my favorite book

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.

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

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!

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!

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

==

but i honestly love reading my books!

my dream personal library

i'm salivating already...

reading again

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

1. The Skin Trade introduced by Douglas Winter
2. The World’s Greatest Serial Killers
3. The Best of Frederick Pohl
4. The Whisperer and other voices by Brian Lumley
5. The Best of Fritz Leiber (Del Rey)
6. Ships to the Stars by Fritz Leiber
7. Between dinner and the morning after by Tara FT Sering
8. Wandergirl by Tweet Sering
9. Twisted 8: The night of the living twisted by Jessica Zafra
10. Daughter of God by Lewis Perdue
11. Crimes of Passion edited by Jeff Gelb and Michael Garrett
12. Citadels of Mystery by de camp and de Camp
13. True Phil. Ghost Stories 23 by PSICOM publishing
14. After Midnight ed. by Charles L. Grant
15. Fragile by Neil Gaiman
16. The Secret Supper by Javier Sierra
17. PB 20 by PM Junior
18. Life's work by Francis J. Kong
19. Follow your heart by Andrew Matthews
20. The Vintage anthology of Science Fantasy ed. Christopher Cerf
21. True Philippine Ghost Stories 24
22. 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:

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
   

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

let's write great literature.

...or just create something accidentally wonderful!

start sharpening those pencils!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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...

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

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.

1. Family - my family now and of course my own in the future.
2. Writing - to be able to write life and fantasy and live it twice through my words.
3. Travel - expand my horizon and have more adventures.
4. Studies - to never stop working on all the possibilities.
5. 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?

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

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

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!