pathway so that wherever the horse drawn carriages or kalesa goes by there's a distinct "clip-clop" sound that's quite adorable at first but it kind of gets annoying when you realize that in the olden days this is what was known as noisy traffic. another trivia for you: as much as this is one of the tourist spots of vigan, nobody wanted to walk along this street in the good old days. why? since there was not proper sewage system back then, people would empty their arinola (chamber pot) out on the street and it would smell really stinky, especially at noon when the sun is at its hottest. i'm so glad i live in this century!

as we registered for the vigan heritage river cruise (100 pesos-adults), we had fun looking over the mestizo river. unlike the rivers in manila, this one didn't reek of oil, garbage and slime. i actually appreciated the way these people respected nature and how they were taking care of the environment that they are dependent on. we definitely should learn from them. as the river tour progressed, we listened to a recorded audio track of vigan history. it was wonderful learning about another place's origins.

after the tour, we headed off to Syquia Mansion. the Syquia Mansion houses President Qurino’s extensive memorabilia is actually owned by his wife, Dona Alicia Quirino and we had the privilege of being shown around by the house's caretaker, Rusty. Vigan is the proud birthplace of the Philippines’ sixth president, Elpidio Quirino and their family is keeping the history alive in their ancestral home. you should definitely have him to give you the tour. he knows every story, every item and every angle since he took the pictures for our group all over the house. all this for a mere 20 pesos per head.

next we headed back to plaza burgos to visit the St. Paul Metropolitan Cathedral, Arzobispo Palace and Museum. to the catholics, vigan was a seat of power when the diocese of Nueva Segovia found a home here. until now, Catholicism rules the heart of a bigueno which makes them God-fearing and obedient to the church's teachings.

Padre Burgos museum was the next stop in our adventure. the museum had more artifacts on the natives and their way of life as well as life after the Spaniards settled in the area. Padre Jose Burgos was one of the three filipino priests fighting for equal rights among the spanish friars. he was suspected of treason and of being an insurgent. He, Gomez, and Zamora were executed in Manila’s Bagumbayan (now known as Luneta) as an example to all subversives. their death sparked the revolution that andres bonifacio, another filipino hero, waged against the abusive spaniards.

by this time, we were very hungry. so carlo took us to Grandpa's Inn for our lunch. the ambiance was very homey and the prices were very reasonable. we enjoyed the food and welcomed the respite. we went back to the hotel to freshen up for the second half of our tour.

VIGAN TOUR-DAY TWO CONTINUED

when we stepped out of the airconditioned comfort of the hotel, we found carlo already waiting for us with a tricycle. our next destination was the Sta Maria church and bell tower. this centuries-old church nestled atop a hill at the townproper of Sta. Maria was used as a fortress during the 1986 Revolution. the guard and caretaker, manong oscar, led us inside the bell tower and showed us the vigan skyscape. i think he moonlights as a tour photographer too since he knew where the best spots were for taking a picture. he even took perspective shots for my friends and i, with the bell tower as the subject. and in fairness to his skill, the pictures turned out great.

boarding the tricycle, carlo instructed the driver to take us to the Baluarte, the mini zoo owned by Governor Chavit Singson. he's quite infamous for being the whistler blower of ex-president Joseph Estrada's jueteng operations. now although he may be a state witness, it's insinuated that he also benefitted from the ex-president as evidenced by the gold building standing behind the Baluarte. all politics aside, the mini zoo was great. we took a kalesa ride around the property where ostriches, deer, horses and sheep roam freely. then we walked into the butterfly enclosure leading to the stage where they do animal shows for environmental awareness. we were looking forward to having our pictures taken with one of the zoo's famous creatures, the tiger. unfortunately. he hasn't been fed and we wouldn't want to be part of his breakfast either so we left.

our last stop on the tricycle ride was the Crisologo Musuem. the museum houses the memorabilia of Vigan’s beloved late Governor Floro Crisologo, father of Bingbong Crisologo, and probably the most famous in the Crisologo clan. his killer was never caught. the museum is open from Monday to Sunday and managed by the Crisologo family for a mere contribution to their donation box.

after a trip down the region's celebrity home, ancestral it may be, carlo then hired a kalesa to bring us to the Pagburnayan Jar Factory. clay jars and flower pots are still in demand in this area although i've noticed a lot of the pottery are for landscape use.i also saw a lot of thick, wide clay rings. carlo explained that those were used to line the walls in the process of building a deep well. everything here is done the same way as the old times, hand made pots and jars cooked in an underground kiln.

and where do those pots end up? here in the Hidden Gardens, nestled in barangay Bulala, rows and rows of flora and fauna greet your tired eyes. the burst of vibrant color and the smell of fresh grass revitalizes your spirit especially after the kind of day we've had. there were bonsais for sale, potted herbs and spices, ornamental plants and even for grass landscaping jobs. the place also boasts of a bar and restaurant inside the garden, perfect for those who wish to relax and take in the scenery while sampling some Ilocano delicacies and sipping an ice cold beverage. but since we were pressed for time, we skipped that leisurely part of the tour and hopped on to our kalesa and headed back to Plaza Burgos.

in this time of quiet reflection, say about 10 minutes or so, i am grateful for my job. it's not easy working in a stressful environment where you are nothing but a number and yet it is because of this job that i have been blessed with the means to travel, meet new people, experience my country in a new light and enjoy the finer albeit expensive things in life, if only for a brief moment.

upon arriving, we decided to end the tour with our favorite Vigan Empanada. by now you would have come into conclusion that our trio is addicted to the stuff. with raised glasses filled with sweet soda, we said our thanks to carlo for a delightful tour of Vigan and a promise of return.

VIGAN AT NIGHT
wanting to make the most of our Vigan stay, we decided to walk around the area of our hotel. after gossip and life stories swapped over some hot chocolate and cake at The Perfect Cup, we strolled along the cobbled stone path of Calle Crisologo. i took several photographs and was stunned by the eerie beauty Vigan had at night. the yellow gas lights overlapping the electrical bulbs illuminated the streets and gave it that romanticized look. it's no wonder this place is a favorite spot for pre nuptial and wedding pictorials.

VIGAN TOUR-DAY THREE
we woke up around 6 am and started to get our things ready. we had one final stop on our Vigan tour which is the pasalubong shopping. we took a tricycle and headed off to the wet market, which is quite near the bus terminal. our bags were loaded with key chains, native purses, chichacorn, bagnet, Vigan longganisa, shirts and other souvenir items bought for our loved ones back in manila. you definitely must have some haggling skills to get the best value for your money.

the bus trip home was relatively unexciting and had an air of sadness to it. when we went to vigan, we stepped back in time to experience a different era where life was relaxing and beautiful and now we were returning to another one where life is fast paced and nobody stops to appreciate the simple things in life anymore. if there's anything this trip has taught me then it's to value the simple things in life, be proud of what you do as a living and keep those you love close to you.

until next my travel time!
(for a great resource on Vigan tourist spots, check out: About Vigan )

travel writing

2011-09-26T02:37:00.004+08:00

i think this is everyone's dream - to travel the world and experience new cultures and learn something new about yourself and the world during the adventure. i haven't had the privilege of traveling outside of the country with my limited budget and all. so i decided to at least see the sights and sounds of my homeland - the Philippines. with more than 7,101 islands, i think i have my work cut out for me.

i'm fairly new to this genre. i've seen a few blogs like ourawesomeplanet.com and wanderlass.com who's been doing this for quite some time. they have a strong following because of their fluid storytelling, unbiased first person POV and a wonderful appetite for life. i wish to do the same.

i hope that you'll read about my next adventure in the papers soon. nevertheless, plan B (this blog) is always in my back pocket if things don't go according to plan.

tara na, pilipinas!

book hungry

2011-09-02T13:04:00.003+08:00

these are but a few of the books i've seen in bookstores that were too expensive for me to buy at that time. i'm saving up for them as part of my christmas list. :)

it's off to write i go

2011-07-31T07:18:00.002+08:00

Hey, no grumbling! No “but I'm special and the exception to the rule” allowed! If you’re not published yet, you’ve still got work to do, my friend. If getting a novel published by a major house was an easy task, nobody would be pining away in offices or waiting tables. They’d all be sitting around in coffee shops, bent over their laptops. Getting published is not for everyone, not everyone will attain that goal, and it really has to be earned.-Mary Kole, literary agent

WRITE. WRITE. WRITE.

Although my none of my stories and a few of my essays have seen the daylight, I plod on. It feeds my soul and makes me feel alive to creative something out of nothing. In the realm of fantasy, fiction and personal essays, I RULE. That's according to my number one fan - ME.

Writers write and they tell a story. So to anyone who would care to listen, look me up.

book pandering

2011-07-18T10:48:00.002+08:00

yes. i want more books. curse this desire to read more and more stories. could someone please get me these books?

Harry Potter book collection (1-7) by J.K. Rowling
The Dark Materials trilogy by Philip Pullman
Someone like me by Roald Dahl
The Skeleton Key, Map of Bones, The Devil Colony, The Doomsday Key by James Rollins
The Perfect Killer and Slatewiper by Lewis Perdue

i know i still have a few in my list but for now, can't it be Christmas yet?

another personal collection

2011-06-15T15:07:00.001+08:00

My Hardcover Book Anthology Collection

A treasury of Modern Mysteries - Doubleday
100 Malicious Little Mysteries selected by Isaac Asimov
The Complete Murder Sampler ed. James Nelson
The Complete Sherlock Holmes by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
Best of Weird Tales ed. John Betancourt
The Telltale Corpus Delicti ed. Sanders
Arabian Night's Entertainments
The Fantasies of Robert A. Heinlein
The Fifth Galaxy Reader ed. H. L. Gold
Science Fiction of the 50's ed. Greenberg and Olander
Nightfall and other stories by Isaac Asimov
The Monster Book of Monsters ed. Michael O Shaughnessy
Necronomicon: The est Weird Tales of H. P. Lovecroft
The World Treasury of Science Fiction ed. David G. Hartwell
The Complete Science Fiction Treasury of H. G. Wells
The Science Fiction Century Vol. 1 ed. David G. Hartwell
The Science Fiction Century Vol. 2 ed. David G. Hartwell
The Minority Report and other Classic Stories by Philip K. Dick
Paycheck and other Classic Stories by Philip K. Dick
Second Variety and other Classic Stories by Philip K. Dick
Science Fact/ Science Fiction

favorite author

2011-06-02T13:42:00.003+08:00

in 2005, i was able to meet one of my writing idols Neil Gaiman. it was a dream come true for me. today, i wish to meet 2 of my other favorite authors: Stephen King and James Rollins. These men represent my love for the macabre, dark fantasy, horror, historical mystery, thriller, science and adventure.

can't wait for my dream to come true once more.

my collections

2011-05-22T17:26:00.005+08:00

yes. i am a book worm. and here are some of my prized collections (images from left to right):

The Hot Blood Series ed. by Jeffs Gelb and Michael Garrett - erotica and horror, what other combination can beat that?
Laurie King's Holmes and wife Series - what attracted me to the novel is the possibility that Sherlock Holmes was indeed real and he found a match in Mary. The manuscript is a mystery itself and being a Holmes fan, I was naturally drawn to the plot. To all feminists, please indulge in this collection.
Dan Brown's books on Robert Langdon - I find symbolism fascinating and although his facts are sometimes fiction, I think he was able to capture the "instant gratification" need of a good mystery for today's busy crowd.
James Rollins' Sigma Force Series - From the first book I read, Map of Bones, I knew I was going to get hooked. Rollins writes an amazing combination of science and history which is both plausible and unbelievable at the same time. Think Indiana Jones and his posse.
Travel Books - Ok so it's not really a series but more of indulging in my dream of the Ultimate European Trip- Romes, Venice and Italy.
Alfred Hitchcock's collection of Short Stories - He deals with horror, mystery and murder. I eat horror, mystery and murder for breakfast, lunch and dinner. A perfect match.
Ray Bradbury's stories - By now, you sense a pattern in my tastes for stories. Blood, Gore, Scary Stuff, Mystery and What if's. And he writes all the best kinds too.
Stephen King's short stories and novels (not all though) - The master storyteller himself. I thought I didn't like him as much but when I reviewed my bookshelf, his name appeared more than anyone else. He is unapologetic and writes about our deepest, most disturbing fears. I've never been able to read Thinner again because it scared me too much. He doesn't just make you scream, he makes you squirm in your seat long after you've closed the book. He gets inside you and to me, that's the worst kind of horror there is.

new additions

2011-05-02T12:23:00.004+08:00

New books, new stories to tell.
Buy them now!

another idol

2011-04-18T07:18:00.004+08:00

Pattern Recognition
Burning Chrome
The Difference Engine (with Bruce Sterling)
Neuromancer

the first time i read his book, "Neuromancer", i literally had a headache. reading gibson's works require a concentration akin to aiming a warhead in murky waters. he is a futurist who wrote about it while its tendrils were just reaching out to society. he saw the norm in what others considered a fad. and he is every bit a storyteller as much as an oracle in this sci-fi genre.

2010 reading list

2011-04-10T18:10:00.002+08:00

Worm Status: Had my fill (2010)

1. The Last Oracle by James Rollins
2. The Third Secret by Steve Berry
3. Twisted 8 1/2 by Jessica Zafra
4. The World's Greatest Secrets by HAMLYN
5. American Gods by Neil Gaiman
6. Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card
7. Possible Tomorrows ed. by Groff Conklin
8. Sandstorm by James Rollins
9. The Lost Symbol by Dan Brown
10.The Masada Scroll by Paul Block and Robert Vaughan
11. Matchmade ed. by Cel Coscolluela and Faye Ilogan
12. The Stepford Wives by Ira Levin
13. The Sword of the Templars by Paul Christopher
14. Dune by Frank Herbert
15. Hotter blood edited by Jeff Gelb and Michael Garrett
16. Do androids dream of electric sheep by Philip K. Dick
==
it's a definite improvement from last year (9 books). aside from reading a lot of the classics, i was also able to sell a few of my paperbacks. i still have a lot to go through and i relish each book.

i am also hopeful that i can release my first collection of short stories by mid year. wish me luck!

10 x 5 challenge

2011-02-21T10:08:00.002+08:00

10 stories in 5 days. 1,000 words or less for each story spread over 120 hours. so that would be 2 stories a day or 2,000 words max within 1,440 minutes.

i'm going to make my pen bleed.
let's do this!

something different

2011-02-08T11:26:00.002+08:00

meet MIO, our baby siamese cat. i've always loved dexter, my orange tabby cat, but since he passed away 3 years ago i have felt this emptiness in my life. now that MIO is here, i have my newest inspiration.

thank you daddy for my post birthday gift. :)

Booksale!!

2011-01-17T09:58:00.003+08:00

Horror, Fantasy, Fiction and Science Fiction Fans

Here it is: Books from my personal collection. I have scoured book sales and book fairs to build my all too original collection and now I am ready to share the stories that have delighted me so. These books are pre-loved so please forgive the yellowing pages, tattered covers and folded papers. But I guarantee that stories are intact and a wonderful read while drinking coffee, sitting on a couch or riding a bus.

Horror
Return to the Twilight Zone ed. by Carol Serling
Deathport ed. Ramsey Campbell
The Skin Trade introduced by Douglas Winter
Fantasy
Renaissance Faire ed. by Andre Norton & Jean Rabe
Reave the Just and other tales by Stephen R. Donaldson
Fiction
McSweeney's Mammoth Treasury of Thrilling Tales ed. by Michael Chabon
Science Fiction
Sometimes, Never by William Golding, John Wyndham,Mervyn Peake
The 3rd OMNI book of Science Fiction
Mother's Day ed. by Isaac Asimov
Thorns by Robert Silverberg
The year's best SF7 ed. by David G. Hartwell
Space Shuttles ed. Isaac Asimov
Future on Fire ed. by Orson Scott Card
Star Trek: The New Voyages 2 ed by Sondra Marshak and Myrna Culbreath
Writers of the Future vol V ed. L. Ron Hubbard
The best science fiction of 2003 ed. Haber and Strahan

To Order: Please send me a PM FIRST!
Shipping cost will be shouldered by the Buyer
50.00-Within Metro Manila
100.00-Within the Philippines

Payment is thru deposit BPI ExpressCash, G-Cash or Smart Money
You can txt: (GLOBE) 0916-4930067 or (SMART) 0949-6440317

ONLY SERIOUS BUYERS PLEASE!

the year that was

2011-01-03T08:12:00.003+08:00

Worm Status: Had my fill (2010)

1. The Last Oracle by James Rollins
2. The Third Secret by Steve Berry
3. Twisted 8 1/2 by Jessica Zafra
4. The World's Greatest Secrets by HAMLYN
5. American Gods by Neil Gaiman
6. Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card
7. Possible Tomorrows ed. by Groff Conklin
8. Sandstorm by James Rollins
9. The Lost Symbol by Dan Brown
10.The Masada Scroll by Paul Block and Robert Vaughan
11. Matchmade ed. by Cel Coscolluela and Faye Ilogan
12. The Stepford Wives by Ira Levin
13. The Sword of the Templars by Paul Christopher
14. Dune by Frank Herbert
15. Hotter blood edited by Jeff Gelb and Michael Garrett
16. Do androids dream of electric sheep by Philip K. Dick

I definitely had a better year in terms of finished books so I'm very, very happy. Not only that, I was able to increase my library with 42 books and I hope to add more to that this year. I want to focus on the classics and history but it'll depend entirely on my mood.

Right now, I'm in the middle of these books:

Altered Voices compiled by Lucy Sussex
Paycheck and other stories by Philip K. Dick
Unusual Suspects: Stories of Mystery and Fantasy ed. by Dana Stabenow
Lord of Light by Roger Zelazny
Thou shalt not kill ed by Anne Perry

Looking forward to adding business books to that list should my application for masterals push through. I'll be attending more workshops from Writer's Block as well to improve my writing skills.

Here's to a great 2011 ahead!

dreaming again

2010-12-17T09:41:00.004+08:00

this is the quaint bookstore i found, without meaning to, in the island of boracay aptly called, "boracay books." i see my personal library to be somewhat like this except there will be a corner for my laptop/pc, a writing desk and a day bed. i also require a window seat so i won't feel closed in.

i realized something while weeding out my shelves for books to giveaway/sell. i am a big sci-fi, fantasy, horror and historical mystery fan. i have books upon books of anthologies, essays and collected works of these genres.

sad part is i feel there are only a few out there who share my passion. i'm starting to wonder if i'll ever be able to sell my books after all.

still, my wishlist includes:

the harry potter collection book 1-7
the neil gaiman comic book volumes
the series, "His Dark Materials" by philip pullman
collected shoort stories by roald dahl
and an EBOOK reader!!!

HAPPY HOLIDAYS EVERYONE!!!

what a treasure!

2010-10-30T10:20:00.004+08:00

One thousand and One Nights is a collection of Middle Eastern and South Asian stories and folk tales compiled in Arabic during the Islamic Golden Age. it is often known in English as "Arabian Nights" from the first English Language edition (1706), which rendered the title as The Arabian Night's Entertainment.

Yes. I found a copy of the first English Language edition! Such a treasure. The cover is badly scratched and the binding is a bit loose but there's no missing pages and the art is as rendered as on the picture on the side.

I am quickly building my library of collected works. My two other fairy tale collections include:

The Complete Hans Christian Andersen Fairy Tales
Brothers Grimm "The Complete Fairy Tales

I wonder if my child will ever appreciate these books when I am gone. Or at least my nephew who has shown some inkling to becoming a future bookworm.

of desert sands and lost scrolls

2010-10-15T21:47:00.003+08:00

The Masada Scroll by Paul Block and Robert Vaughan

The Lost Symbol by Dan Brown

The Sword of the Templars by Paul Christopher

three books based on historical mysteries in one month! i really think that if my fortune was different, i would have been an academic. maybe an archaelogist like the heroes in these fictional works. i've always loved indiana jones when i was a kid and until now i have a deep fascination for history.

so far Lewis Perdue, James Rollins and Dan Brown are still my favorite authors of this genre. their writing styles are different- Dan Brown is more of a suspense/thriller writer although he does weave history quite well in the storyline. the event happens in 1-2 days so it's perfect for today's generation of instant gratification. James Rollins melds science and history perfectly like a grilled cheese sandwich. he goes back and forth between the characters' arc that you'll never be bored expect when the author gets too technical. Lewis Perdue marries history and the human condition in his novels that you can't help but empathize with his heroes. for me, he's the one who gives more emphasis on the historical aspect of the story giving it plausibility.

my next books are Reliquary and The Ice limit by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child. i've heard great things about these authors from my officemate. i am looking forward to discovering wonderful things from the past and how to save the world from peril.

my latest pick

2010-09-21T13:10:00.003+08:00

Do androids dream of electric sheep?
Second Variety
Paycheck and other stories
Minority Report and other stories
==

Will start reading these books in my collection for the next few months. I enjoyed his stories "Minority Report" and "Second Variety" that I had to buy his books. I'll be getting into the mind of a genius very soon.

I can't wait!

book matching

2010-08-18T07:45:00.006+08:00

i am a known bookworm. okay maybe a little bit of a book hoarder too. have you seen my room? my booksehelf is bursting with paperbacks, my top bunker has thick books lined on top of it and every corner of my little "house" has some book scattered with a marker half way within its yellowing pages. and yet i continue to buy them from book sales to promotional "month long" extravaganzas. it gives me pleasure to know that i will be reading another wonderful story and discover something beautiful.

but i've gotten tired of reading some of my books and i have long planned to hold a sale of my own. time, however, is not a friend of mine and i keep putting it off another day. when i finally gave 2 of my books away last week, i felt happy knowing that another will take part in the discovery of stories. "The World's Greatest Mysteries and The World's Greatest Serial Killers by HAMLYN" had a new home through my officemate, Jaz.

i also want to lend copies of my books to friends. i find it endearing when friends ask my opinion about what kind of book i would recommend for them to read. i just lent my book"Lies my yaya should have told me by RJ Ledesma" and she has been laughing her ass off. i am happy knowing that i've made another person happy that way.

and so...do any of you need my help with book matching? i think i'm getting good at it.

feeling guilty

2010-04-28T06:33:00.005+08:00

Neil Gaiman was here last 3/17 and i missed it. i just want to kick myself for not paying attention. it still haunts me to know that i could have stood in front of "the master" once more. i hate myself.

as penance, i will go on a Gaiman binge this month of May. i will read and re-read books of his that i have collected. i will be writing new stories and essays based on his imaginings.

-=my Gaiman booklist=-
Season's of Mist

Smoke and Mirrors

Fragile

American Gods

The Sandman Papers ed. by Joe Sanders

i also plan to attend a creativity workshop based on his characters called , "the Endless.."

let the flagellation begin!

james rollins rule!

2010-03-11T11:19:00.003+08:00

i have a new idol. JAMES ROLLINS

he's an amazing writer able to blend action thriller, science and historical mystery with plausibility in our modern age. i especially like his Sigma stories. Gray Pierce, Painter Crowe and Monk Kokkalis are alive to me as my next door neighbors.

it started with Map of Bones. then The Black Order, The Judas Strain and most recently, The Last Oracle. i cried when they found Monk alive again in Russia. their friendship struck a cord in me.

so far my favorite is still Map of Bones but then again we always have a special place in our hearts for "firsts."

i look forward to joining them in their next adventure.

book list 2009

2010-01-22T10:29:00.002+08:00

Worm Status: Had my fill (2009)

1. The Reel Stuff ed. by Brian Thomsen and Martin Greenberg

2. Map of Bones by James Rollins

3. Gallery of Horror ed. by Charles Grant

4. Stephen King goes to the movies

5. PB 21 by PM. Junior

6. Black Order by James Rollins

7. Work: Making a living and making a life by Joshua Halberstam, Ph.D.

8. The Judas Strain by James Rollins

9. Wicked: Sexy Tales of Legandary Lovers ed. Mitzi Szereto

I know it's a pathetic list. I've read more books last 2008 and it sucks. So much drama has happened in my life last year that I took to comforting myself with food. Yes, I ballooned! My transfer to a new process in HSBC, helping in the wedding preparations for my cousin, broke up with my 8+ year relationship and finding a new job and moving to a new location has got me winded.

But I'm back to my old self. Depression has it's own reward. I'm in my fighting weight and focusing on improving my skills at work. I plan to finish most of my books first before buying new sets. It's hard work but it's bearable to say no to temptation since my goal is to pay off my debts first. Wish me luck!

I'm writing more in my journal which is really great. Just need to find a sturdier bag since I carry so much already.

-==

My birthday is coming but I'm bummed about it because I'm broke. Hopefully I have enough to even just buy myself a cake. Que sera sera!

my favorite book

2009-11-08T17:31:00.002+08:00

If there ever was a book that changed my view of life then it is "Cyrano de Bergerac" by Edmond Rostand. Some say that his story was a tragedy because he lived as a pauper and never took the courage to claim his happily ever after with Roxanne. But I find myself admiring his zest for life, his integrity and eloquence. In today's world, where beauty and fame is overrated, it's comforting to know that people with real talents, knowledge and inner strength can make their mark. So everyday I strive to live with integrity and belief in myself because I know in my heart that I am making Monsieur De Bergerac proud.

2009-10-07T16:35:00.002+08:00

it's been a long time since i've read a great story. one that really made me say, "Wow! that's really good." or made me pause and exclaim, "Why didn't I think of that?"

small servings. that's what i call my love for short stories. i enjoy getting just a taste of a writer's work. a novel for me is an entire meal that requires commitment, time and attention to digest the work properly. unless i trust the author to fill me up or if the novel's subject is truly delectable enough then i'm not going to invest in reading it, which is why anthologies are the best version of "tapas" for short stories.

i love anthologies the best because i get to be introduced to new writers and different writing styles. if not for "best SF writings", i would not have know fritz lieber, ray bradbury, robert heinlen, william gibson, and orson scott card. if not for "alfred hitchcock presents", i would have never met john lutz, roald dahl, robert bloch, hal ellson and their fellow writers. my literary world would have been confined to neil gaiman, stephen king, anne rice, edgar allan poe and conan arthur doyle.
--

so what's that one great story i've read lately? it's orson scott card's "ender's game" from the book, "Novel ideas: Science Fiction ed. by Brian M Thomsen". the story was where the entire novel sprang up and i found the concept of training children for interplanetary warfare in the guise of games absolutely fascinating. although the story was able to stand on its own, it left enough "what if's" to allow the writer to expound on the story into a full novel. now i am quite interested in getting a copy of the novel itself to see how it turned out.

the good thing about anthologies is the range of topics that writers can explore without boring the reader. i suppose that's my problem - i bore easily. so far i've read portions of The Ultimate Frankenstein ed. by Byron Preiss, More Twisted: Collected Stories vol. 11 by Jeffery Deaver, Return to the Twilight Zone ed. by Carol Serling, The Twisters ed. by Jean Rabe & Martin H. Greenberg and Murder on the Menu ed. by Waugh, Greenberg & Asimov. i hope to finish these books while i devour The Judas Strain by James Rollins, Misery by Stephen King and The Alexandria Link by Steve Berry at the same time. whew! my nose must be bleeding from too much information.

and yet i am loving every minute of it!

look mama! i'm writing

2009-05-03T19:44:00.002+08:00

here i am writing my coffeeshop stories in a, well...coffeshop! location is a big factor in setting the mood for me to write. ambiance dictates the tone of my works so i try hard to set everything up. as Goldilocks would say, "Not too hot, not too cold. Just right!"

book crazy!

2009-03-26T12:15:00.002+08:00

ok. i admit it.
i am a bookaholic.

i bought 13 books this month! 70% from book sales and at discounted prices (from P325 to P30!). i just couldn't stop myself. i thought, "i might never find them again at such low prices." and so i buy them, my precious little babies...

this adds to my long list of book reads. i'm already stretched thin being in between 6 to 7 books (meaning i've started on it and my bookmark is halfway in its pages). what sucks is i've got books way in the back of my bookshelf and i'm unable to see them so sometimes i forget. really wish i could build my personal library already.

no more bookstores or bookshops for me until the next quarter. i'll have to resort to drastic measures. will employ my buddy system. wish me luck!

Murder on the Menu ed. Waugh, Greenberg & Asimov
The Illustrated Man by Ray Bradbury
Burning Chrome by William Gibson
Novel Ideas: Science Fiction ed. by Brian Thomsen
Wicked: Sexy Tales of Legandary Lovers ed. by Mitzi Szereto
Brothers Grimm "The Complete Fairy Tales"
The Bloody Chamber by Angela Carter
Minority Report by Philip K. Dick
The Flip Reader ed. by Jessica Zafra
First Love ed. by Faye Ilogon
A walk on the Darkside: Visions of Horror ed. by John Pelan
Black Order by James Rollins
The Ultimate Frakenstein ed. by Byron Preiss

but i honestly love reading my books!

my dream personal library

2009-03-06T20:14:00.002+08:00

i'm salivating already...

reading again

2009-02-24T18:12:00.007+08:00

had a great year when it came to my reading list. for 2008:

The Skin Trade introduced by Douglas Winter
The World’s Greatest Serial Killers
The Best of Frederick Pohl
The Whisperer and other voices by Brian Lumley
The Best of Fritz Leiber (Del Rey)
Ships to the Stars by Fritz Leiber
Between dinner and the morning after by Tara FT Sering
Wandergirl by Tweet Sering
Twisted 8: The night of the living twisted by Jessica Zafra
Daughter of God by Lewis Perdue
Crimes of Passion edited by Jeff Gelb and Michael Garrett
Citadels of Mystery by de camp and de Camp
True Phil. Ghost Stories 23 by PSICOM publishing
After Midnight ed. by Charles L. Grant
Fragile by Neil Gaiman
The Secret Supper by Javier Sierra
PB 20 by PM Junior
Life's work by Francis J. Kong
Follow your heart by Andrew Matthews
The Vintage anthology of Science Fantasy ed. Christopher Cerf
True Philippine Ghost Stories 24
David Copperfield's Tales of the Impossible ed. by David Copperfield and Janet Berliner

was able to read a lot of new authors and explored new writing style especially with historical mystery. it inspired me to write something similar from our culture. unfortunately, when i did my preliminary research, it looks like it's going to take me years to complete it.

for 2009, i've started reading these:

The Reel Stuff ed. by Brian Thomsen and Martin Greenberg
Map of Bones by James Rollins
Gallery of Horror ed. by Charles Grant

still have a long way to go since i bought a lot of books. but i am not worried one bit. also i'm highly enjoying the use of my laptop. so the great news is...i'm writing again and loving every minute of it!!!

newest love

2008-10-13T14:11:00.002+08:00

let's write great literature.

...or just create something accidentally wonderful!

start sharpening those pencils!

2008-09-12T14:37:00.002+08:00

3RD PHILIPPINE GRAPHIC FICTION AWARDS NEIL GAIMAN and FULLY BOOKED presents

The 3rd Philippine Graphic Fiction Awards

After two successful years of exploring Filipino Unrealism through prose fiction and comics, the Philippine Graphic Fiction Awards opens its third with a new category: short film.

All Filipino citizens may send their original entries in the prose fiction, comics, and short film categories to any Fully Booked branch.

The winning prose and comics entries will be compiled and published by Fully Booked, with a foreword by Neil Gaiman. All winning short films will be screened on awarding day.

I have 14 days left to submit my work.

Start that coffeemaker!!!

humdrum

2008-08-29T14:21:00.003+08:00

been doing a lot of partying to escape my sadness. the only writing i've been doing lately is the PMA (positive mental attitude) articles for my team at work and short blogs. been buying too many books and watching movies so that i don't have to deal with real life. it's seems surreal to find myself living a blurry existence and then snap out of it... only to wonder, "where did the time go?"

but i'm back and getting my writing legs ready. it's good to feel passionate about something again. i'm going to take it all in stride, to relearn everything that i have to and educate myself on new things as well. study is the key and i will put it into practice.

all i have to do now is manage my time.

wish me luck!!

alone time

2008-05-19T13:13:00.003+08:00

where's my alone time? it's inside the van on the way to and from work, inside the toilet, in my room (when my mom's watching tv) and during my breakfast/lunch time. it's the time when i read my books, drink my coffee, stare off into space, dream my dreams, write my stories and contemplate on life situations. it's the time when i talk to myself, the time when i weigh the pros and cons of my life's decisions and of the bleary future.

my alone time is really inside my head where i can shut everyone else out and just be at one with my thoughts (no matter how sugary light or gritty dark they may be).

ahh...how i cherish my alone time.

on books and sad stories

2008-01-29T20:29:00.000+08:00

I finally found the book!! After so many months I found Lewis Perdue's masterpiece. I absolutely loved it. Read it!!

To read through my stack of books, I've started my Book of the Month project. Basically, it takes me through my book list, choosing one and committing to finish it by month's end. The object is to read everything and find new treasures. I will not allow myself to buy a new book unless I am able to read 2-3 more by the 30th or 31st. For this month, I've read through Daughter of God, Twisted 13, Between dinners and the morning after, Wandergirl and World's Greatest Serial Killers. I'm reading Patter Recognition by William Gibson right now. Yes, the man who in 1982, coined the term cyberspace and popularized the concept in his debut novel, Neuromancer (read that one too! It gave me a psychedelic headache!). This time he travels the present under the premise that nothing is ever new, only patterns emerge. I'm excited!

What I'm really looking for are the Alfred Hitchcock anthologies. It's so hard to find one at Booksale. I wonder how I can start scrouging for it online. Any ideas?

So my birthday has come and gone. Indeed it is a sad month because one, I was broke and two, my beloved cat Dexter passed away this afternoon. I was with him till the end. He gave one last stretch and then his chest no longer moved. I'm just so distraught! My familiar, my baby, my bestfriend..

To my pretty kitty, hunny baby pretty baby...I love you so much! I'm sure you are in cat heaven right now having the time of your life and watching over me. Forgive me if I wallow in sadness because of your passing. Let my eyes swell to nothing but slits as I cry a river. Rest assured that I will be strong for you again.

marking the end of another year

2008-01-11T11:28:00.000+08:00

How time flies when you have so much to do and think about! Another year has ended and I am still writing my novel. Haven't quite ironed out the kinks (and there are a few) but I will get it out first quarter of this new year. I hope you like it boss!

As for my personal literary endeavours, I believe after this major project I'm humbly going back to my roots. That means short stories, essays and maybe one novel again. But I wouldn't hold my breath. At this point, I'm writing a series of short shorts tentatively titled, "Coffeeshop Love." Here's an excerpt:

"...And so I sit and watch him go through his routine every single day. Always a hot mug of cappuccino with extra cinnamon powder on top of the white froth, always two donuts and always by that lone table at the far end corner of the coffeeshop. The way he blows the steaming hot coffee to cool the searing liquid for a sip somehow excites me. And how the white froth clings to his upper lip forming a moustache! I fight hard to suppress a giggle. His lovely amber eyes, two orbs holding the secrets of unknown universes pierce through my soul as if he knew everything about me and is challenging me to say that he's wrong. But I can't tell him anything because that meant actually meeting him and being in his presence.

No. I dare not break his spell over me.."

Good stuff, huh? And I'm just getting started.

As for reading, well I've accumulated a lot of books this past year and here's what I've already devoured (2006-2007):

1. Dark Masques ed. J.N. Wiliamson
2. Nightmares and Dreamscapes by Stephen King
3. The Changed Man by Orson Scott Card
4. Immortality, Inc. by Robert Sheckley
5. The Orange Girl by Josh Gardner
6. Prime Evil ed. Douglas E. Winter
7. Shadows ed. by Charles L. Grant
8. Frankenstein by Mary Shelley
9. Virgin by Mary Elizabeth Murphy
10. Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Stevenson
11. Long after midnight by Ray Bradbury
12. Einstein’s Dreams by Alan Lightman
13. Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown
14. Angels and Demons by Dan Brown
15. Hitchhikers Guide to the Universe (1-5)
16. The Claiming of Sleeping Beauty by Ann Rice
17. The Rule of Four by Iam Caldwelland Dustin Thomason
18. Alfred Hitchcock Presents: I am curious (Bloody)
19. Alfred Hitchcock Presents: Witch’s Brew
20. Stranger by Night ed. by Jeffs Gelb and Michael Garrett
21. Smoke and Mirrors by Neil Gaiman
22. The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova
23. Dangerous Women ed. Otto Penzler
24. The DaVinci Legacy by Lewis Perdue
25. The Moor by Laurie King
26. Twisted Travels by Jessica Zafra
27. Pugad Baboy 19 by PM Junior
28. True Phil. Ghost Stories 19 by Psicom Publishing
29. Deadly After Dark edited by Jeff Gelb and Michael Garrett
30. Pugar Baboy 18 by PM Junior
31. The Nine Billion Names of God-The best short Stories of Arthur Clarke (Signet)
32. Violin by Anne Rice
33. Heartbreak ed. by Cel Coscolluela
34. Phil. True Ghost Stories vol. 2
35. Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bardbury
36. Expanded Universe by Robert Heinlin

I still have quite a few books to read but with my appetite for knowledge and stories I have no doubt that I will be reading through them in no time. I still have a couple of projects to finish but I am looking forward to submitting them so I can more on to more wonderful assignments!

Here's to a great year ahead!!

on a 2nd date

2007-11-28T18:36:00.001+08:00

And he came! Told you I'd be there. The event at Powerbooks, Fort Bonifacio High Street, Global City didn't pack as much crowd as the book signing he did last year at The Powerplant, Rockwell. But still, I have no complaints. As long as I get to see my hero, I am a happy kitty.

He did a book signing at Subic though and from what I know, Powerbooks is selling signed copies of "The Art of Drawing Beowolf" of which he co-wrote. The book is a thousand pesos plus so I still have to save for it. Right now my book priority is leaning on a copy of 2 of my favorite Sandman graphic novels - Seasons of Mist and World's End Inn - and his latest book, Fragile Things.

And for some good news. Neil Gaiman just added a new category for the Fully Booked contest - short film. Wish my friend Ness and the Animator were in the country. They would be perfect for this category. As for me, I'm going to work on my short fiction entry a bit early so that I won't have to cram anymore. Sadly though, he might not be returning for a third time.

He did promise that if the entries for next year's competition are able to knock his socks off then he may just reconsider a third date with pinoy scifi/fantasy fans. Hmm..better have my penciles sharpened extra pointy then.

and my wish came true

2007-09-19T12:31:00.000+08:00

Yup! He's coming back. Neil Gaiman is coming back this November (courtesy of Fully Booked)!! And I have his books all lined up for his signature --Smoke and Mirrors and American Gods.

My problem now is who will join me in my vigil to line up for his autograph? None of my friends who are also big fans of Neil Gaiman is around to accompany me. Oh well! I still have at least two months to find new comrades.

And to make my idol proud, I am joining the 2nd Fully Booked Online writing contest.

Oh yes. I'll be quite busy. There's the Nanowrimo 2007 and of course my commissioned work.

Writing is going to be sweet again!

in the meantime

2007-08-30T15:27:00.000+08:00

While things are still boiling in anticipation for my sister's wedding (yup, she got pregnant and she's getting married two weeks from now), my writer life is just picking up pace. No thanks to Adam. He's very, very sick and I may have to trade him in if I don't save enough to get him fixed. I don't want to see him go but with my current finances, I am left to find other means of getting the money.

I am thinking of going freelance again but last time I tried (and that's just one article) I completely froze. Why? I guess because the topic wasn't of interest to me and the restrictions frightened me. The trauma from my last experience really made a mark. It's either perfection at one sitting or nothing at all. That's why I choose the fiction or lifestyle genre. I have freedom to use whatever style without losing the essence of the work.

So for the next two days I'll be hammering away at the keys of my dad's pc to fill the pages of my novel. It feels nice to sit and hear the keys with their quirky, mesmerizing tone. And it's the thought that with each pound of the key I am creating magic through words that hypnotizes me to the task.

reading mostly...

2007-07-21T10:43:00.000+08:00

Yup. That's what I've been doing. Been reading old books lately. Just want to refresh the stories in my head. I'm in the final chapters of "The Da Vinci Code" and "Dracula". After that, I will be reading through "100 little Mysteries" ed. by Isaac Asimov. I have a fourth of the book to finish. Shortly after that, I'll finish the Lumley book and start with another historical mystery featuring Edgar Allan Poe. I'm really into the historical mysteries. I'm still looking for the "Daughter of God" by Perdue (it's so hard to find!) and am awaiting another adventure movie. The sequel to "National Treasure" entitled "The Book of Secrets".

If fate dealt me a different hand, I see myself as an archaeologist. I could be in the likes of Professor Sydney from the TV series, "Relic Hunter." I've always longed to find out what happened to the Babylonian Gardens and I've been fascinated with the bible stories of the Old Testament. Which is why I love fiction - historical, fantasy, sci-fi. They delve into the possible and impossible. And whatever we can create is only limited by what we can think up.

To my fellow bookworms, read on!

PS: The new Harry Potter book just released TODAY!! Yey!
==
Some people wonder why I don't join book/reading clubs. Honestly, I would like to but I think they won't be able to get a lot out of me. Reading for me is a personal pleasure. It's as solitary as writing. Your tastes in subject could be so different from mine. But I do see the point of groups like that. At least they can share different POVs and perhaps introduce you to a new author. That's something I can look forward to. Maybe I should hang out online more often. Any bookworm groups out there? I'm ready to be adopted!

the future

2007-06-22T19:05:00.000+08:00

After taking a left turn in my quest to fulfill my dreams of becoming a successful writer, I have never been so sure of my goal. I will become a famous, successful, admired and well paid writer.

I know it sounds absolutely crazy. But lately I have been forced to confront the future--something that I don't usually do. People close to me have intimated their fondest desires for their futures, leaving me to wonder about my own. But because the future is not so concrete and I can be unpredictable at times, all I am able to do is dig deep into myself to know what are the things important. A list for what matters the most.

Family - my family now and of course my own in the future.
Writing - to be able to write life and fantasy and live it twice through my words.
Travel - expand my horizon and have more adventures.
Studies - to never stop working on all the possibilities.
Wealth - so I can afford the luxury of what I want in life.

I know of some people who would include power. But for me power corrupts so I'd much rather not play with fire knowing full well that I'll get burned.

For now, I have to make sacrifices to reach my dreams, that includes sleep and my other vices.I have to take care of my body and my mind so I can write the greatest story not yet told.

Watch out world!

what?

2007-05-07T15:14:00.001+08:00

Reading this bit in Time magazine this month raised my eyebrows. Being a Catholic, I am not surprised at the Christ myths. But even this is too extreme for me.

"...It turns out that biblical revelation might have a few holes in it- at least according to the good people of Shingo, a tiny village in far northern Japan that claims to be the actual final resting place of Jesus.

The Shingo legend has it that Jesus spent his 20s not woodworking in Nazareth, but trekking through Japan where - like many gajin teacher after him - he fell in love with the culture and learned Japanese. At age 33, he returned to Judea to preach about the "holy land of Japan" and was soon condemned to crucifixion for this heresy. However, Jesus' twin brother Isukiri somehow took his place on the cross, while Jesus escaped back to the promised land of Japan. He settled in the farming village of Shingo, where he married a local girl, had children and happily tilled the rice fields until his death at 106. You can find his burial place in the village today- just look for the sign that says "Tomb of Christ: next left."

They say the legend only dates back to 1935, when a Japanese priest discovered what was supposedly Christ's will. But the small village have used the legend to its profit making hilt with novelties like the Christ Museum, celebrating June 10 as the annual Christ Festival and of course, the Christ-branded sake at the Jesus Convenience Store.

article: Best place to find Jesus by Bryan Walsh, May 7, 2007, Time Magazine.

article to share

2007-05-01T15:30:00.000+08:00

If you think that being a freelance writer is easy, think again..

So You're Thinking About Becoming a Freelance Writer
By Donovan Baldwin

You would think that writing is writing. You would think that just because you are doing it in freelance mode rather than under contract to a publication or advertising firm, for example, that it's the same thing. You would think, huh?

Well, like many things in life, when you step away from the beaten path and eschew the warmth and comfort of schedule, office, guidelines and are forced to do all that that implies for yourself, things change.

Anyone who is good at their job and decides to go out on their own...start their own business...very rapidly learns a bitter truth. Along with all the obligations to the boss, the kowtowing and dog and pony shows, the J.O.B. did provide some things that it can be hard to get along without.

Take that scheduling thing a couple of paragraphs ago. For many people striking out on their own, including freelance writers, a first dash of cold water from the fountain of freedom is the realization that they are not as good at scheduling their own time as their boss or office was.

Oh, it's great not to hear the clock go off in the morning, but at some point, if you want to be successful, you have got to get out of bed and go to work. The boss expected you there by a certain time and kept you there a certain time for a reason. Requiring a certain amount of time out of your life insured that a certain amount of work got done. With no boss to stand over you or glare at you as you come in late, it can be easy to cut the routine and suddenly find that your output has dropped off.

For a freelance writer, low output can mean low wages.

In the routine of the office, you knew that certain jobs had to be done in certain cycles and to certain rhythms. Many times, those rhythms and cycles were there when you came to work at that company. You may have modified them somewhat, but there is a chance you did not create them. As a self-employed individual, i.e. freelance writer, you are going to have to discover and create the cycles, rhythms, and schedules which will help you be successful.

At your job, you had to develop and grow. Maybe they provided training for you, maybe they didn't, but at some point you probably realized that if you wanted to advance, or at least keep your job, you would have to figure out how to work the new machinery, fill out the new form, or placate the new boss. A freelancer has to stay abreast of what's going on as well, only now, there is no one standing by to make sure you get the message.

Additionally, your job provided incentive for you to keep working even if things weren't going well. As long as you came in and did your work, you got your paycheck. For many, that, and the chance of losing a job, translates into a certain incentive to be creative. Often, when writers go freelance, they find that without any guidance and expectations from outside, their creativity dries up. Then, it is up to them to force themselves to produce.

Bosses also set expectations, and you knew as an employee what those expectations were. Many people who decide to freelance feel that they will now be able to call the tune. However, often what they want to write is not what others want to read, and they find that the boss had certain expectations because he or she knew what the market was demanding. Many a freelance writer, and others who take the self-employed route, find themselves doing many of the same things they did, but for less money and with no benefits.

The list can go on. There are a myriad of things that anyone leaving the work force and striking out on their own will realize need to be done. They will also realize that usually somebody else did them when they had a job. Now that they are self-employed, again, i.e. freelance, they are responsible for it all...from bookkeeping to sanitation. It is their responsibility not only to be a good employee but a good employer as well.

Going freelance in any profession can be daunting, and sometimes the rewards are not monetary. Many self-employed people make less than they did at their last job, but would never go back now that they have made the break. After all, where else can you quit work to watch the game or play with your kids, take a couple of days off because you feel like it, and do your work with a beer on the desk?

new hobby

2007-04-10T20:12:00.000+08:00

This is my new hobby, riding my new bike. My dad bought one over holy week and I've been learning to ride it well. I fell down a few times already and I wear my bruises as a badge of honor.Progress is slow and I have recently added turning as part of my biking skills.

30 minutes a day of leisure biking. That's what I've started to take on as a form of exercise. Getting fit is hard to do.
==
As for my brains getting some much needed stretching, I have my books to do that for me. Currently I am in between 10 books. Hehehe! 10 books...amazing, ain't it? Goodluck to me finishing all of it!

amazing!

2007-04-10T18:24:00.000+08:00

While writing about my latest book finds for my other site, I received something amazing. Here is the comment from my latest author find, Lewis Perdue. I found his book "The Da Vinci Legacy" at Booksale. I actually like his book and am looking for his novel, "Daughter of God."

"Lewis Perdue said...

Hope you enjoy The Da Vinci Legacy. I wrote it so long ago, that it is surely _not_ my best written one, but hope it is good enough!

FYI, my wife's aunt is from Manila."

What amazes me is he took the extra mile to address an individual fan. That made him more endearing to me and ensured me as a fan. I hope to follow his example in the future.
==

I'm in the middle of these books right now:

1. Deathport ed. Ramsey Campbell
2. On Writing by Stephen King
3. Writers of the Future vol VI ed. L. Ron Hubbard
4. Do androids dream of electric sheep by Philip K. Dick
5. Conjure Wife & Our Lady of Darkness by Fritz Leiber
6. Exploring the Matrix: Visions of the Cyber Present ed. by Karen Haber
7. The Best of Frederick Pohl
8. Citadels of Mystery by de camp and de Camp
9. Dracula by Bram Stoker

Now, when I say "in the middle" it means I've already finished a substantial number of pages in the book and my attention was caught by another paperback thereby taking my focus off the said book and have started to pick up something else. I know it's a bad habit but I just can't help it. The worse part is my book addiction is spiraling out of control. I've bought so many books but have so little time to read them.

Do I see any cure for my affliction? Not in the near future.
Ahh! The woes of a bookworm...

i'm famous!

2007-04-01T10:02:00.000+08:00

This is the picture of me plastered on the lifestyle section of The Philippine Daily Inquirer (PDI), March 27, 2007. Yes, my face on print newspaper. My friend got me as an interviewee on her article. It was nice to see how my family fussed over my 24-hour celebrity status. What more if they saw my name as a contributor!

With that being said, that’s my goal for this year–to be published online or print again. I miss having my name posted on websites.

Speaking about pictures, I am also in the HSBC calender front cover and on the wallpaper in the entrance of the office. Pretty cool, huh!

Splurged again on my book budget. I'm guilty of buying three new books, including "American Gods" by Neil Gaiman. National Bookstore had a sale and naturally, I had to buy a new book. Not to mention my purchase of "The Best of Frederick Pohl", "Vampire Papers" and a mag for Photoshop editors.

Now if only I could find the time to read them all. Sigh!

finally!

2007-03-19T19:37:00.000+08:00

Ask and you shall receive..and what the universe gave me was so much more than I could have imagined. I was able to go to one of the beautiful beaches in the Philippines—Puerto Galera, Mindoro.

The white sandy beach was wonderfully warm, the sun smiled down on us and the clear blue water was cool and divine.

This is paradise.

I am definitely looking forward to more out-of-town trips and perhaps, if I get lucky, go on an out-of-the-country adventure.

the old days

2007-03-14T15:24:00.000+08:00

See that lone, frail guitarist on the right? Yup, that's me back in second year in college. Hehe! Talk about being a nerd.. I looked like one of the super nerds!

This is the only picture I have of our gigs. Actually, this is our first gig at a friend's birthday party. I can't believe how different I look now, considering the time that has elapsed. Here, I look like a highschool kid and now I look like a college student. I'd like to thank my mom for my genes that makes me look younger than my real age.
==
As for my writing, I deserve to be whipped 1,000 times for procrastinating. But I have been joining a lot of writing groups online and somehow my interest is piqued once more. I have been writing in my journal but mostly it's emotional writing. I plan to join a writing contest by year end and hopefully win. If not, at least have my name splashed across the web space again.

Must work harder than before. With tons of responsibilities at work, web projects and self-studying to do, it's a wonder I still have time for my king and family.

a day in the life

2007-02-25T12:40:00.000+08:00

If you recorded the day in a life of a writer you would be disappointed. He makes coffee, he looks out the window, he does everything but write. But despite these everyday failures, something still comes out of it.
-- Imre Kertesz

And I also do lists. For me, it's a thrill being able to cross out each accomplished item off that list.
==

Why is it that when I am out, the urge of writing suddenly hits me. And I am determined to set down on paper my musings and story ideas. But as soon as I arrive home, the will is gone and I am left feeling abandoned by my muse.

To be honest, I find it annoying not being able to write something wonderful on command. Yeah sure, I am a mediocre writer. As of yet, I do not possess the discipline professional writers brag about. I write when inspiration hits me. And from what I am experiencing, I badly need to place myself in an inspiring environment to be able to finally finish my half-baked stories and unmade novel ideas.

If only Starbucks is open 24/7. Hmm..not a bad business idea.
A writer's cafe! :)

fond memories

2007-02-21T11:41:00.000+08:00

Just reminiscing...Hay! I wonder when he will be back.

on vampires and more

2007-02-18T12:41:00.000+08:00

I've been reading books on vampires lately. I'm still within the pages of "The Historian" by Elizabeth Kostova, a fictional story working on the premise that Vlad Dracul is still alive in this century. Next I'll be re-reading Bram Stoker's "Dracula" and then finish up with an anthology entitled, "Bite" with writers like Laurell K. Hamilton, Charlaine Harris, etc.

Why the interest in blood? Nothing really. Just feel like I wanted to read something sinister to blow off steam from all the pressure at work.

losing books

2007-02-09T11:41:00.000+08:00

I lost two books recently. And it pains me to never see those books again. It's like saying goodbye to a dear friend. The first book is the "Sandman: Book of Dreams ", a signed copy from Neil Gaiman himself. I lent it to my friend and she never returned it. Huhuhu!

The second book is one of my Alfred Hitchcock collections. It's actually one of my favorite books. Same thing happened. I lent it to my friend and he left work so I don't think I'll be seeing my book again. I'm shy asking him to return it.

But then again, stories are meant to be shared. So I'm doing my best to let go of these personal treasures. Things happen for a reason and maybe these books have so much more to share to the world.
==
Wanna see how fast I can read given the flame of interest? In one month, I finished off four anthology books. It was such a thrill reading a book. I feel like I'm having an affair, grabbing any free time I can get to sneak a peak in the pages of my books. It's crazy!

Hahaha! I'm such a nerd!

that's what I want...

2006-12-31T16:22:00.000+08:00

Yup. I want one too. Call it vanity or insanity. It's probably both. But I really, really want one.
==
Going through my reading list, I am proud to say I've read more than 12 books in a span of five months. I know it's still slow for a bookworm but at least I find time to sneak in my books.
==
It's funny when you think about it. I took a break from writing because I experienced severe mental block. I couldn't write anything creative. Couldn't think straight. I hated the sight of words. I took refuge in a new job and new environment. And for a while I liked the change.

But being a writer seems to be engraved in my destiny. Weeks after quitting the writing world, I received quite a few offers for gigs. More recently I was invited to write for two online magazines. And my publisher also came back from Chicago to check up on the progress of my novel. Now, I'm also associate editor for our office newsletter.

Should I be scared? No, not really. I guess what I should be is grateful and more hardworking especially since a lot of people expect great things from me. And so for my New Year's resolution I vow to read more and write more.

Happy New Year everyone and may all your dreams come true (like mine did!)!!

it's been a while

2006-11-27T11:06:00.000+08:00

Hi all! Sorry been out of circulation lately. Was busy with my other blogs and writing in my journal. Anyway, how's my writing? Suffice to say that I haven't finished my story for the Nanowrimo entry. Ahh!!! What am I going to do now?

But I do love typing on my laptop. Hopefully, I love it so much to start free"writing" and actually finish a story.

I wonder what really is hindering me from writing a story. Sometimes I think it's because my imagination is slowly being eaten up by television or movies. There's something to be said of "a story repeated again." But I guess it all depends on the treatment and the way it is presented to its audience.

Take for example themes in movies. Although they are all about the same things - love, revenge, conflict, horror, etc. - we never run out of directors making films, writers penning screenplays or producers exploring other mediums in ways to make the old theme seem new. I suppose all I need to do is find the drive to learn more on how to write a good, satisfying story.

Can't wait for my inspiration to come! :)

book meme

2006-10-30T09:22:00.000+08:00

One book that changed your life:
Introduction to Philosophy

One book that made you laugh:
ANBKKBSNPL ako by Bob Ong

One book you have read more than once:
Cyrano De Bergerac

One book you would want on a desert island:
The Sandman Series by Neil Gaiman

One book that made you cry:
Cyrano de Bergerac

One book you wish had been written:
The missing years of Jesus Christ

One book you wish had never been written:
If I'm so great, why am I still single? (I'm not too fond of self-help books. They tend to be preachy.)

One book you are currently reading:
I'm rotating books right now. The one I always bring along is Frankenstein. The others are DeathPort, The Writers of the Future vol.5, On writing, Do androids dream of electric sheep?

One book you have been meaning to read:
Einstein's Dreams (I don't have the book yet)
==
I really get excited whenever I go to Booksale, Diplomat or those booksales at National Bookstore, Powerbooks or Goodwill bookstore. Just the thought that I could find a good book at a low price gives me the jitters!

I'm currently looking for classics. I bought Lord of the Flies and Dr. Jekyll and Hyde for 15 pesos at Booksale. I can't wait to build my private library! Now all I need is time to devour my books.

a bit of practice...

2006-10-21T18:58:00.000+08:00

In a place where the biting cold can freeze a mosquito in mid-flight, in the heart of the building where footsteps rarely leave their tracks, in a room where all you can hear is the rustling of paper against soft fingers...there lies our heroine. Surrounded by stacks upon stacks of books - hard and soft bound, paperbacks and first editions. Looking around the room we see her bookshelves, bent in the middle from the weight of knowledge and fantasy. She rests inside this crowded room, alone and seemingly forgotten by the world. There we see her sitting comfortably in a reading chair, foot resting on a stool, engrossed in yet another book with the only light coming from the lamp near her armrest.

As she turns the page, she hears a familiar sound outside the door. Our heroine smiles, welcoming the interruption. Lazily she puts down the book and moves towards the door. "Coming Dexter," she sighs. Three years in this place and her feline companion still insists on scratching the door to let her in. She wonders why her pet doesn't mewl like ordinary cats. Then she repeats to herself that Dexter is no ordinary cat and it is she who is slave rather than master. And as she turns the knob, expecting to see those emerald green eyes looking up at her, she gasps at the surprise greeting her on the doormat. Dexter, standing outside the door, orange fur covered in blood. And a man lying next to him, bloodied as well, unconscious but breathing.

And she thinks, "What a mess!"
(to be continued...)
==
I was finally able to finish the "Shadows" book. I'm now reading Ray Bradbury. Actually, I have tons and tons of books at home that hungers for my attention. But lately I have noticed that I've been reading the same subject again and again. It's always horror, sci-fi or fantasy. I need a new dish. I need variety.

Any book that you can recommend?

out for a treat

2006-10-04T12:42:00.000+08:00

Been really busy lately. Life in a call center has its ups and down and for a writer like myself, all I've been able to do is just read other books and dream about my future book signings, book tours, fame and all that jazz.

So to treat my weary and exhausted brain, I went to my usual hang out. Starbucks welcomed me with open arms and I was able to sample their "Heaven on Earth" cake. Honestly, this cake falls short of my expectation. I still like the chocolate mousse from Red Ribbon.
==
How now is my writing? Ziltch. The best I have written are my blogs and journal writing. Even my novel has taken a backseat ever since my creativity decided to take a leave of absence. I do hope I get the confidence and inspiration to sit down and write a great, funny and moving story.

As of the moment, my bookshelves are very, very happy. I have tons of new books. Now all I need is the time to read them. And that's in between my web designing. Ahh! So little time, so much to do...

Oopps...excuse me. I hear the alarm clock ringing. It's time to write again. See you soon...

what did you say?

2006-08-13T22:55:00.000+08:00

Any violent reaction, people

So you want to be a writer?
--Charles Bukowski

if it doesn't come bursting out of you in spite of everything,
don't do it.
unless it comes unasked out of your heart and your mind and your mouth
and your gut,
don't do it.
if you have to sit for hours
staring at your computer screen or hunched over your typewriter
searching for words,
don't do it.

if you're doing it for money or fame,
don't do it.
if you're doing it because you want women in your bed,
don't do it.
if you have to sit there and rewrite it again and again,
don't do it.
if you're trying to write like somebody else,
forget about it.

if you have to wait for it to roar out of you,
then wait patiently.
if it never does roar out of you,
do something else.

if you first have to read it to your wife
or your girlfriend or your boyfriend
or your parents or to anybody at all,
you're not ready.

don't be like so many writers,
don't be like so many thousands of
people who call themselves writers,
don't be dull and boring and pretentious,
don't be consumed with self-love.
the libraries of the world have yawned themselves to sleep
over your kind.
don't add to that.
don't do it.

unless it comes out of your soul like a rocket,
unless being still would drive you to madness
or suicide or murder,
don't do it.
unless the sun inside you is burning your gut,
don't do it.

when it is truly time,
and if you have been chosen,
it will do it by itself
and it will keep on doing it
until you die or it dies in you.

there is no other way.
and there never was.

goodluck!

2006-08-09T09:42:00.000+08:00

Word Count Update
I need to write:

7,200 words - just to fill my quota TODAY for the Cre-W Nanowrimo event
25,000 words - just for the rewrites on my novel
1,500 words - for the short story I have in mind
800 words - for my journal entry

goodluck to me!

the typing monster strikes!

2006-07-31T12:26:00.000+08:00

The rainy season is a great weather to start writing stories to. I suppose it's the gloomy atmosphere and the biting cold that nips ever so slightly inside the marrow of your bones that gives me the extra kick to grab my keyboards and start typing away. Nothing solid yet. I'm still typing and making up my story as I go along.

Tomorrow the "Nanowrimo" exercise of my writing group Cre-W will begin. I don't have a story plotline yet but I'm sure I'll think of something. That's 800+ words a day or a total of 25,000 by the end of the month. I sure hope I reach that!

The good thing about this exercise is I can hone my skills enough to join this November's Nanowrimo event, the Speculative Fiction contest in December and apply it on my ongoing novel. Not to mention the deep impact this will have on my vocabulary skills.

As exciting as all this sounds, I do hope I have enough money to sustain my lifestyle, enough strength for eveything and everyone I love and enough time to fit it all into my schedule.

tag! you're it!

2006-07-25T14:19:00.000+08:00

IF YOU COMMENT ON THIS PAGE YOU WILL BE TAGGED
THE RULES: If you comment on this post, I will..

1. Respond with something random about you
.2. Challenge you to try something.
3. Pick a color that I associate with you.
4. Tell you something I like about you.
5. Tell you my first/clearest memory of you.
6. Tell you what animal you remind me of.
7. Ask you something I've always wanted to ask you.
8. Pick a song that reminds me of you.You then must post the same meme and my response in your blog.
==
Here's what jigs has to say about me:

RANDOM
I have the sniffles too!
--i guess there's a bug going around.

CHALLENGE
Go to blogthings.com, answer some surveys and post them!
--i would, if i had the time... :(

COLOR
Blue, the first thing on my mind.
--okaayy... well, i do have a few things in blue.

LIKE
I like your laptop! hehe! Seriously, I like your simple honesty.
-- ohh, shucks! :)

FIRST MEMORY
Same as your first memory. My first ever comment to your blog!
--hehe! :)

ANIMAL
An ostrich. I also dont know why. That was my first thought! LOL!
-- hmm...weird. i thought you'd say cat.

QUESTION
Can insanity really be cured?
--lobotomy is your next bet.

SONG
High by The Speaks. I love this song, hope you like it too!
--i like it too! :)

I quit

2006-07-19T21:15:00.000+08:00

I quit. Sounds unprofessional, right? But my brain wasn't functioning anymore no matter how hard I pushed myself. I wrote poor quality articles and just kept repeating the basic idea over and over. My creative juices were all dried up. So I had to let it go and quit the copywriting gig. Yes, I am learning something new everytime but I was being redundant.

I have a terminal case of niceness in me. When I know a person depends on me or I can see that they really need my help, I just can't say no at the cost of wearing myself thin. And that's what happened. I overestimated my body's capabilities and I ended up with an unfinished contract, lost income and possibly, a broken friendship.

I really have to work on my assertiveness skills. I must be able to say a statement and stick by it. No excuses.

Sheez! Why does it sound better on print?

what I need...

2006-07-07T17:58:00.000+08:00

I needed to awaken my writer's spirit so I went browsing through one of my favorite bookstores. I wanted to see what kind of stories make it to the shelves. So far, I've seen "Confessions of--", Memoirs, Chick Lit, Self-help books, Inspirational books and Humor. There are a lot of historical mystery and romance stories out there too. But as to their marketability, I think the demand is slow. Maybe a fictional story that's controversial enough about our own history might be an interesting plot to explore.

I like going to bookstores. I enjoy seeing the books on sale. I feel inspired to write my own book as well. Problem is when I get home and sit down in front of the computer, my mind goes blank. Everything I was thinking of writing down while inside the bookstore suddenly escapes me everytime I try to solidify it through paper and pen. How will I be able to write my novel and stories this way?

I could use a voice recorder. I've heard other authors use this device to conveniently store ideas or finish chapters at a time. Unfortunately, I feel weird talking to a machine in the middle of a crowd. But it's worth a shot. I will tell you what happens when I actually do this writer trick.

Right now, I feel sorry for my ideas. They are like seeds waiting to be planted. I feel them burning in my hands. They are just itching to be enveloped with rich soil, to grow up and become full-blown flowers. And here I am, closing my fist and putting them back in my pocket. I am ashamed because I don't think I can nurture them to bloom properly.

Someone said, "When you do something, do it right." And that's what I follow through with my writing habits. If I know I can't do the idea justice, I keep it in my notebook until I feel that I am ready to write the story. But then I read somewhere that, "If you don't try, how will you know that you won't succeed?" So I am torn between these two perspectives.

Eventually, I will have to write the stories down. I understand that they choose me to tell their tales and share it with others. I must not disappoint them and my future fans.

reading up again..

2006-06-28T18:01:00.000+08:00

I'm in the middle of four books right now: Prime Evil, Deathport, Soft and Others, and Do androids dream of electric sheep? If you ask me how I could juggle through all the books without losing track of a story, I have no idea. But my brain has this uncanny ability to retain memory of which part of the story on what book I left off and I have no trouble continuing with the story again. I suppose this is another example of women's multi-tasking talents.

Hollywood is making a film based on the sci-fi novel of P.D. James, "The Children of Men." I read the novel a year ago and I found the story flat, compared to the types of sci-fi anthologies I've been reading, of course.

"The Children of Men (1992) is a dystopian novel by P.D. James set in England in 2021. It is based on a simple yet gruesome and thought-provoking idea: What would happen if, over night, women all over the world stopped becoming pregnant? What would happen if, over the years, that situation turned out to be irrevocable? What influence would universal infertility have on people's minds and attitudes, on their behaviour, on politics? How would public order be maintained? How would society cope with an ever-ageing and dwindling world population? Would there be any hope left? In The Children of Men, James describes a Britain being steadily depopulated, at the same time telling a thrilling tale revolving around a small group of people who cannot, and do not want to, fit in with the disillusioned and apathetic masses." -- taken fron Wikipedia

It feels nice to have read something and see a movie version of it. That's what I want to do If I ever become a scriptwriter. For now, I have to start attending classes if I want to achieve one of my dreams. Wouldn't it be great though if a novel I wrote will become a film? Wow! :)

what?

2006-06-20T07:55:00.000+08:00

CRAP...that's what the client said about my 700+ word article. Crap? I put my mind into that article and you call it crap! That's an hour and 15 minutes of my life. And what? You're just paying me 100 pesos for that article! To hell with you! I can get a writing gig that pays ten times as much.

Ok fine, I don't take criticism too well but only if it's unconstructive. Saying that my article is crap, period, is not very helpful feedback. Besides, if you can't write your own article don't be too quick to judge a writer. We are not wizards who can conjure up perfection in a snap. We need time, inspiration and motivation to work.

Right now my motivation is money and that makes poor inspiration to write an original masterpiece. But I'll try again. I'm not too stubborn to do rewrites.

7 reasons

2006-06-17T10:02:00.000+08:00

Here are seven reasons why writers (like me) should blog:

7 reasons every writer needs to blog
by Deanna Mascle

If you are a writer and you are not blogging then you should be. While many people simply dismiss blogging because of its description as a web diary they are missing a lot of traffic and revenue generating opportunities every day. Many internet entrepreneurs work hard to publish their blogs but as a writer you have the ability to easily create the content you need without needing to hire out. In fact, publishing a blog can be the perfect way for you to profit from your writing.

In truth blogs are much more than a simple web diary. They are actually a content management system and/or an easy web site template. Blogging software allows you to begin posting your content to the internet in minutes and when you harness that ability with an RSS feed you have a powerful traffic magnet.

I have come up with 7 reasons why every writer should have a blog and RSS feed.

1. Publishing a regularly updated blog helps you keep in touch with your existing audience. Whether they come for your style or subject matter, your readers will appreciate having ready access to your material.

2. A blog can help you attract new readers. Your blog entries (posts or articles) will become fodder for the search engines and will attract new visitors. Once a reader has found something of interest in one blog entry they are likely to move onto other entries as well.

3. Blogs and RSS feeds often rank higher in search engines than traditional web sites. Search engines love blogs and RSS feeds. If you design your blog properly then every time you update it the search engines are notified. Even if you don't regularly ping most search engines will revisit blogs more frequently. Plus the very organization of a blog lends itself to spidering and good search engine ranking.

4. Blogs can help you establish or build your reputation in a particular field. As your blog grows you will demonstrate your knowledge in your chosen niche.

5. Blogs and RSS feeds are good revenue streams. You can add pay-per-click ads, affiliate ads, or sell ad space on your blogs. In fact, many PPC companies also provide the ability to add PPC to your RSS feeds.

6. Blogs are great ways to generate leads. Even if you don't want to put any advertising on your blog you can use it to promote or capture leads for your own ezine or newsletter. These are great leads as the fact that they came from your blog means they are already interested in your topic and predisposed to your individual message. If you have ebooks or other products to sell then you can use your blog to promote these as well.

7. Creating your own blog is the easiest way to establish a presence on the internet and creating an RSS feed is even easier. In fact, it is also the cheapest way to get started on the internet as there are a number of free blogging sites out there. I started out with blogger.com and usually recommend them but have heard others point to several other top blogging sites as well. The blogging software that I now use is WordPress and also happens to be free. In fact, most web hosts now offer WordPress (or other free blogging software) as a free site add-on through Fantastico. Installing WordPress from scratch is quick and easy but Fantastico makes it even easier. Blogs created at Blogger have an RSS feed created for them and WordPress also creates feeds in several variations automatically.

As you can see there are several benefits to starting your own blog and RSS feed. If you can count that many benefits from a tool that is also free and easy then you are foolish not to begin using it for yourself. I don't know a writer who isn't looking for additional ways to profit from their writing and blogging is the perfect solution.

from:http://www.worldwidefreelance.com

and then my wish came true...

2006-06-15T16:13:00.000+08:00

my fairy godmother finally answered!!!

and I'm so glad she did. :)

Now I have no excuse to finish my short stories, novel and articles.
(Yikes!)

writer site

2006-06-07T19:37:00.000+08:00

Being a web copywriter, I have learned a lot from the articles online. I joined a lot of writing-related websites and some have been a great help to me in getting into and understanding the writing business. I'd like to share with you one of my favorite writer sites - WORLDWIDE FREELANCE ( http://www.worldwidefreelance.com )

If you want to learn more about being a freelance writer, check out their webpage. Here's one of their more recent articles explaining ghostwriting:

Feature Article: What is a Ghostwriter?
by Gary McLaren

Do you believe in ghosts? They are mostly unseen. Unnoticeable. And believe it or not they are moving behind the scenes in the publishing industry. If you're lucky you might catch a fleeting glimpse. They are officially called 'ghostwriters'.

A ghostwriter is a writer who writes on an assigned topic under someone else's name, with their consent. They often write books completely from scratch but sometimes their work involves rewriting or polishing an existing work.

Most books by famous personalities are actually written by ghostwriters. When you see an autobiography or memoir from a politician, businessperson, or celebrity, chances are that it has been written by a ghostwriter...

Click here for more of the article...

reading away

2006-06-04T17:15:00.000+08:00

At night, during my coffee break, on my way home and while I'm in the john..I read my books. And because of sheer persistence, these are the books I've finished:

Nightmares and Dreamscapes by Stephen King
The Changed Man by Orson Scott Card
Neuromancer by William Gibson
The Claiming of Sleeping Beauty by Ann Rice
Dark Masques ed. by J.N. Williamson

I still have twenty plus books to read but I'll get to them soon enough.
==
My writer's spirit is energized because of my need to get paid and do more things besides writing. It's not yet a torrential downpour of images, story ideas and perspective but a light dizzle. At this moment, I welcome even just dark cloud in my sky of inspiration. No more excuse of Writer's Block. This time, it's all business.

Hehe! Tough words for someone who scares so easily..

a book idea

2006-05-22T15:18:00.000+08:00

This is one of my book ideas (I have a notebook full of them!). A story about the dance, the modern girl who inherited the gift, its curse and consequences and what happens when she discovers that her child may inherit it too.

The story is in research stage right now. Still have a lot to iron out in the plot. But this can wait until I send in my manuscript for the other novel I'm working on.

one word

2006-05-12T11:16:00.000+08:00

when my brain can't form a thought anymore
when i'm babbling incoherently
when my vision is foggy from staring at the monitor all day
when my bones are creaking and finger joints cracking
when i can't put down a single word any further
one word lifts me up and pushes me back to write...

..."MUSH!!"

the white rabbit's dash

2006-05-04T22:59:00.000+08:00

"I'm late. I'm late for a very important date." That's what the white rabbit said to Alice. Right now, that's what I'm saying to myself. I have deadlines left and right. Yet here I am taking time to jot down in my blog. I suppose you can say I'm purging myself of toxic thoughts before setting my mind back to writing seriously again.

I heard my editor will be coming to the country mid-May. Oh boy! Have to speed up my research so I can stop trimming and give him a printable draft. It's been months of revision and editing between the two of us. I hope we'll be able to finish the novel once he's here. After this, Chicago bookshelves...here I come! :)
==

I'm obsessing about getting my own laptop. I really, really, REALLY need and want one. I want one so badly that I salivate at the mention of the word. I'm leaning towards the Fujitsu Lifebook or an iMac. It all depends on my budget and the specs of the laptop. My needs are quite modest. Fast, durable, big memory space and efficient. My laptop should be able to take on word processing, multimedia services (photo and video editing and audio conversion), software development (since I do programming) and web dev. Hay!! When will my dream come true?

What gives me the drive and inspiration to write nowadays is the promise of payday. I know it's a sad thought to write for food but let's face it. If you don't do it, then might as well get a 8-5 job in the office or join in the call center bandwagon. Look at it this way: no matter how big the writing assignments are, I still get to write.

Now, please excuse me as I run after the white rabbit...

a peak into the crystal ball

2006-04-22T23:19:00.000+08:00

I received this in my email a few days ago:

Subject: Radio Interviews
Date: Wed, 19 Apr 2006 11:45:05 -0700

Hello Naughtygirl,

What are you currently doing (if anything) to obtain live radio interviews by telephone, so that you can generate more exposure for yourself? That is what we do...book authors, public speakers, experts, independent film makers, and consultants hire us to obtain live radio interviews by telephone for them on radio stations in the U.S. and Canada. If you would like, I can send you some breakdowns on the campaigns that we have available. Just let me know and I will get it right out to you by email (just give me a good email address to send it to).

Looking forward to hearing from you,

Lorilynn
Bryan Farrish Radio Promotion

So this is my future as a published writer aside from the TV appearances, book signings, book readings and writer's conventions. It doesn't seem so bad. And to think Lorilynn hasn't even read my book yet. Heck! My book hasn't even seen the printers. What foresight these marketers have in anticipating a need! I'm quite impressed.

Either that or this is a sign that my book is going to be a success and I'll be doing radio interviews in the near future. Hmm..it's a scary but wonderful thought! Wouldn't it be something if all this did come true? We'll see.

one day soon...

2006-04-04T09:29:00.000+08:00

You Should Be a Science Fiction Writer

Your ideas are very strange, and people often wonder what planet you're from.
And while you may have some problems being "normal," you'll have no problems writing sci-fi.
Whether it's epic films, important novels, or vivid comics...
Your own little universe could leave an important mark on the world!

What Type of Writer Should You Be?

(just taking a break from my self-imposed prison)

I knew it. I am destined to be in the ranks of Gaiman, Lovecraft, Kutner, Gibson. etc. Someday I will finish my futuristic novel and the world will marvel at my work. I will receive acclaimed fame and respect from my colleagues. My books will be a market success and my dream to be a world-famous writer will come true.

Someday. Someday.

(scurring back to my hobbit hole...)

cramming technique

2006-03-16T17:04:00.000+08:00

If you are like me then the best way to write a story is through changing perspective. Immerse yourself into your character's point of view. Live their life even though they may be fictional characters. Become them, at least until you finish the piece.

So here's what I'm going to do to finish my first novel. My entire focus will be on it (Notice I used the future tense. It's because I'm still distracted and I have a lot of thought-purging to do). No distractions...just me and my taped interviews, research materials, pictures and computer. I'm going to lock myself inside my room and concentrate on the story.

Thermos of coffee - check!
Cellphone off - check!
I'm now ready to become a hermit in my hobbit hole.
See you when I'm done! :)

on writing

2006-03-13T08:59:00.000+08:00

Calvin and Hobbes on writing

Pretty interesting perspective on writing, don't you agree? Here's another funny story on writers and those who experience writing blocks.

Forced writing
by Jessica Edelman

Once upon a time there was a girl. And she was forced to write a story.
Well no one was forcing her as such. But she felt she had an obligation.
No one forces parents to love their kids.
But they kind of have to.
It’s a bit like that.
She wanted to be a writer, so she had to force herself to write.
That was that.

* * *

"Clair, what are you doing in there? "
"Writing."
"Oh."

Sometimes people took an interest in her writing, and other times they didn’t.

* * *

Clair had been sick recently. So she hadn’t felt like writing. Then she got better. And was too busy to write. The piece of paper attached to the top left corner of her computer screen "Write 1000 words a day" occasionally brought on feelings of intense guilt, but most of the time she tried to ignore it. Tried.

Bits of paper are powerful things.
Very powerful things.
This piece of paper was torturing Clair.
It didn’t help that it was bright yellow.
There was no pretending that it didn’t exist.
Read on ...

Cre-W entry

2006-02-28T16:00:00.000+08:00

(This was my article for 2BU's edition on comicbooks but it didn't make it on print. I'm rather proud of this piece as it gives an inside look into the mind of the comic book reader. Feel free to comment!)

Psychology of a Comic Book Reader

Nerds. That’s what they call us comic book readers. People attempt to differentiate us from the geeks and weirdoes but all they do is just label us and put us neatly in a box. It’s a natural human reaction to keep at arm’s length what they don’t understand. Because the truth is they are afraid of us. They are afraid of what we know, scared that we hold the key to some unknown universe. And they envy us. Because we have had a glimpse of the future and that is something they will never have.

We comic book readers live in a world of panels and speech balloons. Although life in a comic book may seem constricted, we know that it represents the absurdity of the real world. We live in amazement at what life is and what life can be. We become its audience as we see life through the writer’s eyes.

We are special. Print readers create a world uniquely their own with the writer’s world subjectively formed in their heads. But we comic book readers already know what the world should look like. With the expertise of the artist’s drawing, our Metropolis looks exactly like your Metropolis. Our Daily Bugle is the same Daily Bugle you read about.

Though print readers may argue that it takes the fun out of imagination and creativity, we comic book readers beg to differ. We also use our imagination. We use it to experience our character’s pain and triumph. We feel every punch, every blood-splattering scene on the glossy pages. Our stomachs turn with panels of tortures, entrails and decapitation. And our hearts melt with a beautiful sunset, a pretty girl and a child’s first steps.

We are art aficionados. Each sketch, each drawing is a priceless art for us. Just as art collectors thrive in search of the masterpiece so do we comic book readers. We appreciate good art: the perfectly drawn explosion site, the voluptuous super heroine and tasteful landscape. Even bad art is beautiful to us. Abstraction and distortion has a place in our world without prejudice.

We are code breakers. Have you seen the movie Unbreakable? Remember how Elijah Price’s mother dissects the anatomy of the villain through the artwork. “ See the villain’s eyes? Note how they are larger than the other characters. They insinuate a slightly skewed perspective on how they see the world. Just off normal,” says this formidable woman. This is what makes a comic book different from print. Sometimes what you need is a picture to convey what words can’t express.

We bring hope. Time and time again, comic books have proven their value in a teenager's life. Comic books give them an alternative world to let loose their real selves. By reading these books, we relate in the hero's struggles. This is what The X-Men and Spiderman give us. The X-men are outcats of society who chooses to defend those who persecute them. Spiderman is about a boy's discovery of power, his humanity and struggle with his uniqueness while trying to live a normal life. We reconcile the future with the present through the human condition. And though life may never have a happy ending, in our pages we can make the world a better place than it truly is.

And lastly, we are kids at heart. We know that once we reach the end of the page, we will hunt for the next issue like a kid hungers for his next candy. We are big kids who enjoy reading picture book with stories that reflect our own experiences. Maybe not exactly the same experiences but parallels.

Do not envy us. Do not fear us. We are from but one race. Instead, try to understand us. Think out of the box and sneak a peek at what the future might be like. View the world through the eyes of a comic book reader. It’s full of action, drama, horror, suspense and comedy combined to form a psychedelic hue. Our world is not so alien to you. After all, you’ve been there once, have seen our naked gypsies…all in the comfort of your dreams.

gourmet caffeine

2006-02-07T12:16:00.000+08:00

For those cheap drinkers like me but love quality as well, here's my recipe for a home made gourmet coffee:

Ingredients:

San Mig Cafe 3-in-1 coffee mix STRONG (any 3-in-1 instant coffee mix will do except Great Taste. I think Great Taste is too mild for nightcrawlers like myself)
1 pouch of Nestle All-Purpose Cream, chilled
McCormick Cinnamon powder

First, pour the cream in a bowl and mix the cream with a fork or whisk. Add sugar, as needed. You can also put it in the blender at a low speed. Continue mixing until you get a creamy foam texture. Set aside.

Next, pour the San Mig Cafe 3-in-1 coffee mix with hot water in a coffee mug. Mix it in. Spoon the cream on top of the coffee. Finish it off with a sprinkle of cinnamon on top of the foam.

Enjoy your cup of mojo while reading a book or watching a movie on a cold, rainy night.

WARNING: Strong caffeine tends to transfer its smell on the teeth and urine. Cleanse your palate with a glass of water afterwards.

writer books

2006-01-27T12:11:00.000+08:00

Years before there was no resource book for new writers. If you wanted to be a creative writer, you had to buy imported books, attend seminars of writing professionals/teachers or enroll at a college. There were only books with foreign writers who write about the business and craft of writing with rules that applies to their country. They are quite expensive, mind you. But if you really want a book, you might be able to find one at your local bookshop or neighborhood garage sale. Less the price of a new copy and used twice over. Well, beggars can't be choosers you know...

Apparently, a pinoy writer saw a need and printed out a book last year on the business and craft of writing in the Philippines. I'm sorry to say that I forgot the title of the book. It didn't make an impact on me because although it was written by a pinoy, the concepts are still american. Even the business section of writing was too small to be significant for any freelance writer, which is why I think it wasn't much of a success.

We still have so much to do to progress the plight of newbie writers and to push Philippine Literature to the global market.

a preview

2006-01-18T09:44:00.000+08:00

Here is the sample book cover that I did for my first book. Though my publisher chose a different cover (I did three for him), this is my second favorite.

The fun part about photo editing is that you can create new art works. The hard part is searching for pictures to alter. I admit. I'm not a real artist, that is why I will eventually hire a graphic artist to do the final book cover. For now, I'm just enjoying the sight of my future "baby."

Now to get back to my writing...

backtrack

2006-01-16T18:07:00.000+08:00

The year was 2003 when I conciously decided to pursue writing as a career. Having little knowledge of how it works, I read everything I could to learn more about the craft. I joined the workshop by Pinoywriters and made new friends and valuable contacts there. If not for this e-group, I would still be sitting at home and frying my brain cells from watching too much television.

The Internet is a major force in jumpstarting my writing life. I joined online writing workshops, writing e-groups, read various writing articles from different websites and met other writers who later became my friends and idols. I also bought a lot of writer magazines, which is only available at Booksale. Ahh, yes. Booksale is another major contributor in my journey as a writer. Its cheap books and magazines are exactly what an improverished and newbie writer needs.

Then I worked on gaining confidence by starting out my own e-group and submitting articles and stories to websites. I dreamed of being published on print so I can make my parents proud of their little eccentric, easy-go-lucky, lost but brillant daughter. You see, my folks wanted me to become a lawyer. But because they respect me too much (and probably they got tired of giving me all those sermons), they don't pry into my business. They just let me be and pray to God that I find success in whatever field I choose to focus on.

2004 was the year I got my first article published online. And it was my first PAID article. P500.00 for 800 words. I know, it's cheap. But I didn't care at that time.

Then came my first major break. A friend of mine referred me to a client to do web content writing for a company in Quezon City. Though the contract was for P9,500.00, I was only paid half of it as it was stipulated in the contract that the other half will be paid once they received the second set of the articles. However, they never asked for the second part (even though I had finished writing it) so I never got paid. It was a lesson of sorts. I had to learn to write a MOA, to estimate how much I should charge per article and to encash my first check.

Yes, I got paid via check. But I received my check only the following year. Another lesson learned--make my MOAs iron clad.

2005 was the year of ghost writing. I received an email and I responded. It was that simple and efficient. However, the pay was only P150.00 for each 500+ word article. Still, I took the job. It's better to write than do nothing. Besides, my fiction writing was slow and none of my queries were answered. My e-group's activities waned and rather than wait for manna to rain from the sky, I wrote anonymously.

At that same time, I was busy with the e-zine project that my writer friend started. I wrote feature articles there and did the marketing for it. But we had to cut the e-zine short because of the lack of funds.

I also met one of my writing idols. July 2005 was Neil Gaiman's visit to the Philippines. I was ecstatic! Meeting him is one of the highlights of my writer life! His SANDMAN series made a deep impact on me as a creative writer back in college. I used to borrow copies of his graphic novel from my band mate and read through it during jamming sessions.

Now 2006 seems to be my year. Closing a book contract is no joke. And though I'm not getting paid like the American writers who get about $100,000 or more in book advance, I am quite content with how things are. I'm not greedy. Writing is not my bread and butter. I've always thought of it as taking a complimentary role in my jumbled life. I have too many loves to give any of it up, which is why I'm not sweating the monetary stuff.

Again, I had to learn to write a MOA and how to estimate my rate on a project basis. So I asked friends who knows more about the writing business than I did. And then I realized something...there is NO RELIABLE RESOURCE for freelance writers in the country. There is absolutely no guide to help new freelance writers and fiction writers like myself with regards to the financial and legal aspects of the job.

Hmm...what a great book idea! (must pitch this to Anvil!)

hurray 2006!

2006-01-15T14:04:00.000+08:00

Today is the start of the fulfillment of my dream - to be a successful published writer. I just signed a one year, three book contract with a media arts firm. Someone must love me UP there! :)

This blogsite is all about my journey as a writer. Hopefully, I don't bore you too much since I've only had a year and two months since becoming a paid writer. Yes, I am fairly young to receive such a project. I've never been published in the country, not in a magazine, newspaper or an anthology. Except that one time when I was a respondent for an article written by my friend and my name appeared on Manila Bulletin. I have been published in India though. One of my poems was included in their collections of the world's best poems by cyberwit.net. Most of my writings have been online, which is why if you search my name (my real name) through google and yahoo, you'll be sure to see it immediately.

Honestly, I don't know why this client choose me. Maybe because it was my enthusiasm, my smart answers during the interview or just plain old fate giving me the shot I've dreamed of. He said he got my name by typing the keywords "creative writers in the philippines" on google. But when I did the same thing, my name wasn't on top of the list. There were hundreds more on that site (writer's.net) who are published and more experienced that I am. I get the chills just thinking about the odds of him and me teaming up for this project.

Now my real journey begins. I hope you'll join me as I share with you my writing life.

As my favorite quote goes, "Writing is easy. All you do is sit staring at a blank sheet of paper until the drops of blood form on your forehead." (Gene Fowler)