Papers & Trees

Getting Rid of your Distractions

2010-07-25T20:18:00.001-07:00

This may sound like a harsh or ridiculous advice especially if you have been living a life of luxury, the definition of luxury and distraction is relative, but you do what you have to do to pursue your writing career path. You can always start with simple physical attachment to things that can easily sway your from writing. To some, giving up TV is achievable at the snap of the finger but to another it may be the most difficult task ever. I refuse to have a television in my home for many reasons. When I was much younger I find the remote TV control addictive. One of the things I used to do when I was at home was to turn on the TV and go channel surfing for hours even if there is nothing that I want to watch. It was exactly the same with the internet when it was first was introduced. Surfing seems like a fun thing to do but it does take up a lot of your precious time while dulling your senses. Instead of following the TV stations which set schedules of their programs I only watch movies and TV series that I like whenever I want.

Games, whether online or offline is yet another temptress that can bewitch you like a vampire and bleed you dry. Game players will know what I'm talking about. Again some may say it's a form of stress relief but others might disagree. I remember purchasing my first laptop that comes with free games. Since they were already installed I played the games almost every other day for a few months before deciding to get rid of them. Though it broke my heart to uninstall the card games that I enjoyed playing because I knew it would be better for my sanity and writing vocation.

There are many other distractions and obstacles that can fall onto the path of a writer and to overcome them can be as bad as doing it cold turkey. What if there is a person in your life that is the greatest distraction of all you may ask? Emotional attachment is yet another impediment you have to deal with even if you are not too crazy about the idea. Of course you don't go around getting rid of people close to you in your life. But an understanding can be achieved when there is communication.

The one thing that some of us writers ignore is the fact that writing is a full time job or work or call it what you want. Yes, you can write in between meals, first thing in the morning or the last thing you do at night but it still demands time from you. Time to sit down and write what you set your mind on without being distracted. If you can work with the TV blasting away, fine. If you can work while someone is talking to you, great! If you write without a cinch in a room full of people partying away, well that's amazing. But if you can't then you can tell yourself all you want about the greatest novel you will be writing but it will never see the light of day anytime soon.

When you think about it, the distraction is actually you yourself. It's all about how you perceive yourself. How you handle your frustrations and anger, how you come to terms with your emotional upheavals and how you deal with them. If you believe in the myth of the writer's block then it will always be there barricading your every move. If you believe smoking, drinking or getting high will help write the next word, then it will actually work for you. You are the only one who will know best why you do what you do because ultimately no one can do it like you do.

On the 5th of July

2010-07-07T07:14:00.000-07:00

On March 22nd I was given the task to finish 12 - 22 minutes scripts for a children's educational animation series and the deadline was 25th of June.

I thought it would be okay since I have about a week to finish each script, more or less. But when I sat in front of my laptop to begin the journey I realized writing for children is one thing. Writing an educational children's series is another. And writing for children about science with an animated pace and humor is completely a whole new ballgame.

With discipline, I seated myself everyday for the next 3 months to write and write and write. There were times when everything was good but there were times when nothing went my way. One of the worst experiences in writing educational materials is the research, which isn't too hard, but the contradictory conclusions, debatable theories and opinionated ideas were of no help. While one scientist or researcher believes in one thing, another says something altogether. I had to filter all the findings and decide on the safest or more accurate hypothesis.

Another tough nut to crack is the one liners, humor or comic relief. And on top of that, mind you, it's for kids. Luckily, after writing several scripts I feel so blessed to have watched hundreds and thousands of movies and series and read tons of materials that helped with my writing. I could repeat the same formula for each episode but I wanted more, just like how I want more from the TV series I watch.

Some scripts took me only a few sittings but some took weeks. Whenever a script passed the deadline I had to start the next one to even out the flow. I did not have the pleasure to wait around for ideas to fall from the sky when I was groping in the dark, I had to write everyday no matter what. Some days, some really bad days, I wrote only a line. Yes, one single line. But the good days could fill up to ten pages.

Although I completed all the scripts on the given deadline I wasn't satisfied with the last three and extended another 2 weeks to polish and fine tune what was missing. And on this day, on the 5th of July, I sent the last three scripts and completed my contract of twelve.

I have never been happier and exhausted from the brain draining sessions everyday. Waking, sleeping and dreaming about the plots, punch lines and messages to get across. If you've been there, you would know how I feel. The elation, the ecstasy, the Rapture.

Though it was challenging, took a big chunk out of my life and drove me up the walls at times, I am so thrilled I managed to handle this genre and got a good feedback for them too. The first thing I did was to celebrate the joy with friends. The second thing I did was to go back to my hometown to veg out, and the third is to blog again. And I'm wondering what next? I know I have another series of children's books to look into, an indie movie script, a new short story collection and a novel that is begging to be written. What can I say? To relax in between scripts I play code breaker puzzles, scrabble, text twist and sudoku.

Book review: Parasyte

2010-04-23T00:51:00.000-07:00

Parasyte is as similar and as close to John Carpenter's The Thing as it can get. After the worm-like parasites reaches the human brain it controls the host and is able to shape shift into human faces or beastly carnivorous creatures.

Shinichi's parasite was stopped at his left hand before it could invade any other parts of his body and became kind of a symbiote instead. While the entire town is infested with the parasites who are devouring the human victims, Shinichi and Migi are trying to avoid anymore trouble than they could handle.

Although the books are filled with cliffhangers, showdowns and lots of thrills and spills, the story did seem a little too long winded before it could reach the end.

Book review: Old Man Logan

2010-04-23T00:26:00.000-07:00

Old Man Logan has one of the best art I have ever come across recently. Written by Mark Millar, who also wrote Wanted and Kick-Ass, the story is set in the future where the superheroes finally fell and earth is now run by villains where life can only be as despicable as it can get.

One of the few surviving heroes is Logan who has a wife and two kids to care for and his days of being Wolverine is gone. He now lives like an ordinary man on Hulkland that is run by the in-breeding descendants of Hulk and She-Hulk.

The first issue was remarkable beyond anticipation. The art was absolutely superb and the plot was intriguing and mind blowing. But soon, as the issues ran on to the final eighth it was merely predictable. The one thing that is worth every page turning is Steve McNiven's penciling and Dexter Vines' inking.

On the whole, it's a brilliant comic with an alternate version of what life would be when the heroes fall.

Book review: New York: Life in the Big City

2010-04-22T21:17:00.000-07:00

(March 6, 1917 – January 3, 2005)

Will Eisner's New York: Life in the Big City is a must read for small town folks and big city dwellers. His keen observation of human life in general is remarkable. The only other artist/writer that I know of who notices the little things in life and is a good story teller is Hayao Miyazaki.

Most of the stories in New York City are bittersweet. I like especially The Building, which in itself is already a movie that is told with humor and heart. I have never seen such a heartwarming comic or graphic novel that is entertaining, inspiring and thought provoking.

There are many isntances in his tales that I could identify with. Set in the reality of everyday life, the stories also evoke memories, events and moments we encounter in the most honest to goodness manner.

The Will Eisner Comic Industry Award or Eisner Award was established in his honor. It is one of the highest awards for the comic book writers and artists.

The Conscience of a Writer's Mind

2010-02-25T00:22:00.001-08:00

When I get into my writing mode, there is no stopping me even if I want to. My daily habitual routine of waking up with something to write astounds me. But once in a while I fall off the track when there is an unexpected distraction, like falling sick or going for a long holiday. If I don't write at least a word or a sentence a day I may go on like this for about a week or less and then my mind would begin an onslaught in my head that will not leave me alone. Either early in the morning when I wake or late at night when I sleep, or even in my dreams I see words, lots and lots of them in my mind’s eye. I would even go that far to claim that they are haunting me.

Story ideas, plots and concepts for new articles bombard my entire being like an attack on enemy camp. I could literally see myself writing away even with my eyes closed as the epical words arrange themselves to form sentences and paragraphs like what I am writing now. This writing article came to my head even before I could sit down to write it.

Like any other creative people, it comes to a point where you just have to do what you love to do otherwise, as suggested by Stephen King's story - Sometimes They Come Back - to bother you until it’s done.

When this urge to write is not fulfilled, I get restless and anxious, as though I'm having withdrawal symptoms. There are also times when my hand itches to paint a single stroke on the art paper or sketch up beastly things on my book that I cannot deny. If I don't do it as commanded I may get peeved or jittery for not having to express myself in words or in art.

I don't know what other writers experience in their writing career but I know some writer blogs everyday and some professionals complete 10 pages or a chapter to fulfill their quota. When you come to this stage of reflexive passion you will know what I mean. But to get there, be true to your love and you will find yourself being that creative person you’ve always wanted to be.

Taking Advantage of the Worst Case Scenario

2010-02-07T04:54:00.000-08:00

When I was sick recently, for about a week plus with flu, a slight fever, headache, body aches, sore throat and incessant coughing spells, I was completely out of form with no writing done at all. For the first few days I trudged through the days and nights trying to heal my body from the punishing anguish. As I wallowed in self pity and rolled in sorrow I kept wondering how long I could hold on. But every time I get a chance to sit down with my pen and paper I would write or sketch out ideas just for the heck of it.

Most of them didn't make much sense but when I got better I saw a little more pattern to them and started stitching them up into stories. One of the ideas I came up with was a girl taking revenge on an entire town with her mutated virus strain. And then of course the plot kept changing and developing and now I have something which is more likable to me with the title call Dian. Whether it becomes a psychological horror short story, novel or script I have yet to decide.

Other concepts that flowed into my pounding head were also about a group of people getting caught in a thunderstorm and realizing there is more to their coming together than just a mere coincidence. They each have a flashback of a little girl who flash into their mind more terrifying than anything they could imagine. Tentatively I am titling it as The House at the end of Damn Street.

There are also a few other stories that came about from my self incarceration since I am too weak to hang out anywhere. Because I couldn't even sit in front of the computer for too long or surf aimlessly I had to resort to the couch and look out the window and think of plots and devises.

Writing long hand, even a quick synopsis or outline, can be quite productive especially when there are no other things to take my mind of a certain subject. With the laptop and worst with the internet I usually work on several things at the same time and some times get distracted, unless I have a job with a deadline.

I was a little devastated when I didn't produce anything for a while but then I realized I had the time to think of ideas while recovering and that was a little more satisfying. There's always a moment to seize if you are familiar with the old style of writing with a pen and a paper and they can be your life saver when you need them the most. So no matter where you are, how you are feeling, writing doesn’t need to come to a complete halt.

Writing for Kids is not for Adults

2010-01-17T21:13:00.000-08:00

I got the opportunity to write a 22-minute animated Children's science program recently and thought it would be a breeze. But when I realize I had to balance humor, factual education and action all in one I almost sat at a corner and cried. It was easy for me to write horror, seems to be in my blood, okay for romantic comedy and a little bit of a test when I wrote action and martial arts based scripts. And so I thought how hard could it be to write for kids?

When I told a friend about this assignment he immediately asked if I was writing 'dumb' characters that go 'Hello children. Have you been a good little boy or girl? Before we begin let's us all come together for a group hug!' Of course I'm exaggerating here but if I had to write that I'd turn Marilyn Manson in a flash.

Although I believe I am still young at heart I had to literally think and behave like a kid when I wrote the script about digestion. The words I used and the explanation I described and the humor I plugged in had to be easily understood and not sound too corny or condescending and at the same time full of animated action.

It took me a while to get the hang of it but when I did I was having a ball myself. One of the things I did was to envision or picture the entire animation in my head and think like Dexter or Jimmy Neutron. I kept asking myself questions like what will they do in a situation like that? And then I tried to come up with new terms to describe a magical transportation, and easier way to remember the names of the gastrointestinal tract and images to associated with each of them.

One thing I know for sure is that when you write for kids, you must leave your adulthood and constrained logic. If dressing up like one and prancing about helps then by all means do it but of course within the safety of your own home because other adults don't take too kindly to such infantile behavior.

My Writing Philosophy

2009-12-16T17:19:00.000-08:00

I don't wanna sleep tonight
I just wanna sit here to write and write.
To tell my stories until first light,
and die writing till I lose the fight.

Review: Codex Seraphinianus by Luigi Serafini

2009-12-13T21:36:00.000-08:00

Someone told me one of my chapbook covers reminds him of Luigi Serafini's Codex Seraphinianus. I don't even know who and what he was referring to until I googled it myself and read about Serafini's fantastical work of art and mystery. Of course, what I have done is nothing even remotely close to it.

The Codex is a strange book of diagrams, images and a language unknown to mankind. So far Serafini has not comment on the language and writing used by him as though it is an ancient mystery that can only be revealed at the right time when the new earth emerges.

Perhaps Serafini has forseen some event in the future? Was he describing a world he has seen in his visions? Is this the earth that is to come? Or is it just an artist's imagination gone wild?

Other artists who have similar traits to Serafini's work include Hieronymus Bosh, M.C. Escher, Max Enrst Jorge Luis Borges' Tlön, Uqbar, Orbis Tertius and also books like Voynich manuscript, Codex Mendoza and Asemic writing.

I felt like I stumbled onto some secret order of the new world and there's no turning back...

Check also:
http://www.believermag.com/issues/200705/?read=article_taylor
http://www.fright.com/edge/strangest_book.htm
http://www.codexseraphinianus.org/
http://www.spamula.net/blog/archives/000164.html
http://www.greylodge.org/occultreview/glor_017/codex.htm

Book review: Great-Grandma's Hair Loss Remedy

2009-12-01T23:22:00.000-08:00

I shared the stage with Rebecca Loke and her son when we had our reading at Sekeping Tenggiri on Halloween's day. Although I got both their autographs on that day I haven't had a chance to read Great-Grandma's Hair Loss Remedy until just now. It is a good and easy read which I would read for my children (if I had any).

The story is about a boy with alopecia universalis and how his great grandmother helps him overcome the fear of isolation. I guess every family has an 'Uncle Kong' whom we can do without, who serves as the antagonist in this delightful story. The last few lines actually brought tears to my eyes for its poignant moment shared by the boy and his great grandmother.

It's a wonderful book to have around for children as well as adults. It serves both as an informative book and a inspirational treat.

http://www.rebeccaloke.com

Pitch, Outline, Synopsis, Treatment

2009-12-01T20:49:00.000-08:00

It depends on who you're working with and what they're looking for. Some people (directors, producers, even writers) feel that it is easier to write a script than to come out with a fresh idea. And then there are those who can whip up ideas in a flash but takes a while to write that script.

While some people believe in loglines for pitching, some think it's a joke. Again, it can be the easiest thing to write a logline that sells for some while others struggle with the few lines or one line that tells the gist of the story.

One of the toughest parts I find is in the writing of the treatment itself. It's easy for me to think of an idea though I find summarizing it in a logline somewhat challenging. To me, preparing an outline for a story is easy because there aren't many details required. But when it comes to the treatment, which deals with the plot, sub plots, characterization and a whole lot more this is the time to get cracking as though watching the movie itself in the process.

Every scene has to be accounted for, every description has to be clear but not condescending, clues and foreshadows inserted very carefully, come up with a brilliant opening, keep the pace in the middle and have a blast in the conclusion. That's how a treatment works for me and everything else is smooth sailing, though not all the way, when the scriptwriting comes next.

I tried to complete a script with a very weak treatment a few times and I got into a lot more trouble than I expected when everything just stalled. I guess it's a lot like writing a novel as well. To me, it is better to plan ahead from the character’s profile to the sub plots so that the writing can go on without what is sometimes known as the writer's block.

Writing Young, Writing Old

2009-11-29T01:46:00.000-08:00

A young writer, identified by age, would have less experience than an older writer even if both are just starting out to write his first novel. Logically, a senior author would have a lot more material to incorporate to the story from his standpoint of emotions, thoughts and personal journeys. The advantage of first hand experience can count for a lot when the writer can easily extract it from memory than to research from another source.

The danger of being a young writer is the sustainability of ideas. You may be able to write about the 20 years of your travels and adventures but it is nothing compared to someone who has 10 or 20 years extra than yours. Sometimes it's not about how far you have gone but how much you have journeyed within yourself. The unseen escapades and hazards are richer than stamps on your passports and vacations.

Writing can be a form of catharsis or a simple pleasure of storytelling. It can also be a commercial venture or a personal vendetta. Although the market is hungering for fast selling books and stories to feed the monsters of thrills and chills many books come and go and are lost faster than they can grab one's attention. Parents who subsidize their children because they know there is abundance to harvest may actually kill their children's imagination and creativity in return. The greatest excitement for an up and coming writer is the news of acceptance of their work. Then comes the publication either in print or electronically. Finally, the sales of the book will be the best bonus a writer can ever imagine. To take all these away from a young writer is almost murder.

The joys and pains of writing is an integral part of the whole big picture. Where is the fun for anyone if we could all easily publish whatever we write when no one actually wants to read it?

Are Rules & Regulations important?

2009-11-29T00:31:00.000-08:00

There are more writers here in Malaysia who doesn’t believe in the R&R of writing than there are those who do. I started writing a long time ago when there was no such thing as a computer or internet but only a typewriter. The things we had to do with a typewriter then were unbelievable from buying ribbons to oiling parts, cleaning the typebars, getting the right papers and bearing with the clacking sound.

I remember always keeping the rulers one inch on the sides while marking the bottom with a pencil to indicate where I should stop typing. There were no fonts to choose from and every page has to be paginated manually. I wrote all my short stories on the old faithful and completed a novel length psychological horror tale that came up to about 300 odd pages which took about 6 months. My mom asked me one day what I was doing click-clacking on the typewriter day and night because she couldn't, for the life of her, understand what I was typing away. And that was only the beginning.

Back then, the only way to market a manuscript was by post and the only country that seems to be looking for it was the US. It was a tedious endeavor to write to the publisher or agent in hope that they would want to read the entire manuscript written by an unknown from a country just as obscure. Needless to say it was a tough market to penetrate and I never got my first novel anywhere close to print.

Making the manuscript presentable was of the utmost importance even much more than the story itself. Not everyone may agree with it but by composing it in a proper format makes it easier for whoever is reading it, especially the people who might want to publish it. What I find hard to fathom is the irony of things. With the latest technology like computers and software like Final Draft, there are still writers who have no inkling of how to format a screenplay or a stage play, a short story or a novel. One literally doesn't have to do anything but use the readily available templates to organize the work.

Even if writers don’t like the idea of conforming to rules to present their masterpieces, following a few guidelines and steps actually helps them to be organized and focused in the long run.

And the credit goes to...

2009-10-12T02:43:00.001-07:00

As far as I know no one cares much about the scriptwriter in movies. The credit goes to the director for his distinctive style or excellent direction or artistic body of work. Though the screenplay is the core of the movie that sets everything in place no one actually talks as much about the writer as they do the director, producer or stars. Talk about no glamor in a job scriptwriting can be very taxing and needs to be written and rewritten according to the whims of producers and directors.

How much a scriptwriter contributes to the movie in also another area that varies from contract to individual. Some scriptwriters are almost like taking down dictations, others create everything from a scratch and yet some go all the way to brainstorm with the director to shape and bring to realization the characters and plot. The odd combination of words and action need to complement one another to make the movie great but not necessarily a success.

One of the most challenging tasks for a scriptwriter is to produce believable yet entertaining dialogues that doesn't sound cliché (which can be almost next to impossible), keep the pace intriguing, to make sure the flow of the story is consistent and to end it with a twist, surprise or a satisfying denouement.

Someone once asked me if it's hard to write a script but it's like asking a dancer if it's hard to dance. It's a very subjective matter and it all boils down to interest and passion. While writing I may seem like a mentally unstable person because I make hand gestures, facial expressions and have a one way conversation with myself as though I was already in the movie itself.

Ultimately, you write for TV and the big screen because you enjoy doing it and you may only be known if you write one hit movie after another otherwise you will remain behind the scene like everyone else who makes the movie a success in more ways than one.

Dreams and Nightmares are great Writer's Companions

2009-09-17T02:56:00.000-07:00

I was overdosed with rich spicy Indian food for lunch, was under a terribly hot sun waiting for a cab and had an aching head from lack of sleep and the city polution when I got back home to catch a little nap.

Before I knew it I was transported back to my hometown where mom, dad and I were sleeping in the night. Someone or something was outside tripping over the roof tiles or tin cans. I didn't think it was anything worth checking out so I tossed about to go back to sleep. Now at this point I'm not even sure if I was awake or asleep.

Perhaps a little later, or just a brief moment I heard the noise again. This time it was apparent that the noise was intentional, as though someone was deliberately pushing down things to wake us up or get our attention. When mom, dad and I got together at the living room I wondered why the dogs did not bark and we could see a girl banging on the door outside and saying something inaudible.

Dad must have said something like 'it's that skinny girl again' but she wasn't and mom went straight to open the door to see if the girl needed help against her better judgment. We managed to stop her and slammed the door back up before anything unpleasant could happen and I woke up.

I was near hysterics when I woke, shaking from the coldness of the atmospheric scenario where the girl could have been a ghost for all I know and the entire experience just didn't seem right. If I could write a story or a script based on this simple, probably significant and symbolic dream, and share this frightful moment I'm quite sure everyone would be cringing in the darkside of their minds whether from reading or watching it.

I've always been fascinated by my dreams and nightmares and the way they go beyond predictability and explanation. I've written some stories based on what I saw in my mind's eye whether they serve just a small or integral part of it. Some of the writers who share this amazing tool are:

William Stryon woke up one morning remembering a dream of a beautiful young woman he had known years before. The dream kept returning to his mind. Eventually it served as the inspiration for Sophie’s Choice.

Bharti Mukherjee once dreamed that she was cutting the wings from birds and sewing them together to make wings for herself so that she could fly. The dream became part of her story “Angela” in the collection Darkness.

When novelist John Barth is deep in in a writing project, he dreams words when he sleeps.

Mystery novelist Sue Grafton uses the physical reactions she has from frightening dreams to help her as she writes convincing scenes about instances when her heroine is in danger. She sometimes sets the intention before she sleeps to dream a solution to a problem in her writing. Usually she is given a solution.

Steven King says he uses his dreams in the same way one might use a mirror when one can’t see a thing head on.

Samuel Taylor Coleridge read the following line in a history book: “Here the Khan Kubla commanded a palace to be built and a stately garden thereunto. And thus ten miles of fertile ground were enclosed within a wall.” He fell asleep afterward and began dreaming vivid images that “without any sensation or consciousness of effort” made a story. Upon awaking, he dashed off hundreds of lines of the epic poem, Kubla Khan.

Jorge Luis Borges said that the Kabbalah, a Jewish mystical book, instructs that when words in a dream are loud and clear, but seem to come from no particular source, they are coming from God.

Margaret Mead frequently received help from her dreams as she wrote and kept a dream journal for years.

When Amy Tan can’t come up with a good ending for one of her stories, she takes the manuscript to bed where it becomes part of a dream.

Maya Angelou’s repeated dream of climbing inside of a tall building still under construction is a sign that her work is going well.

Robert Louis Stevenson often dreamed complete stories, which he would later write. He dreamed the plot for his book Jekyll and Hyde. He wrote in his book, Across the Plains: “For two days I went about racking my brains for a plot of any sort; and on the second night I dreamed the scene at the window, and a scene afterwards split in two, in which Hyde, pursued for some crime, took the powder and underwent the change in the presence of his pursuers.”

(the above list is taken from http://www.kporterfield.com/creativity/Writers_Dreams.html)

Review: Invasion of the Body Snatchers - Jack Finney

2009-08-29T15:56:00.000-07:00

I love invasion stories and I love tales with back stories. This is one of them.

I've watched all four versions of the Body Snatchers movies but this is the first time I got a hold of the book to read. It's more of a psychological horror tale unlike the movie adaptations which are portrayed as a suspense and action thriller. The 1956 version directed by Don Siegel is the closest to the book although a large part of the end is exaggerated for dramatization.

Jack Finney wrote this story in a series for the Collier's Magazine way before Stephen King had the idea for The Green Mile to be his first serialized novel. What I like about the book is the many instances that try to explain about mass hysteria and auto-suggestion opposing the truth of an alien invasion. He uses examples of a controlled experiment set in a classroom to mysteries ranging from the Mattoon Maniac in 1944 in Illinois to the dancing sickness in Europe.

Most of the time the writer leaves us with the thought that probes us to question our own sanity and psychiatric condition by throwing in examples of unexplained paranoia and delusions throughout the human history. The opening paragraph itself is a disclaimer very much like that of A series of Unfortunate Events but written from a more matured approach.

One of the first few horrifying scenes is the discovery of the replica of the human body which the movies could not capture the raw essence of the terror like the book can. The description about the discovery and fear from finding something that peculiar body is much more spine-chilling.

Although some readers claim that Body Snatchers is somewhat of a rip-off from The Puppet Masters, which has a similar theme, I have yet to read it to make the comparison. Be that as it may, Body Snatchers is still a good read that is quite hard to come by these days in modern novels. Story telling just isn't what it used to be.

Review: Eat Pray Love - Elizabeth Gilbert

2009-08-26T02:46:00.000-07:00

When I read Eat Pray Love from recommendation the first thing that struck me was Charlene's anthemic I've Never Been To Me song. Gilbert's journeys to Italy, India and Indonesia to look for herself is basically what you'll experience as though you are actually her traveling companion.

You can literally hear her speaking to you about her agonizing divorce, her indecisiveness of men and relationships, the luscious food she gorges, the inner peace she embraces and the love she trips upon.

If you like stories from the heart this is a good read but it can get very personal at times. You may or may not agree or have been through Gilbert's footsteps but ultimately it's the story of you against the world.

Out of the three countries she's been to I can identify with India and Indonesia since they are Asian and there are a lot of similarities. If she found food in Italy, Spirituality in India and Love in Indonesia I wonder what she will find in Malaysia?

Review: Body2Body: A Malaysian Queer Anthology

2009-08-22T01:56:00.000-07:00

On the day of the book signing of Body2Body I was flanked in between two illustrious authors who were no stranger to the writing circuit in and out of Malaysia. Lauded for their previous works that were well received by their readers I sat timidly listening to an elderly man congratulating Shih-Li Kow for Ripples and other stories, which is shortlisted for the Frank O'Connor award, and praising Brian Gomez for his excellent Devil's Place. After Shih-Li, sitting on my left, finished signing her page the man looked at me and I could imagine him asking me telepathically 'You want to sign ah?' but he said instead, "Where is your page?", which is also a nicer way to say 'I don't really know who you are'. I smiled at him and whispered, "I am page 165" and went on to scribble an artistic signature anticipating some form of fame in the future.

Of course I had my own fan-based friends who made a little rumpus when they came to me just to spice up the moment. I hadn't realized the Pilot marker pen I borrowed, used and forgot to return soaked through and made a mess of the back page. So if I am not remembered for my writing, well at least I will be remembered as the writer who messed up that wonderful book.

I am such a slow reader I may only be able to review this book by early next year if I read the way I do. So what I did instead was to pick and choose the stories from authors I knew as well as those for their semi-celebrity status (this is Malaysia, the only celebrities are the politicians).

Brian Gomez's What do Gay People eat? is an amusing tale of food, acceptance and similarity. It's a real laugh if you have had the chance to experience such an event in your life because it could really happen. I had the privilege to hear Cheryl Leong's sharing a few nights before hearing her read Breathing Pure Oxygen which is a wonderful heart-warming confessional, testimonial and outing of her sexuality. Her self-denying self-discovery journey will be felt most by people who lives in closets and who are fighting the worst enemy which is themselves.

How can anyone not love Shannon Shah? He sings like an angel, he writes like an artist and he hugs like a teddy bear. Muslim 2 Muslim is his biographical contribution of his childhood days that shaped and determine the man that he is today who is everything from an activist, a journalist, a playwright, a scriptwriter and a singer-songwriter.

Pang's story Cream of the Crop reminds me so much of my own unpublished novel where it is set in a boy's school and to add even more to the coincidence (which I don't believe anything is a coincidence but I can't find a better word to describe it) I have a character by the name of Larry and there was a death of a friend that changed my life as well. While reading his story I kept wondering if we both traveled on parallel worlds.

In Harry is Dead you have no idea where the story is going until it's gone. If you are like me, sometimes I wonder if I am reading too much into something that's not there, I am dying to ask Shih-Li Kow 'Is Harry..?' but I am too embarrassed because you don't ask writers what their story is all about. You either get it or you don't. So in my case I'm not sure.

Then I went on to Jerome's Alvin about sexual encounters and relationships, looking for love in all the wrong places. If Jerome had spent more time on this little story and extends it into a full length book it might actually read like a good erotica (or so I wish). We're all adults here so don't give me that look.

That's as far as I got and of course my own story Friends of Everyone, which was initially called A Straight Man's Closet, is a satire, a parody and a paronomasia on all things gay and wonderful. Basically, it's about a man who believes that he is cured from this lifestyle but then again is he really?

One of the funnier anecdotes was shared by Amir about how he approached the printer to get this anthology published. If you didn't catch it during the book launch probably you can hear it again when he launches this book in Singapore, I believe, or you could ask him when you see him.

So far, my favorite page would remain at page 5 for obvious reasons. This is the side of Malaysia Boleh that only a few would know but if you have a chance to pick this up you'll also know that Malaysia also Got Talent wat.

Fist of Dragon: My debut feature film script

2009-08-19T01:09:00.000-07:00

Unbelievable, it was out in the news.

http://star-ecentral.com/news/story.asp?file=/2009/6/10/movies/4041286&sec=movies
http://www.cinema.com.my/news/news.aspx?search=2009.fod_china_3501

Worst of all I am the last to know that my director is also the lead actor. Where can not tell me one everyone? But alas I am only the scriptwriter.

Believe it or not that's the movie director, now cum actor! Fuh! So next I'm going to be the scriptwriter cum director!

Soooo looking forward to this. Michael you gonna do justice to this right? Since you are the actor and director now you have to! :P

* dunno who took the pix so thank you ah I boro boro

How to write a movie script in 3 days

2009-08-01T03:36:00.000-07:00

Is it even possible? Yes it is. And I mean 3 full days including meals, sleep and toilet breaks.

It may kill you or give you a bad headache but you can do it. So how do you go about it?

1. Knowing the plot or storyline through and through. Be specific to the genre and know your direction. It's easier to move along if you do.

2. Sort out your characters. I find it easier to base my characters on a combination of real people, from friends to neighbors, families to strangers and sometimes on movie characters as well. But develop them on your own instead of copying one that is already in existence. Mix and match them up. Know what they will say, how they will react and what they are about.

3. Dreaming up places or locations reflect your character's strength and vulnerability. Why are they there in the first place? Do they have a mission or reason to accomplish? Do they live there? Again you can base it on a real place or cook something up with your imagination and if need be sketch out a map of the entire town.

4. Read lots and lots of books on all kinds of genres. Watch lots and lots of movies and record them in some form so that you can refer to them as and when you need to. Be as knowledgeable as much as your brain can contain. It's always good to know about the animal kingdom, the plant's secrets, strange phenomena, the supernatural and everything that you can get your hands on.

5. Listen to dialogs everywhere you go. Keep in mind how people talk and what say and the way they say it.

6. Be creative, imaginative and innovative at all times.

Get all these resources together and then prepare a conducive writing area with minimal distractions. Once you are ready write and keep on writing until you complete and entire script. It could be something fantastic or it could be full of crap. The whole idea is to get you started and once you get the hang of it, it'll come like second nature to you.

I managed to write a scifi, fantasy action script in 3 days because I had to. Though with cold sweat and edging towards a nervous breakdown every few hours I amazed myself with a story I didn't think I was capable of writing. How was it? Well, for a complicating plot that takes place in some fantastic worlds I thought it was worth the agony. I may have lost a few hundred cells and grown more white hair and is now tipping towards the scale of insanity but yes I did it in 3 days.

Can you make a living as a Scripwriter in Malaysia?

2009-07-27T01:28:00.000-07:00

My first immediate answer would be no.

No I'm not trying to be a party pooper or to be cruel or insensitive to new aspiring writers but you got to eat right? So let me lay down the cloth before unloading the picnic basket.

First off, the industry is still growing. There are some large production companies and many smaller ones that are run by only limited staffing. The larger ones have their own in-house writers while the smaller ones either hire people they know or are writers themselves. So that leaves you with very few options as a freelancer.

Secondly, the writing profession is not very well regarded here in this country in comparison to other countries who laud and applaud their wordsmiths. Our poets, novelists, journalists, dramatists, scriptwriters and authors are only a small circle of people who don't get much publicity even if their works reach the heights of popularity in other countries. So there's very little room for recognition unless all of a sudden the entire country wakes up from some miracle of miracles and starts appreciating them.

Thirdly, most of the time you have to know people to get your foot in unless you have so much faith in the laws of attraction it will lead you to the right place to meet the right people at the right time. Since writers are considered mortals like everyone else where you can get for a dime a dozen even with a fantastic track record you might not even get to write the script. Usually family members are preferred and then come friends, relatives, distant relatives, recommended acquaintances and finally an advertisement for the rest of the those who want to write.

Fourthly, it doesn't pay well. If you write for TV there is only so much you can write per year and even less for feature films. Without a writer's guild, although there's a rumor that says we have, the payment fluctuates from company to company closer to the lower end.

Fifthly, some good writers are looking at markets beyond this country, some others give up the idea and turn to more lucrative means of living and still there's the never-say-die writers who will pursue it just the same. In other words, it's one heck of a ride to want to be in an industry where recognition is almost non existent. You have to be so darn good that everyone has no choice but to know who you are and want to hire you for your expertise.

If I were to ask anyone who are the top 5 scriptwriters in this country I doubt anyone would know. I sure don't. But if you still feel that scriptwriting is in your flesh and bones and blood than by all means do it. Learn the craft by reading good scripts, write as much as you can always and keep on marketing yourself through and through but in the mean time keep your day job.

It's always good to have food on the table too.

My next movie: Tuah Kembali

2009-07-22T23:00:00.000-07:00

My 3rd movie script materializing into a TV movie is on

25th July Saturday
10pm
Astro Ria (104)
You can watch the trailer at
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ic564Oig3HE

Woohoo!

And the next short story will be...

2009-07-21T23:54:00.001-07:00

My next short story will appear in the Body to Body anthology edited by Jerome and Pang. It will be launched on:

Saturday, 15 August, 4-6pm.

The Annexe Gallery, Central Market KL.

Helping yourself Write Better

2009-07-13T22:57:00.000-07:00

I am a sucker for new things. Aren't we all? When MSN chat first started I found someone whom I could talk dirty with and it was something I looked forward to everyday. But luckily I moved to another place and the internet became quite inconvenient. So I went back to my writings and stuff as usual. And then I was invited to join Friendster and I did. It became part of my life and then someone else insisted that I sign up in Facebook, which, of course, I did and my life wound up in this community based virtual reality. Like any other distractions of the world I did more Facebooking than I did writing, reading and painting. It became so addictive I actually checked Facebook every time I was online just to read what my other friends are doing or how they are feeling and responding to those I could identify with. Soon it became so intrusive I had to make a decision to deactivate my account so that I could go back to activate my life.

I can be proud of myself for completely cutting out from TV, cable, chat rooms, cyber social networks and even loafing around for no good reason but I know the battle is yet to end. Every now and then something or even someone pops up to unhinge us from what we love doing. It doesn't necessarily have to be a good or bad thing; it's just an event that occurs in our lives for some cosmic phenomenon that meets our requests.

The only thing about this is to recognize it and know how we can deal with it so we can go back to our writing. As much as possible everything that we can control should be in our control and not the other way round. I remember back in those days when all we had was TV and the only way to watch whatever we wanted to watch was to wait for the right day and right time. We were at the mercy of the TV stations and we had to work our lives around it. But today, with the aid of the new technology we can work our lives around everything else.

A writer can work from the home and email his works to the clients. A homemaker can watch her TV series as and when she finds time to sit down and relax with them. The incapacitated can order anything from a phone call away. But ironically, as things get easier for us we make them harder to resist. This, of course, calls for disciplining ourselves and balancing out the virtual life and the real life. It is easy to get lost in either one and denouncing the other.

Set yourself time to write and time to go online. If there are things that take up too much of your time from your writing consider breaking away from them. Get back on track and do what you have to do. The longer you leave your writings to fester like open sores will make it only more painful to get back to. By disassociating yourself from all forms of distraction you will have more time to fill them up with readings you have been missing, writings that you have neglected and even spending time with people and pets that you love.

A Writer never writes Alone

2009-06-12T19:40:00.000-07:00

Writing may seem like a solo adventure or a one man/woman show. But on the contrary to common believe it is a collaboration all along. Writers simply cannot write with no contact or influences from books, movies, music, people and life around them. They may have heard a conversation, was reminded of a word or sentence, seen a peculiar happening or smelled something foul along the way home that triggers their imagination to make them want to sit down and flesh it out. It's a combination of all these and more that give writers the elements or plots or ingredients as they weave it all together to call it their own creation.

The only difference between a good writer and a hack is the way they breathe in life to everything they encounter as though literally giving birth to each and every character and situation. A hack, more or less plagiarizes everything he finds and sticks them together like a broken vase.

Although writers may go into seclusion or ascetic solitude for months or years just to complete a writing it doesn't mean they are alone like Jack in The Shining. They would still have to research materials, ideas, subplots and leads from books, magazines, recordings and of course now, the internet. Sometimes even centering their characterization on a friend, acquaintance or stranger. At other times hearing the conversations in their heads they recall from a recent encounter or an overheard dialog between two friends.

So the truth of the matter is no writer can write without all these information accumulated in some form or rather. So when writers claim that they wrote something all by themselves without the help of anyone it is not entirely accurate because they would have collaborated with someone, something or some invisible force somehow.

If you are a budding writer who wants to bloom in the world of publishing, everything and everyone is your partner in crime. From the brief glance you gave to the vagrant at the side of the street to the stranger you exchanged looks with when you got into each other's way to the word that stood out in the billboard to the drawing on the table left by someone's kid, they are all your collaborators and accessories.

Even when you are alone to put all these things together you are never truly alone.

You either have passion or you're just full of shit

2009-06-06T21:16:00.000-07:00

The kinds of excuses writers give themselves are appalling and unforgivable. If you're one of those people who claim to be a writer and lament your usual chant 'I will write that novel/script/short story/article/poem someday' but never get around doing it, you know you don't have that passion, that fire, that drive after all.

If you had it before but lost it along the way you may have given up the idea because nothing came out of it. But if you never had passion before or don't even know what it is then you're most likely shortchanging yourself with the bliss of ignorance.

Stephen King started out writing Carrie in a trailer when he was just an ordinary English school teacher earning barely enough to keep him and his wife going let alone having a luxurious life. John Grisham only had a few hours in the morning to write before he goes off to work. J.K. Rowling wrote in a cafe with her son beside her while she weaved together her wizardry day after day in the corner of her table.

The humble beginnings of some writers, artists and other celebrities reveal to us the secret of their success is to burn in the flame of their desire. That's just about sums it all. If your desire to write is just a fly-by-night wish then you know where you stand. But if your heart is in it there is no stopping you. So when you start giving yourself excuses about not being able to do it don't you think you're better trying something else new altogether? Don't fool yourself for the glory and gain because they only last as long as your books sell. Otherwise, go to the keyboard, pick up your pencil or do what you must to begin the first taste of your passion.

Do you write the way you speak?

2009-05-12T19:11:00.000-07:00

There is this writer who writes very dry and hard science fiction which I find very difficult to read. I don't know why he writes it that way until I heard him reading on the stage. He drawls on every laborious word he speaks and I just couldn't even concentrate on those few minutes when he shared an excerpt from his novel with us. So in the end I don't really know how the story goes because I never got to finish it.

And then I met this condescending writer who starts his sentence with a 'no' if he disagrees with you. 'No, you don't understand', 'No, you don't get it', 'no. no. no.' and he talks you down because that's the way he is. Since he has a reputation that supersedes him I gave him the benefit of the doubt although he didn't make a good first impression. The next thing I knew the article I read written by him had that similar authoritative voice that patronizes you into agreeing with what he tells you.

And then there's this high flung writer who says 'I speak only to the right people'. The air about her was so thick I could use it for hair gel. Like a necromancer she managed to trap the air in the words she writes as well. You could literally see the gestures each and every word produces as though you were watching the Project Runway.

So is it a good thing to write the way you speak? All I can say is it's big a risk you're taking since it could work either way for you depending on how you speak. But a better deal is to write with many voices. To write what you hear instead.

The thing I learn from the movies is the actors are not always who they seem. They are not the bigger than life idol we make them to be. Teri Hatcher is not Susan Myers in Desperate Housewives. Wentworth Miller is not Michael Scolfield in Prison Break. Lee Pace is not Ned, the pie maker, in Pushing Daisies. They are all characters someone created so that someone else can flesh them out and make them real. To put it simply writers are actors too.

By acting out different voices you get to diversify your dialogues, wear an assortment of shoes and you will also be able to express a multitude of emotions on various levels. The only way to do this is to read a lot, whatever you can get your hands on, watch movies especially those with character developments, be aware of everything that is around you and keep on writing until your hear more than just the voice you're accustomed to.

Write by Day, Write by Night

2009-05-06T20:20:00.000-07:00

One of the ways I find easier to write and continue writing is to start at it first thing in the morning and close with a sentence that will lead you to the next paragraph or scene. Once I get sidetracked with checking emails, facebook, forums or playing a word game or two it's harder for me to go back to writing what needs to be written. Although preferably it's better to start off with some form of writing sometimes the urge to do something else might get in the way. If this happens to me I will go back to the computer and write something else to get my writing juices going, like this article for instance. Writing is like having an intelligent conversation with yourself where the words have to be thought out and not spoken randomly unless you're ranting about something that's been frustrating you. Otherwise it's this string of thoughts of putting words together and makes them sound as interesting as you possibly can so that others who read them will understand what you're trying to convey. Sometimes I even catch myself talking to myself when I'm not writing. To someone who can hear our thoughts it might seem like a Twilight Zone episode but that's the mind of a writer I guess.

The most effective way to get yourself writing is to coordinate your thoughts with typing them out or speaking them in a tape recorder or some recording device frequently so that it becomes a natural habit. Just like a composer who hears music all the time, or a comedian who seem to hear gags with punchlines in his head, or an artist who sees colors on an empty canvas, sooner or later all these imagination or vision have to come out in some form or other.

Needless to say once you're on the roll there's no stopping you. But the only interference that might have to come your way is sleep and rest. One just cannot possibly go on for days just writing, the mind will breakdown and so will the rest of the body. So before you leave the desk or your laptop to get some rest, try leaving some lines that has a direction; some kind of clue or unfinished word for you to know where to continue from. I always find this easier than to leave everything as is and try to recall what I was trying to say eight, ten hours ago. For shorter pieces it's easier to jump back into the story even after a short lapse away from it but for a longer piece it's quicker if I have all the characters names, locations, scenes and the last bit of the sentence to remind me of what I was writing about.

Set a specific time of the day to start and carry on until you're reached your limit. Since I am a morning person I love to sit at the kitchen table, if I'm at my City of Everlasting Peace - that's the name of my hometown in English - seriously, and look out to the immense birdlife, a palm tree and lots of green grass and write after a light breakfast. Even in the night, I come back to sit here again to be surrounded by the darkness outside as I continue to finish what I started out. In the big city I too write in the morning after breakfast, but on the bed, because that's the only corner I have at the moment and look out to the oversized windows and get inspired by the formation of the clouds.

So my one rule of writing is to do it first thing in the morning and leave something to follow up in the night.

Puaka Topeng Putih: My 2nd TV script

2009-05-01T09:04:00.000-07:00

It started out as Last Ride Home and became Percutian Maut (Vacation of Death) and eventually ended up as Puaka Topeng Putih (Haunt of the White Mask). Since this is my second TV script to go on air (May 1st 10pm at Astro 104) I was thrilled and got my families and friends to watch as well. So how was it? Well, disappointing for most part of it.

Most of the details that hint at the identity of the killer go unscreened. Some of the scenes which were suppose to be throw-offs were neglected and left out and the plot lost its hold.

The movie ran for more than an hour before anything worth watching fell into place and that's a mighty long time to keep anyone glued to the seat. Some scenes were also extremely long and the conversations got entangled and came out almost like gibberish.

But overall, for a 10-day shoot this telemovie is not half as bad when the last segment of the movie starts to reveal and flashback the back story. To have spent so much time trying to make every word right I wished I could have directed it myself. And maybe I will ... someday.

Learning to Write just about Anywhere

2009-04-24T12:06:00.000-07:00

When I first started writing, like all writers, I wanted to have my own spot and corner with a picturesque window view where no one could disturb me. It was an ideal set up and plan but as I got more and more into writing and that perfect place did not exist anymore I taught myself to write under all inconvenient circumstances.

I wrote my first script day and night on an iMac I had to share with the entire family and got what little time I had each day but I couldn't believe it when I actually did complete it with editing included. It was not conducive since the desktop was placed in the hall where everyone passed through and the weather in the living room was like an oven with no air conditioning. So literally, in sweat and almost tears, I sat on the uncomfortable chair, forced myself to focus and wrote the script as best as I could.

My next lesson in life was again tested when a deadline was up for a script and I had to visit my dad in the hospital for his surgery to fix in titanium plates for his fractured spine. I actually wrote on the small side table just beside the bed and kept my mind to it and it worked too. There was another time I had to work in the hospital's cafeteria because my film director's mother was in the ICU and yet we had to discuss this script which was screaming cut off time.

With incredible demands on my writing without a regular and proper station I had to make do with everything from a meal tray on the bed to a cabinet top and dressing stool, the floor with the laptop on the ground but I am glad that I could at least fine tune myself like a radio to work on my writing in crowded places, uncomfortable settings and improper venues. Of course a perfect writing table and ergonomically designed chair occupying a study would be grand but since I can't have them right now I guess anywhere is just as good as nowhere.

Sometimes we need to make do, just like the characters we write about, because in the end it's all about adaptation.

My publishing history now for 2009 includes:

2009-04-09T07:40:00.000-07:00

http://www.firsteditionpublishing.co.uk (Viewfinder)
http://alienskinmag.com (Curse of the Nail)
Matahari Books Publication (A Straight Man's Closet)

Here are the emails I received:

Viewfinder history:

Rejection:
I've had a chance to read "Viewfinder," and I'm sorry to say it is not a good fit for the anthology.
You might try letting the story tell its self by dramatizing the action. In this one, the diary narration makes everything distant and dry. The reader knows what happens but didn't get a chance to experience tension, suspense or horror. Most readers read to experience other lives, not just to find out what happened.
Best of luck with this story elsewhere.

Acceptance:
We are very pleased to inform you that we would like to publish your short story, Viewfinder, in the next issue of First Edition Magazine. We receive countless submissions, and yours really caught the attention of the reading panel.

***

Curse of the Nail history:

Acceptance:
We have all read, reviewed, and discussed your story and we liked it. We would like to use Curse of the Nail in our June/July 2009 Issue of AlienSkin Magazine.

***

A Straight Man's Closet history:

Acceptance:

I am pleased to announce that your submission A Straight Man's Closet
has been selected for BODY 2 BODY, Malaysia's first queer anthology, where you don't even have to be gay to take part!

Yours was one of 21 entries that were selected out of 59 submissions. The editors Pang Khee Teik & Jerome Kugan were supposed to select only 20, but couldn't resist the temptation to add another one.

There is nothing like a good old - I like you story - line which is absolutely encouraging and affirming.

Writing that Million $ Box Office

2009-04-09T06:41:00.000-07:00

Everyone wants the greatest script in their hands. Every writer wants to write it and every director wants to have to rights to it. But where are they? Can you write one?

That was what the director told me when I had to rewrite a script the executive producers want. It's a martial arts, action drama with intrigue, mystery, suspense underdog plot that will make you stand up and cheer when the movie is over. A tall order indeed. I myself haven't seen a movie like this with all these elements incorporated together but there are great dramas with mysteries like Fried Green Tomatoes and Changeling, action oriented ones like Eagle Eye and Die Hard 4.0 and with kung fu in Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon and The Matrix. With the combination of all the ingredients they, the investors, also want it to be a box office material. Now, as a scriptwriter, I wonder if I could write or rewrite this script that weighs more than all the gold in the world?

I watched lots of movies for reference, I read some books on writing and I try to understand what makes a movie good and saleable but what I don't have is the formula that works miracles. Even the most establisehd writers can't claim that because something that works now may not work again in the future. So how does one write something that is almost impossible?

One of the things I see in present movies is the politically correct method of plagiarism which can be obvious but unscrupulous nevertheless. That kind of movie has disjointed parts that is easily detectable and can be quite frustrating to watch. Nothing works like a well thought of plot, although there may be similarities, that flows like a river.

A successful movie is also the coalescing of a good script, great directing, outstanding acting, nifty editing and a remarkable score. Still, there is no saying that it will make all the money back with a large profit to fit into everyone's pocket.

As I sit here sharing with you about my first feature film script sitting on the verge of fame and fortune or forgettable moment we shall all wait and see when this movie hit the big screen probably later this year or early next year. It started pretty much like another script writing job but the people involved are bringing it to a higher level of existence and I am almost caught up with it but I am exhausted to the max from one too many meetings of late. I shall take a break tonight and start this earth shattering piece tommorow to give you Fist of Dragon!

Is it even Plausible?

2009-03-09T19:49:00.001-07:00

I sit and look into space when I get to situations where the characters run amuck trying to make sense of their dilemma. Where do they go from there? What are they going to do? I have to wear their shoes, and I mean all their shoes and ask myself the same question so I would know how each character would react. It can be either be mind boggling or gray hair producing but it's worth the effort when you see the end result.

Coming up with a scene, even a simple one, takes time to develop when the location, incidence, action and the reaction of each and every character has to be handled with care. There was a murder scene I was working on when I tried to figure out what the killer might or might not have used as the weapon and if ropes, duct tapes or wires would be more appropriate for him to tie up the victims. I usually track back to the beginning and ask myself what kind of a killer he is so that I'll get an idea why he uses what he uses and if there is any significance in the murder weapon in the first place. Little things like these may seem negligible but always give credit to your audience for they may be more observant than you think.

To help with the character development, if it is relevant to the movie, you have to consider the way he or she behaves, talks with a slur, lisp or stutter, gaits, eats or gesture. Although it is not necessary to describe every movement it helps differentiate one character from the other so that you'll have variety and diversity.

Writing a script no matter in what genre you have to first believe in it before you can convince others to believe it too.

Writing with Your Hands Tied

2009-03-09T09:14:00.000-07:00

A student once told me he wrote a script which was so big budgeted and lavish no one could make it for the sheer size of the investment and special effects. I reminded him that being a scriptwriter he had to consider a lot of grounds before even beginning to write and his next reaction was not to become a scriptwriter.

Living in a country like Malaysia means there can be no excessive violence, sexual explicitness, mention of politicians, authorities or figureheads in a bad light, affronting any race or religion, romanticizing immorality or using vulgarity in a language when writing a script. That shuts out a lot of avenue for a writer to be imaginative but nevertheless we do try. If we don't it's snip, snip, snip or ban, ban, ban or charged for sedition under ISA.

With so many restrictions I am amazed at the way writers bring about their stories in the most artistic and creative manner to get their messages across. Learning from some of the best movies I have ever seen I discovered the secret to writing a good script even with my hands tied. One of the things we can be allowed to do is based on the word 'implied'. Everything has to be implied with nuances and almost non existent hints.

When I wrote a slasher movie the killing had to be implied, the sexual undertones had to be insinuated and the plot carefully woven with everything above and a small budget in mind. It was not an easy task but it was challenging nevertheless. My next script was loosely based on historical facts with a little bit of sci-fi and fantasy elements that should not be overtly intellectual with any CG effects and of course with a tight budget. By the time I completed my third script I was already used to the idea of limitations, and like that student I know I could throw it all in or continue to weave intricate stories in a simplified presentation.

As a writer I believe that there are ways and maneuvers that one can take to get hidden agendas and messages across to the audience while slipping through the censorship board by telling a compelling story that stirs the heart and mind. When you are in a situation like this every word counts, your characters will have to say what he or she intends to say by just using the appropriate expression if not by the show in their subtle actions. There are times of course when I feel like I've been bludgeoned to accept the fate of being a scriptwriter but then there are times when I am proud to be able to pull off scenes which could be difficult to see the light of day.

This setback has also taught me to be delicate on subject matters that still offend people easily and the only way to write it is to listen to the sound of the words or sentence just like I would converse with someone I wouldn't want to hurt.

The making of Roda Maut

2009-02-23T22:20:00.000-08:00

This is the second script that has been made into a telemovie. When I wrote a few synopsis for the director to pitch to a TV station this storyline started out as a road trip comedy with four guys and their adventures along the way of discovery. It was then titled as Under the Tropical Sun but the station wanted a road horror instead that involves four girls. Since I like horror, not slasher, I took up the project which started about December 2008 during the Christmas week. I remember that because I was on my holiday and had to rush the first draft to prepare for the shoot in February 18th 2009.

It was a fun write but the intricacies took me a while to figure out especially on the characterization and element of surprise. I couldn't reveal too much and yet I couldn't stifle the flow of the story. Since the slasher part was only implied, due to the strict rules and regulations of the station, which I wasn't too concerned about, I wrote it from a more psychological view with hidden clues in the dialogues and actions.

I threw in a dash of Hitchcock, Christie and Carpenter and came up with a concoction of a B-grade horror movie with a psychological twist - if that even makes any sense to you. The title was the hardest to come up with since whatever I suggested in English just couldn't be translated to Malay without sounding odd or ridiculous. Anyway, the filming should be wrapping up soon at the time of my writing. I don't know how cheesy or intriguing the final cut would be but I'm anticipating with excitement. The working title is Roda Maut which literally means Death Wheel or Wheel of Death but it ended being Puaka Topeng Putih. An even cheesier title which means Terror/Haunt of the White Mask.

And how did the movie fare? 5/10 - pretty sad huh?

How Cool is it to be a Scripwriter?

2009-02-23T21:23:00.000-08:00

J. Michael Straczynski is now an A-list Script movie writer since he sold his screenplay Changeling that starred Angelina Jolie and directed by Clint Eastwood. When he first started out as a struggling writer Harlan Ellison told him: "The reason your stories are being rejected is because you're writing crap. Stop writing crap!". Although a sound advice, it would have devastated writers who weren't ready to defend their love for the art there and then. I myself was told by several editors I couldn't write for nuts but I didn't let go of the love of my life even when my heart was broken into a million pieces. With such a traumatic blow I wrote even more to lick myself from the wounds.

I found out recently that a lot of writers are trying to break into the world of movie writing with their specs and scripts and are getting no where closer to it than when they first started. I hadn't realize how difficult it was because I could say I almost stumbled upon it when I met a director whom I could work very well with. From then on we just collaborated for TV and feature films in all genres.

So, if you want to get onto the band wagon, do you know what to expect or what it entails? Scriptwriting, like many other forms of writings, is not as glamorous as the media advertises it to be. It involves lots of 'lonely' times, short deadlines, tons of rewrites, meetings and very small fees for starters.

If you like writing you would do anything to rewrite a piece you have your heart and soul in it. But if you don't, writing for movies can be taxing and nerve-wrecking especially when a deadline is attached to it. There were times I felt like thrashing something to release the steam that was building up inside when I couldn't get the characters to associate and meld with the plot. And to top it off the projects fell on my holidays and vacationing periods. While everyone else was relaxing and doing nothing but feeding themselves silly I was incarcerated in the room to complete a suspense thriller slasher script when a beautiful view of trees, hills and fresh air was outside the window.

The other thing that a scriptwriter has to be prepared for is the reworking of the plot and flow. Although an outline and a treatment could have been written prior to the first draft, changes are still inevitable. There are so many concerns that could alter a script, from the budget to a director's preference, the producer's interference or the availability of the actors. Sometimes chunks are removed completely and sometimes a dialogue or two gets tweaked. Even after all the sleepless nights and days of research, rewrites and revise the movie might not even get made if the deal falls through.

Unscrupulous directors and producers are also out there who don't believe writers are people too. They will demand the world from you but who forgets to pay you with the excuse that your script is not well written and then they disappear from the face of the earth.

With all these in mind, if you still think being a scriptwriter is cool, well come on board. Brace yourself and ride with the waves of the fantastic. What is rewarding is to see your writing come to life on the Plasma or LCD or silver screen with your name on it. It could even be a B-grade trash that comes straight out to video or on Youtube but if you are proud of what you've done so be it. If you're not, go back to your writing desk and better yourself with each script that you write and someday you may reach the stars where the A-list writers live.

If someone tells you that you suck, maybe it's true, but don't give up on a dream you have your heart set upon. If you're in it for the money even before you could write, forget it, go back to your regular life and leave the struggles to those who want the challenge.

And most of all, I said most of all ... love what you do and everything else will fall into the right place.

How to get over the obstacles of a writer's block in 10 easy ways

2009-01-31T18:36:00.000-08:00

Even when you have a detailed treatment written out for your initial script, you may find that at certain point and certain scenes, you may get stuck with the flow, the idea or development of the plot. My personal experience tells me one of these few methods that might reignite the fuel and keep it chugging along.

Take a break from your writing, even if you have a deadline, by doing one of these things:
1. Watch an unrelated movie
- while writing a suspense thriller you could always watch a romantic comedy or science fiction, you'll never know what may come out of it

2. Watch a related movie
- this is basically for research purposes. By watching a movie that is close to the genre you are working on it will help you avoid the similarities or unworkable scenes or it may give you a lead to where you got stuck

3. Take a walk in the park and clear your mind
- walking can be quite therapeutic and refreshing for the body and mind. It helps you relax and can be reinvigorating for the brain work later on

4. Listen to music or songs that you think might be a cool soundtrack to your script
- when I was working on a suspenseful chase scene but caught in a crowded place with no privacy I hooked up the headphones and got Rammstein's Der Meister to help me literally see the scene in my head.

5. Have a brainstorming session with the people concerned or interested
- there is nothing like a good thrashing out ideas with those who like doing it. It is fun, rewarding and a great mind blowing exercise.

6. Create a new character in your story, be it insignificant or not, sometimes they turn out to be more than you can imagine
- this worked for me a few times when I fleshed out an unseeming character that eventually played a very important supporting role.

7. Begin a new scene which is completely out of place with the rest, it may take you to new frontiers or have you realize what is missing
- this is an experimental or trial exercise to throw in an unexpected and disjointed scene to break the monotony. Sometimes it works but sometimes it doesn't. What most writers are afraid of is to make mistakes, but ultimately that's the only way to learn.

8. Read something, anything
- every once in a while a word or sentence hits me even if I am holding a book of poems by Neruda or a self help book by Napolean Hill. Remember, the whole universe is made up of signs and messages, you just have to notice them.

9. Write something else in the meantime
- just as I am writing this piece of article, I also write poems, short stories and blogs when I run into a cul de sac

10. Play
- from crossword puzzles to badminton to bejewelled, all these distractions would help ease the cerebral clog, just don't get carried away from your main objective.

Writing in any form pretty much works with the above recommendations but if you have your own methodology keep to it and make it work for you so you'll never have that impediment ever again.

The Scriptwriting Process

2009-01-30T21:11:00.000-08:00

When I write a script I usually discuss the whole outline of the story with the director. Once we get an idea of what we both could agree on the process of scriptwriting begins. Here is a step by step account of what I work through from concept to the final draft.

1. Discussion of probable storyline with director, mainly the gist of the entire piece and the genre he requires.

2. Expanding the outline into a treatment which includes a scene by scene breakdown and character developments.

3. After another discussion of the flow the first draft of the script will be written over the next few weeks.

4. We meet regularly to amend scenes, characters, dos and don'ts, regulations and no-nos, pace of the story that could be chunks of alteration or a sentence or two.

5. The script is passed around to be read and a final version is prepared for pre-production.

One of the areas I spend most time on is the creation of the characters. I find knowing my characters deeply and profoundly speeds up my writing and help me resolve situations. By jotting down the complexities, temperaments and attributes of the persona it makes writing dialogues so much easier because by then I would know what words the characters would use or would not use because of his background or rationalization.

The challenging parts in scriptwriting for me are the opening scene, the connection between characters and situations and the denouement. The hook right from the beginning is important to seize the viewers by their throats if you want them to suffocate for more. When I first started out writing a martial arts drama I found out that the overwhelming dialogues between the characters almost killed the movie. It was the director's discretion to shorten it that saved the film.

Every time I come to the stage of making the links and connections I have to go back and forth to add the missing words, lines or actions to keep the continuity in check. Sometimes using foreshadow and other times inserting clues and insinuations. This can be braining draining when the pieces don't fit, but it can also be the most rewarding when everything falls into place.

Being an ardent movie buff I try to sit through as many movies as I can to watch how the machineries of movie magic work. I've seen some great openers and plausible plots just to be broken down again at the very end at the anti climatic conclusion. Sometimes they stretch too far and get you frustrated and sometimes they cut off prematurely and leave you dangling on the shredded ends. To me, a story with a weak ending is just as bad as one without a good storytelling right from the beginning. Writing the last few pages of your script can be a very tricky bit when you have to consider the credibility, the catharsis and the clarity of what just happened an hour or so ago.

Finally, there is nothing like the pleasure of watching your script coming to life on the tube, in the big screen or on the internet and especially when your name rolls up with the rest of the credits.

There Are Worse Things I Could Write

2009-01-06T01:12:00.000-08:00

Every time I get a rejection for one of my short stories I can understand that it may not fit into their current 'plan' or 'style' or 'quality'. Though it may shake the ground I walk upon a little I will try again to reedit the story or find a more suitable publisher and this may take a long time or almost instantaneously.

Getting my work out there is like finding the right lover who believes in me and likes what I do. It can be frustrating, enjoyable or down right tacky but that's as good as prostituting myself for the sure fire combination of lust and sex.

The one thing I find more difficult to accept are rejections for scripts that I have been commissioned to write. With tight deadlines and minimal resources I am suppose to dream up stories that are commercially appealing to all ages and all human kind so that it will hit the jackpot or at least lead the investors to the end of the rainbow. I've always liked challenges and I thought it was great when I got started with scriptwriting. But after having done quite a fair bit I am beginning to feel the means doesn't justify the end.

I spend so much time getting to know the characters, living in their existence, walking in their shoes, being so careful of the words they use, plotting out the incidences, watching the scenes in my mind, keeping the budget in mind and what I get in return is a three word feedback 'not good enough'. At this point I feel like throwing in the towel and going back to being an independent writer who prints out chapbooks and rely on charity.

Working with people in the film industry is like forcing myself to like the movies they like and trying to read their minds so that I could write what they want. I felt like this when I was a graphic designer and I am feeling it again trying to satisfy them so that they would pay me when I'm through. It's not like they're even paying me an obscene amount of money or throwing a stash of notes in my face as an upfront payment but they still want their money's worth. Since we have no Writer's Guild in this country, to each her own and death to the ones who can't stand alone.

Is this job even worth it? To be told that it's not good enough every time I complete a project? I wonder how many careers or jobs that are based on the whims and fancies of the affluent and powerful? If I had a low self-esteem I would be crawling on the floor by now eating dirt, but I can also feel my confidence being chipped away gradually as I hang on to the idea of being a scriptwriter.

Maybe I should have the right mind, come to my senses and get out while I can and write like a struggling writer of sorts than to sell my soul to the highest bidder. Yeah, they are worse things I could write, like trash and slush, prose passing for poems and vice versa, novels nobody wants to read and a whole lot of ranting on my blogs with literally no traffic. Hmm, that's an idea ... and I could live on love and sunshine I suppose.

Michael Crichton: The Man Who Gave Us Everything

2008-11-07T17:40:00.000-08:00

In memory of a great writer, an inspiration.
October 23, 1942 - November 4, 2008
He gave us:
1975 The Great Train Robbery
1976 Eaters of the Dead
1980 Congo
1987 Sphere
1990 Jurassic Park
1992 Rising Sun
1994 Disclosure
1995 The Lost World
1996 Airframe
1999 Timeline
2002 Prey
2004 State of Fear
2006 Next

Do Writers Dream Of Literary Sheep?

2008-10-15T20:39:00.000-07:00

When you spend too much time thinking about what to write and how successful you will be when you do, there's a danger that you will never actually get down to doing it except allow the time to slip through your fingers. It's wonderful to look out the window and think of all the great stories you want to write and how lauded you will be when you present it to the world. The tough part is you have to start somewhere even if it means writing a single line a day, every day until you complete the tale you want to tell.

You don't count the pages and you don't set limitations to yourself when you're getting started. You just write. As you go along your body, mind, heart and soul will lead you where they want you to go, when they want you to write and what you will write best. You can travel the world over and find the most suitable place on earth to write like a writer's haven but you will not be able to write if you don't stop fooling yourself with glamor and fame and begin.

How hard can it be to sit down in front of your laptop, typewriter, paper and pen and let the words flow out of your whole being? Don't write from your mind or only your heart, you need all of yourself to make it real, make it speak and let it rush out like a stream of the fountain of youth. If you don't trust yourself to work your senses up, you will never be able to say what you have to say and make others believe in it.

Get off your butt, get down your high-horse, get up and write. Cut down your TV habits, loitering around malls, online chatting, game playing and listless rambling and focus on the things you really want to do. Achieve your moments and make them real to yourself. By every end of the week have something that you can be proud of that you have done. Once you have done some writing send them out to the universe. Blog it, submit it for publication, share it with friends, make your own chapbook, book cross it, mail it but first, write it.

After reading this article go to your writing space, if you don't have one create one, and then begin with the first word, first line, first paragraph and let your feelings, thoughts, sensations take you over. You can dream all you want when you finish what you begin. Make yourself a nice cuppa and read what you have written and do it again and again and again until you get it all out.

When you write you will be transported and beamed to another world you generated, that's where you ought to be if you want to be a writer. You make words come together so that others can journey with you and feel what you feel and that's why you write; although alone, the whole world is with you.

Picking Up The Pieces

2008-10-05T22:06:00.000-07:00

No matter how many times I get rejected I still feel troubled by it even if it's for a moment. It's still an earth shattering experience for me when I get strongly worded comments about the stories I have written. I try to wallow in self pity for a while, maybe a few hours or half a day, so that I could get it out of my system and get on with trying again. In the process of my sorrow I just want to throw in the towel and call it quits. I want to believe that the feedback is the gospel truth and I don't want to argue about it and stop fooling myself about wanting to be a writer. Once I have had enough of those self immolation I come back again from the dead and start writing.

To me, getting rejected is just a simple case of one man's meat and another man's poison. So far three of my published short stories have been rejected by various editors for more reason than one. It ranges from being at the wrong place at the wrong time, to personal liking, an odd one out in the entire anthology, miss the theme by a mile, passed on as a badly written piece and what not and what not. And then, with the same story in hand, I try other editors who liked them the way they are and sign me up without a moment's hesitation. Of course there is no greater feeling like a feeling of acceptance for a writer.

In this game of writing, like so many other things in life, it's really truly nothing personal. Editors do what they do best and have their methods of filtering through the slush pile they get and of course their preference for one story opposing the next is just a decision they have to make.

Whenever I get a rejection for my short story I would read the comments and feedback, if there are any, and rework it again to see if it would get any better. Some of the stories, after rereading a few more times, need tweak and tuning but some others will only work with an overhaul.

One thing a writer has to know and remember is to accept the fact that not everyone will like your work and not everyone will dislike it, just like how you tend to prefer one writer to the other. Even some of the greatest writers have the bad days and write some balderdash. It's just that no one's saying anything because all they see is the emperor's clothes.

Whatever's the deal, I guess the best thing we could do is to be true to ourselves. Whether we get the formal rejection letter, a personal constructive criticism or a blatant dissing session, well, it's all about picking up the pieces thereafter. If you still believe in writing that story that will move the heavens and the earth, why deny yourself from doing it just because someone said you can't.

The Writer Who Knew (Thought) Too Much

2008-09-14T20:00:00.000-07:00

Attending workshop and courses can be an asset to you, as a writer, if you know what you're looking for. But too much of a good thing can also kill you. When you are starting off as a writer, and learning the trade, it is good to participate in courses and sessions that are specially catered to your needs. But to join one too many of these classes for the sake of joining them may not be beneficial but become a distraction. If you spend too much time mulling over techniques and styles, rules and regulations, formats and structures, you may end up preparing yourself for something which you will never write.

So how do you know when to stop and start? Listed below are some of my observations in workshops, courses and seminars.

1. The Writer Who Doesn't Listen
If you feel like you are always going back in circles to find out the same thing that you've been asking yourself over and over again it's about time to sit still and listen.

2. The Writer Who Doesn't' Stop Talking
You know something is not right somewhere when you blurt out every syllable about writing and wanting to write but not slapping yourself across the face to keep silent and do it. Are you the kind of writer who is always asking questions, making comments and muttering a word or two just to get your two cents worth but not getting any value out of it?

3. The Writer Who Doesn't' Agree
When having smaller group discussions do you sometimes see yourself hogging the center stage to contribute your ideas and opinions without considering the limited time you have and your other fellow teammates to share their views?

4. The Writer Who Doesn't Do Much
Do you leave all the work to others while you hitch on to their brains for ideas, inspirations and feedbacks? Do you leave everything for the instructor to do the job while you feed off the crumbs?

5. The Writer Who Is Not All There
You’re half dazed, half in, half out, half asleep, half awake and half of everything but you make yourself sit there anyway.

It doesn't matter if you see yourself in any of them because in the end you still have to write if you want to write, otherwise you will be a perpetual attendee to the workshops and slave to the system.

If I Could Only Write Like...

2008-09-07T20:20:00.000-07:00

Isn't that what we wish for when we are aspiring writers? The first time I read Stephen King I wanted to write like him. The next time I read Sidney Sheldon I wanted to write like him instead. When I started out writing short horror stories, Poe, W.W.Jacobs, Jackson and others were a great influence to my style, in the structure and story telling. I considered myself fortunate to be able to write like them. But as I began to develop my own story telling technique I steered away from the greats and began my own journey to write as I should.

For years I have been writing and rewriting several stories until I found my own voice. It wasn't easy but it wasn't all that hard either. All I had to do was to do it frequently and consistently until I saw a certain pattern of my own. Besides writing one of the most important thing every writer should do is to read as much as he or she writes. To me, there must always be a book around to stir my imagination be it non fiction, short stories, poems, graphic novels, children's picture books or fiction. I find them, the good ones especially, stimulating to the mind and thrilling to the soul. They talk to me and tell me things I might miss if I did not read.

There is nothing like the actual writing that will lead you to develop your personal trait. You will have to try long harangue sentences to short quips and tedious descriptions to poetic narratives to know if you could pull it off. As you continue producing more and more writings you will be able to distinguish the many expressions and voices that you have. From time to time you will have to assume different roles by wearing stilettos, sneakers, sandals, moccasins, clogs, slippers and even go barefooted to know the characters.

Everyone of us has a different voice although some may be similar in many ways. The same question can be asked in a million different ways from the accent to the intonation to the diction to the pitch and that is what makes us all unique. It is important to develop our personal touch or style if we want to go to greater heights and be proud of our own works. Plagiarising and duplicating other people's words will mean nothing in the end and when the deceit comes back to haunt you just hope that it isn't too late for remorse.

Getting Out Of The Writing Rut

2008-09-02T22:07:00.000-07:00

"I just can't write no matter what I do. No matter how I try. But I'm damned if I don't write." That's what writers claim and rant about when they get caught up in the whirlpool of indecisions. I'd like to think I have overcome that stage in life but I was soon put in my place before I could even brag. There will be times when writing seems like a tedious, monstrous task that is heavily laden with drudgery. When I am caught in this dilemma I try one of these methods to shake myself up from the malady, and more often that not it works. It may or may not work for you but here's what I do.

The Analysis Method:
Understand first and foremost why writing makes you feel this way. It could be that you dislike what you are made to write, especially if writing is your full time job. If that is the case the best solution to this quandary is to give it another go with all you've got or look for an alternative writing job which would suit you better or at least the one you like best. If your hand refuses to move and your mind is all clog up with worries, sort out the problems as you would any other things that trouble you. If you are surrounded by people who are killing your writing dreams, keep away from them when you write. If you are financially unstable, simplify your lifestyle and save enough to warrant you a writing holiday or weekend. If you have too many distractions, lock up the TV, unhook your phone, disconnect the Internet and isolate yourself in the garage. Once you know what is troubling you, it is easier to get on with what you want to do without wasting time figuring out why you can't write.

The Aggressive Method:
Incarcerate yourself to the writing cell. Force yourself to write something and don't let yourself out until you do it. Deny yourself the luxury of laying back, entertainment and possibly even communication with anyone before you can come out with a poem, short story, article, 1st chapter of a novel or non fiction. This may sound like a drastic solution but as you know, desperate times call for desperate measures. By repeating this hermetic ritual of obligation you might eventually get used to it and continue without the anguish in the future. Just remember not to end up like Jack in The Shining.

The Challenge Method:
Challenge yourself to write for deadline oriented competitions, submissions and themed focus that you have to produce within the limitations of time, subject or delivery. This will help you get out that writing that you have been wanting to do for the longest time but never got around to doing it. Dare yourself to win something or beat the clock or write against every obstacles that you have always felt that was against you. Take a long train ride and complete something within that period or get a group of writers to spend a weekend together with the challenge to write something the way Mary Shelley, Lord Byron and John William Polidori did.

The Schedule Method:
Following a schedule everyday will make things easier as you go along. Find out what is the best circumstance for you to write and keep at it at the same time, same location, same situation as much as you can to train yourself to focus. Like an established habit
you will soon do it like the way you have your meals, go to work or watch the idiot box.

The Variety Method:
If you can't find yourself writing a single thing write a few things at the same time. Dabble in blog writing, short stories, articles and other forms of writing randomly to get the literary engine going. Once it kicks off you can then choose what you prefer or have an inclination for and continue with it until you're satisfied.

The Combination Method:
It's a little of everything of the above. Writing is not at all boring. If you find that writing is deadening all your senses then something is not quite right here. A writer's life may be solitary at times but a writer's life is not hermetic. Some writers write in the midst of adrenaline induced environment and produce their best works. Some writers are like Phoenixes that rise every once in a while with their greatest achievement. Some writers write a single bestseller, some write a book every year. All you need to know when you want to be a writer is to find out what kind of a writer you are and you want to be. But the first thing you have to do is to sit down there and write,otherwise don't even bother.

Review: Ray Bradbury: An Illustrate Life by Jerry Weist

2008-08-20T08:46:00.000-07:00

I have always loved Ray Bradbury's stories, TV series and movies but I have never seen or read his biography quite like the book Ray Bradbury: An Illustrate Life.

The book is as astounding as his stories and the featured artwork and designs are a absolutely stunning and fantastic. Weist, an artist and designer himself, has done a marvelous job depicting Bradbury's life in this visually apealling cofee table book. It's a must have for Bradbury's fans and lovers art book covers and comic art designs.

With pictures of collaborative work with so many artists, Bradbury's life is showcased alongwith his letters, photographs and his own personal artwork. Some of his most celebrated books and movies are Fahrenheit 452, The Martian Chronicles, Something Wicked This Way Comes, The Illustrated Man and his short stories I Sing The bOdy Electric, A Sound Of Thunder, The Foghorn and many more.

Although the book itself cannot completely describe the magnificent and productive life he leads, it is a good and beautiful product nevertheless.

Rejection and Feedback: The Name Of The Writing Game

2008-08-06T19:14:00.000-07:00

Rejection is very subjective and personal. Just like how everyone looks at a piece of art and have their own opinion about it, writing is pretty much the same.

Rejection could occur for not complying with the rules and regulations, for example, exceeding the word count, writing out of genre or theme, irregular formatting and other technicalities which are overlooked or ignored.

The next line of being declined is the lack of skill or adeptness in the story telling, writing style and command of the language used. Which, to me, is the mastery of the art that can only be acquired through lots of practice and polish. Of course experience doesn't only mean years of mass production but in amelioration as well.

Lastly, when a piece of work gets rejected it also involves the personal opinion of the editor or editors concerned. Like it or not we can't escape the fact that we like or dislike something because we feel it more deeply for one than the other. Fair and impartial as an editor may want to be he or she still has to make a decision over the pyramid of works sent in by the hundreds.

The first two are usually easier to get across because it's all about formatting and improving our work, which is not impossible. The final stage will involve a little more work if you are to get, kind of, on the good side of the editor. All you have to do is to read a few back issues of the magazines, periodicals, chapbooks or whatever the editor has published to boost your chances of acceptance.

I have had experiences with a few of my short stories where one editor said there was a lot of redundancies in my narrative, but another liked it for what it was. Yet another one which was turned down because it was written from the point of view of the second person but accepted because that was what he was looking for. Time and again, as long as a story is well written, relatively speaking, it will find its way of getting into print.

If you feel rejection is not something you would to deal with, today there are also self-publising, blogging, print-on-demand, podcast and many other ways to get your stories out there to the world. Another way to double your gamble for recognition is to have your work evaluate either by professionals or reading groups where feedbacks and suggestions are crucial to its success.

Scripting writing, unlike other forms of writing, is usually scrutinized and read by countless people ranging from the director to the producer, to co-writers, investors, sponsors and god knows who else. There is no room for flaws because they will show when the film is rolled. Even if you write, direct, produce and edit your own films, you will still need others to help make you movie as good as it can be. Feedbacks from visionary directors and talented co-writers will definitely speed up your writing skills and get you where you want to go.

Just remember that being a writer is a bed of roses among the thorns. You never give up just because you get jabbed once in a while.

Review: A New Earth by Eckhart Tolle

2008-08-03T20:18:00.000-07:00

I have always been trying to listen to audio books since Dan Brown's Da Vinci's code and then Stephen King's Lisey's Story but never succeeded even to chapter two. It was either I couldn't concentrate on what was being read or I would doze off every time I plug in the earphones. And to top that of I am a very slow reader.

Because of my sluggish reading habits I am always hungry for more but not being able to chew fast enough. It was not until I got a hold of Eckhart Tolle's A New Earth that I tried to listen again to the book reading, which I felt like cheating in a test because I didn't strain my eyes to read them word for word.

Anyway, when I got past the first few minutes I continued to keep my ears open for more. Maybe it was the subject matter that fascinated me. Maybe it was my undernourishment for something delectable from the literary world that prompted me for this supplement. Whatever it was, I continued with the first hour and then the second and I couldn't wait to get on with the rest of the six hours of Tolle.

I was glad I could actually stay focused to the words that were dictated and the topic that was narrated was absolutely stimulating.

One of the most important topics of Eckhart Tolle's The New Earth is the understanding of what the EGO is. How it persists in our lives, how it feeds on the things that embodies negativity and what we can do to awaken ourselves from being the victim of this collective dysfunction.

Like Walsch, Redfield and Coelho, Tolle is a perceptive and insightful writer who speaks about the things we know but refuse to acknowledge. All of the books center on one theme which is the awakening. The realization. To be conscious about our true selves, very much like what The Matrix movie has been trying to tell us.

The ego, which is said to be the insanity of the human mind by Tolle, has cost countless lives to be eradicated because of it. Truths have been distorted to suit it's existence and fear has been generated to keep it alive. With this basic understanding of ourselves through Tolle's writings, it would explain a lot of why we behave the way we do and how we could overcome this formidable terror called Ego.

Script Writing Vs Novel Writing

2008-07-30T21:14:00.000-07:00

I have never written so many scripts in such a short time before. In a span of less than five months I wrote three movie scripts, two telemovie treatments and one 13 episode TV series treatment. That's amazing in my book because I have never been able to write even one script in a year. And how did that happen? It's a job, but I love it.

After having done so many scripts and watched some of the best TV series like Desperate Housewives, Prison Break and Pushing Daisies I realize writing scripts, for TV or the silver screen, is like commercial illustration. You are challenged with a deadline, you have to go through a series of amendments and feedback and the end result will be a collective collaboration more often than not. In the universe of visual magic, the director will get the recognition rather than the writer.

Novel writing, like fine art, is solely the work of an individual writing at his or her own pace, unless except they are commissioned with time limitation. It is done within the confines of one's space and most likely not be read until it has been completed. Here, the writer or author gets full credit for the work.

Drew Struzan, one of America's most famous illustrator for movie posters and book covers are not as celebrated as the movies he paints for. He is only known among artists, designers, illustrators and directors. After so many years of his contribution to the movie world it was Frank Darabont who featured a resemblance of him at the opening sequence of Stephen King's The Mist. That's how a scriptwriter is like in the script writing industry. They are more unknown than those in the novel writing industry.

However, both writing jobs are just as fascinating. One will have you artistically describe the images in your head, the other will have you say the same in a concise manner. Both have protagonists and antagonists. Both have problems to solve. Both have character developments. But one allows you to stretch as much as you want within the pages of a book and the other expects you to flesh it all out within 120 pages at most.

Although both the writing styles differ dramatically, the essence of it is still exceptional story telling. Just like illustration and fine art, they both gives aesthetic pleasure to the mind's eye. One maybe less known than the other but they are still appreciated.

If you feel distraught by the fact that script writers are not as widely decorated as their novel writing counterparts times are beginning to change as we know. More and more people who are behind the scene, in any profession for that matter, are getting acknowledged for their efforts and contributions. In some parts of the world where script writers are treated like an unnecessary liability the other side is lauding them with awards and rewards.

Whether you make the headlines or list for the best writer prize, it all boils down to the fact that you write because you enjoy it too much to want to give it up. And to me, that's the best gift to be waking up to everyday for the rest of my life.

Review: Rich Dad, Poor Dad or Freeing Yourself With The Kiyosaki Method

2008-07-28T20:05:00.000-07:00

I'm not one who likes reading financial, investment and business books but Robert T. Kiyosaki changed my perception of them. Out of curiosity for his success and fame I picked up Rich Dad, Poor Dad without much expectation but a guidebook to making money grow on trees. But I was wrong.

Kiyosaki's down to earth logic and success story since his childhood days to become what he is now is inspiring and pragmatic. When he talks about financial freedom, a phrase I only recently learned, I was astounded at how money handling has never been taught to us. He is among the first few that I know who is opening up more avenues for people who are looking for a way out of the rat race.

He makes it all seem so easy to understand when he places liabilities and assets in such clear and vivid sense. By dividing them into the four quadrants to observe the flow of our hard earned money it makes it easier for us to know what we can do to attain financial freedom, get out of debt and live a life we've always wanted.

This form of coaching and guidance should have been taught to us when we were kids so we wouldn't have to make the same mistakes society keeps repeating because of the believe that it has always been that way.

If more people were to comprehend their daily cashflow, a lot more people would be able to upgrade their lifestyles without the burden of financial obligations and unnecessary dues.

Kiyosaki has also released a didactic boardgame call Cashflow to enable people to grasp the real time idea of money making and investment. You may not have the enthusiasm to make money the way Kiyosaki does but it's a good way to begin to understand this elusive thing call money.

http://www.richdad.com/

Writing When You Don't Feel Like Writing

2008-07-15T19:14:00.000-07:00

There will be times when you have to write even when you don't want to. If there are deadlines to be met you have very little choice but to keep yourself focused and productive no matter how much you want to play truant and escape into your world of fantastic realm.

Unless you dislike your writing job, whatever that may be, you will almost always do anything to churn out words for the love of it. But still, somber days will cloud your judgment and curtail your adventure and take you to a cul-de-sac sooner or later. It's not a writer's block but a torture chamber of banality. Something that distract you like a splattered meat pie. You are everywhere but you are nowhere.

It could be a breakup in a relationship, an aftermath of a jubilant success, a sickness that simply won't go away or news that riled up your senses. These are the maladies worse than a writer's block. You behave like a pile of crap. You stink at everything you do and you can't move. Words don't come out right. The plot is meandering like a centenarian heading for his potter's field. You suddenly go limp all over and you wonder if you are ever that good in the first place as a writer or was it all a joke someone played on you.

You sit at the typewriter, computer or at the desk with your faithful writing materials but all you can think of is the channel surfing or net surfing or surfing by the sea. You can't think in a straight line because the rest of your body doesn't want to cooperate. What are you going to do? Is there a way out of this? You ask yourself.

If you have never experienced this form of anti-writing riot in your head, perhaps you will and perhaps not. I find this terror much more persecuting than having no idea what to write or how to continue a piece. My worst enemy is when I fall ill and my head spins out of control and I can't breathe from the flu that's caught in my nose.

But like how my antibodies fight against the invaders, I too will fright against the distracting virus by forcing myself to sit in my place and write what I set out to write. It may take a while but it may take a long time as well. In between the writing process I will either watch a movie, read a book, take a nap or fiddle in the garden or kitchen. There is no fool-proof method to win this war but there is always a way out.

So far, my best bet is to write about it and kill it like a beast in my horror stories. That way I get the satisfaction of victory and at the same time I get to have a short story or article I could put up in my blog or sell it to an appropriate market.

Usually, after this battle with the unseen, things will get better and fall back into place as I start regenerating prolifically. But, like Stephen King says, sometimes they come back. And if they do, there'll be another story to write about.

And you shall be a writer...

2008-07-04T18:46:00.000-07:00

When I was younger I used to ask myself every chance I get if I would ever become a writer. Back then I was told that writers usually don't amount to much unless you're from English speaking countries or that you write so bloody well you're better than Stephen King or Sidney Sheldon or Edgar Allan Poe. I was devastated as a kid because I didn't know why I had to be a writer so badly it was like an obsession. Worst of all I wasn't from an English speaking country and I didn't write like a literary genius. All I knew was I had stories to tell.

The best that one can be as a writer in the eighties was to be a journalist. And to me a journalist was equivalent to being a reporter who has to go around interviewing people to get the scoop of the story and write about it. I knew I wasn't cut out for that because I was a solitary writer who prefer the peace and quiet of the room and isolation.

Each time I gave up on the thought life would show me signs that there's a possibility I could write for a living. After my graphic design days I tried my hand at copywriting and it worked out pretty well but lo and behold, I found that too stifling as well. I didn't like writing about products and services with exaggerations to make them more than what they are.

Still, writing horror stories, articles, poems and novels at my own leisure I accumulated all my writings in the cupboard and wondered if they would ever see the light of day. I told a friend once they're either a whole cabinet full of junk or they must worth millions.

Some of the most significant manifestations came to me in various phenomena. I would lay on the boulder by the stream and watch the cascades flow into the catchment that created a pool large enough for swimming. And there I was always mesmerized by the stillness of the water and I heard a voice telling me that I was a writer at heart. There was another occasion where I sat by the strip of a pathway which was surrounded by the lake on both sides and asked the question I usually do — if I was meant to be a writer. And quite uncannily an otter, which escaped from the zoo, rose out of the water, sniffed the air about him and disappeared again. I couldn't help myself but laugh at the pun but it did make my day and it did help me believe in myself. Of course once in a while friends would comment positively on the poems or greetings I write for them in the cards and that also kept the fire burning.

Today, although I am no big time, best selling, multi million dollar writer ... yet, I have embarked on this journey through the sheer will of persistence. With rejections, blatant criticism on my writing style and command of the language and weak plots I conjure out of thin air, I have no idea why my obstinacy would not let go of this preposterous vocation. And like I said a million times, just to hyperbolize for effect, thank god for the internet. I've been able to sell and send my short horror stories, rant and rave on my blogs, keep a lookout for competitions, publishers and agents and share my words with those who want to read them.

So, the moral of the story is, if you're so passionate about whatever you want to do, you better stick to it till the end or you'll simply go insane if you don't.

Review: Fish by Stephen C. Lundin, Harry Paul and John Christensen

2008-06-30T21:05:00.000-07:00

This cute little yellow book has been around my bookshelf for ages. I don't even jow it got there but it's been there waiting for me like how the other books wait for me to be ready to read them. Since it was a small book and I wanted something to lug around while traveling I picked it up and started with the first page.

The fact that it was an easy read helped a lot and the fact that a friend of mine was going through some problems in the office prompted me to see if I could get anything out of this Fish Philosophy.

Taking the famous Pike Place Fish Market as the center of focus in regard to office politics, the author, Stephen C. Lundin, Harry Paul and John Christensen, manage to capture the core of all office dilemmas and find solutions to them.

Although it is not new or ground breaking, the steps to rectify problems beset at work places are simplified and presented in a very intelligible manner. Anyone could easily grasp the idea and implement it into the system.

Fish is a good book to have around the office library, if there was one, just like Who Moved My Cheese (Spencer Johnson) but rarely do I see bosses encouraging reading at the work place. If only they would take this first step, I believe a lot of miscommunications, predicaments and antagonism could be eliminated.

Making Your First Drafts First Class

2008-06-17T18:57:00.001-07:00

I've always believed in writing a good first draft. Although in the movie industry it may not be advisable, since there are going to be tons of revisions and rewrites, I still feel writing something that you feel good about is better than giving in that fifty percent to allow the director, producer, the investors and everyone else a chance to massacre it.

You can look at it this way. By writing a better first draft, the rest of the rewrites would be a breeze. And if, at all, the first draft that you put your heart and soul in it is rejected you could always keep it or reuse it again when another opportunity arrives.

The trouble, I find, when writing impetuously is the amount of time to have to go through it line by line which could suck the life essence out of you (teachers and editors would nod their heads in unison since they have been through this dilemma). If a first draft is really bad, a complete makeover would be faster than to fill in the missing links. The same goes for writing novels, short stories, plays and probably even poems. From experience, I have a stack of short stories I wrote a long while back which I dread to exhume for editing. Almost every line or every other line reads like a C grade movie or an essay written by an unenthusiastic student who loathes being incarcerated in an antediluvian school. The only thing to do for such a circumstance is to extract the plot and start from a scratch. I also have a psychological horror novel I wrote that needs to be revamped but that one may never see the light of day again. Fortunately I can still harvest the best parts of it to develop something new for the future.

I guess doing a good job from the beginning also applies to a lot of other things in life too. If you start by believing that it's going to be good and it's good because you believe in it, other people whose job is to read what you write might appreciate it better. Thus, less rewrites. Less hassle. And more time to work on your other pieces.

You have to know the difference between a first draft, an outline, a synopsis and a treatment. All of them require different amount of time to complete and different attention to give. Writing is not about beginning every word you write an astounding a work of art. But if you do have the knack for it, why not? Some people don't even need to outline their story in order to write, but some do. As for me, I work whatever way best suits the story because most of the times, if not all, the story writes itself. I am only the stenographer.

An Introduction To A Story That Might Actually Be

2008-06-15T17:47:00.000-07:00

I'm one of those people who knows one too many Michaels for what it's worth. I dated a Michael who is a jerk. I have a gay buddy by the name of Michael. My boss is another Michael. My favorite director is Michel Gondry and my favorite artist is Michel Gagné.

I guess you'll know by now my favorite actor is Mike Myers. My favorite TV character is Mike Delfino and Michael Scofield. What can I say? I seem to have an affinity to all the Michaels in the world. So here's the story of me and the Michaels.

This is how some of my stories begin. I could be sitting in the train, browsing through books in a bookshop or preparing dinner when I get this urge to write something that comes to my head. From then on I leave it to rise or fester, depending on which direction the story wants to go and then when the right pieces of the next jigsaw comes along I'll put it together. Sometimes they don't fit but sometimes they do.

Most of the times, the stories are the ones that will lead me to the right genre or type of writing it wants to be. It could develop into a short story, an article, a poem or even a script. That's how I usually go about my writing when it is not commissioned or required. But then again, once in a while even for a consigned piece I could still pilfer from my own little intros and weave them in somehow.

These intros don't stay intros all the time. The could demand to be middles or ends, just with a few switches of the words. What I like best about writing these little intros is that I don't even know what it is for or how it is going to evolve. It's usually based on an incident, a click in the head or a brief interlude from a heavy task, and they are usually accounts with a fair amount of exaggeration for that zing.

Just like the piece above I would dump it in my book of one liners, titles, story ideas and words for a later use. Some of them slip away with time, others get almost immediate attention and the rest wait for the right moment to pounce on me.

Writing is all that for me because it's always a challenge, an intrigue and a contentment. What I like most is rereading them again in the future to find that I wrote such and such a piece and I would asked myself: "Did I write that?" and laugh at the silliness, get thrilled over the suspense and reminisce on the words that came together for better or worse.

Review: Sharil Nizam - If Only

2008-06-05T06:33:00.000-07:00

Sharil Nizam's poems are so sweet and delectable you just have to nibble at them every once in a while to savor them for what they're worth. Some of the poems that make me smile whenever I read them are All Manner, Morning Slumber, Creature (Dis)comforts, However Brief, Troubled Tresses and many many more.

Not only does his poems resonate like the call of the wilderness, it sings to you like a child and whispers to you like a friend. It is one of those wonderful books to have lying around all the time in case you have the urge to get inspired, to smile or to lay back and dream.

His surreal illustrations and drawings are also a wonder to look at and appreciate. You can check his blog at: http://pelukismelukis.blogspot.com/ although not much of who he really is is written there.

The Starting Point

2008-06-01T21:47:00.001-07:00

A Shortcut To School

When I cycle to school every morning,
I dream of many things
And then the wind will whisper,
To take me on its wings,
I will fly and see all beauty
Of nature and human beings,
Love the magic wonders
Give kisses to every little thing
The sun shines through bits of clouds
The rays will fall on me,
The skies will put its beauty out
Before my eyes to see.
O’ such pleasant smell of school
As I fly towards its door,
With joy and full of heart
To be there to study more
But ... one day I wonder why this happiness
My journey to a nagging school,
Happy though and full of love
The secret lies within
To take each day off fresh and new,
And you will have a shortcut to school...

I wrote this piece when I was a teenager, with some edition now, and got it published in a paper call 'The New Thrill' which is long gone and defunct. It's a sentimental piece to me now because it makes me smile every time I read it.

One of the things I know as a writer is to write whatever I can, whenever I can. We all need a starting point to begin writing be it poetry, journal, short story, article, quotation, greeting or even a school essay. It doesn't matter what we write as long as we write which will enable us to continue doing it for the love of it.

It can be silly, ridiculous, grammatically wrong in every sense of the word, outlandish or out right deplorable but that's how we learn. A constant practice makes it easier and a humble attitude makes it richer.

Many of us are frightened off by teachers, families and strangers who comment on our work but that doesn't have to stop us from writing, that is of course if we want to. If you ask me what makes a poet or a novelist or a scriptwriter or lyricist, I truly don't know. They are what they are by choice or chance. What I know is the starting point we have to observe everyday if we want to continue doing what we want to do because everyday is different and yet another challenge. What we shed off in our sleep will be restored when we wake.

So pick up your pen or pencil or keyboard and write away and not think of what you can be even before you write.

Would you write for free?

2008-05-16T21:35:00.000-07:00

I've always wondered if writers would actually do it gratis, on the house, without charge or reservations for some of their works. Really, truly write something and give it away without expecting anything back in return. I know some writers would do it and have done it but I know some wouldn't. The sad thing, to me anyway, is how everything now boils down to money. People who don't write for money are fools while people who do are simply rich.

I've read through books, wrote to famous authors, asked silly questions, like this one, and found that the ultimate goal for most people are what money can buy. A beautiful home where you could dance your fingers away on the keyboard by the beach house or a castle-like abode perched on a hilltop. A dream car that could fetch you from one end of the world to another with all the luxuries within reach. A high flying holiday world wide to get you the inspiration, the connection and the celebrity recognition you need. But is that what all writers want?

Some of the greatest writers we know start from a very humble beginning and others have even more tragic stories to tell. But of course it doesn't mean they have to remain in abject poverty or appalling wretchedness to be great writers. The thing is, even in this state, some writers continue to aspire. The returns may be meager but they endure. Not many writers would do the same today though.

The ultimate question of course is would I do it myself? To write for free? I would. Although I want to live a pleasantly comfortable life, I also remember those days when I wrote in the sweltering heat and noisy kids, in the merciless pressure of making ends meet and the dwindling bank account that manifested itself on the clothes I wear and the things I eat.

Again, the idea of sharing may seem awkward when we are subjected to weigh the pros and cons of practicality and survival. I have no answer to defend or deny that. I just know that I want to write and enable readers from all over the world to benefit from it as much as possible just as I want to someday pick up a book to read for free without having to dish out a large chunk of money for it. And perhaps also to save some trees. Well, for starters blogs can be the initial step.

The Excuses Writers Create Can Make A Mountain

2008-05-12T19:25:00.001-07:00

The worst excuses a writer can come up with for not being able to write are plentiful and enough to be compiled into a novel in itself. But what distinguishes the amateurs from the professionals is just one simple fact that many of us know and yet refuse to acknowledge. Perseverance.

A writer could complain that he or she has no time to write and yet, time and again, some writers somewhere in the world prove to everyone that even half an hour a day can make a whole lot of difference.

Another grouse by default is the ultimate writer's block, which in many cases can be identified as running out of ideas. I've met some creative people who never seem to run out of imaginations even after many years of extracting them from their hearts, minds and souls. For those who get the block perhaps you are churning out stories only from your body instead.

Discipline among writers is the mother of all defects. To actually make yourself sit all alone and pound the keyboard away is the work of a lunatic, an anti-social and a recluse. When a writer writes, it's between him or her and the words he or she makes up. The act itself is utterly inconceivable. But those who love their art will spend hours debating with their characters, challenging their hypotheses and constructing all kinds of complications just to solve them in the end.

And then you get those who wait for their muse to arrive in the form they choose to receive when the real inspiration could be right before their eyes.

Not having a conducive place to write doesn't mean one can't write completely. There are writers who can endure noisy patrons in cafés, and those who are able to jot dot in long hand during an extensive journey from one end to the other. Some even document them in recorders, while others find time to be alone either in the wee hours of the morning or in the dead of the night.

'I'm not as good as those writers' is one of the apothegms self-absorbed writers use to describe their level of competency and confidence on one end of the spectrum while the other opposing aphorism 'I'm too good to write like them' rules the other. With such a narcissistic approach one can never embark on this simple journey without the fear failing.

Finally, if we measure how good we are as writers against the rejections we get it's like seeking for approval from everyone in the world while distrusting ourselves.

Whatever the decision, writers have to start somewhere. Be it from the beginning, the middle or the end. It is still the determination that will keep you there through the fire and through the rain. Though it may not be easy, it will surely get better.

And the plot is...

2008-04-27T21:17:00.000-07:00

I had the good opportunity of working with a movie director and a co-writer recently in a brainstorming session for movie ideas. In that few hours of possibilities we came up with so many probabilities we could have made movies to last us a year.

The birth of ideas burst out like a broken pipe as they gush through our minds, which were verbally offered and visually enhanced with our imaginations. It was a ball of a time piecing up mismatched notions into something tangible and practical. From then on we edited the outline on the spot with something we could all agree upon and leave it to mature until the next time we meet again.

The truth about having no ideas or getting wedged in a writer's block is the absence of workable plots. In other words when one is too ambitious to the point of being lustful nothing comes out of it except a total blank.

I learned that the main plots of any stories are usually describable in one line or two at most. When we writers try to overwhelm ourselves with the demand for originality we will exhaust ourselves even before we can get started. The plot is and will always be the most unoriginal thought that would have crossed anyone of our minds because from whatever angle and point of view it would have already been done. The authenticity is actually in the subplots and nitty gritty characterization and the way the story is told.

A plot can easily be summed up as guy fights off beasts to save girl or a woman will do anything to protect her children, or creature invade earth, or man falls for girl who loves another girl. It doesn't seem like much when we put it that way but ultimately it is what it is when we describe a movie genre or theme.

The subplots for the protagonists and antagonists to face give them credibility while characterization makes them what they are.

When we were discussing plots we could easily associate them to other movies and books but it is how we deliver them that make the difference. For example if there is a police investigative series we are thinking about making they are already plentiful on the idiot box. It's how the investigation of a murder is done that makes it stand out from the rest be it using numbers, science, forensic entomology, food or supernatural powers.

Ten writers may have exactly the same idea but they will never write the piece like anyone else because they have their own approach, style of writing, eccentricities and their own beliefs, principles and values. So when we say someone stole our ideas it's like saying someone is stealing our identity. Perhaps a doppelganger might but I don't think a fellow writer would.

Plots are a dime a dozen and maybe more. They are like particles floating in the air wanting to be inhaled. A wonderful story teller knows his art of story telling and won't spend too much time thinking of which devious fiend is out there to pilfer it cause ultimately no one can write the way you do. Given similar plots, characters, backdrops and storyline each writer will eventually write what he or she is, what he or she represents and what he or she wants to deliver.

Just like how no two leaves are the same, no two snowflakes bear any resemblance and no two individuals share a complete set of ideals, all writers are unique in their own way.

If you remember the movie 'Throw Momma From The Train', Billy Crystal and Danny De Vito suffer the incurable writer's block and went through an unforgettable adventure together. They both wrote about it but one came out as a novel, the other a children's pop up book.

So the first step to any form of writing is to know what story you want to tell, which is the main plot, and then you tell it how you want it, which are the subplots, characterizations, voice, genre or theme.

Review: The Witch Of Portobello Paulo Coelho

2008-04-14T21:37:00.000-07:00

Amazing, that 's what I would say. This book is an amazing story about a woman's inner journey to find the true meaning of her being. Like everyone of us, we come to a point in life where nothing is sufficient anymore. Not the wealth, not the comfort, not the abundance in our homes, or even the lack of it.

There comes a time where we question life, love, existence and everything in it. This is the story of Athena and her quest to search for herself through the people she meets. And in then end she finds her one true thing that has always been with her.

Written like a journalistic interview, The Witch Of Portobello is another one of Coelho's masterpieces. His ability to write from the heart is not even the half of it. He is one of the very few rare writers who writes from the soul. The things that we think about, always wanted to say, or felt in secret silence is somehow evoked in the words that he carves in all his characters.

For the best part, I love the way he describes love in one short sentence ... and that is what I truly believe in and always will.

Are you ready to die for your craft?

2008-04-09T21:58:00.000-07:00

A lot of people say they want to write book, paint a picture, compose a song or make a movie but few ever actually do it. If you are not ready to die for your craft you may never see the light of day for any one of your dreams to come true.

The craft in itself is a torturous journey full of disappointments. It's not like doing it in a splash that makes it all worth while and wonderful. It's the toil and tribulations of honing it with precision, defining it with character and laboring at it to near perfection that makes it worth more than the value that can be tagged on it.

Many of us assume that writing the novel or painting the masterpiece or penning a hit song or shooting that classic is all there is to this artistry. Sure, with today's technology the computer can make our poems rhyme, softwares can write part of the story for us, make painting effortless and movies a cinch but does it make us satisfied with what we have done?

Do we even want to create something shallow, superficial, insignificant and for the sake of churning fame and fortune? Perhaps we do, but this empty conviction may not last forever. It is not to say that some genre are easier made than the rest, but how much love we put in it because we believe it with our heart, body, soul and mind. In other words. are you ready to die for it?

With the passion comes the life of the oeuvre. Everyone can feel the strength of a written word, experience the stroke of a paintbrush, get inspired by a tune and influenced by cinematographic scenes, but is it your work that have given them this magical participation? If not, why not?

Nowadays it's so easy to create something out of nothing but there are so many 'nothings' out there that has no heart in it. Books that roll in but the thousands that are easily forgotten, paintings that are treated another piece of furniture, songs that vanish into thin air before we could remember the lyrics and films that overload the internet as remain as spam. Where have all the timeless wonders gone?

Is nothing memorable anymore? Or do we live in a era where apart from mass production nothing is worth savoring anymore? Though we still get someone who rises up from the junk, slushpile and clutter, there isn't many to look forward to. If you really truly are ready to die for your craft your fans will also be ready to die for you.

Review: The Devil and Miss Prym Paulo Coelho

2008-04-07T19:23:00.000-07:00

Reading The Devil and Miss Prym was like reading a Stephen King novel for me. It reminded me so much of Needful Things which kind of headed towards the same direction but going different routes.

Among many of his books, which usually deals with the journeys of life, this is the most intriguing that reads like an engaging page turner. The kind of I-have-to-know what happens next book.

The question of good and evil is explored in so many aspects and on so many levels it may leave you more confused than before. I like the way he writes from the different character's point of views about what he or she conceives as good or bad. In a way justifying what they feel to make it right, just like how politics are in that manner.

When you begin to dislike a character in the story Coelho has the wizardry that will make you think again when he explores the journey of how he or she became that way.

There are a lot of value systems and morality codes that are being challenged here to the brim. It will make you wonder how these traditional standards even begin let alone observing them.

When you read a Coelho book almost every passage or paragraph is filled with messages that are identifiable to our everyday lives. For those who questions good and evil and try to draw a distinction between the two will have a hard time figuring out what it really is in the end after reading The Devil and Miss Prym. As a result of that there is a greater lesson to learn than to try and draw a black and white picture to our lives because everything is always somewhere in between.

Thank god for the internet and everything in it

2008-03-21T01:52:00.000-07:00

Those days when there was no such thing as the internet, a writer's already secluded life was even more sequestered by their unpopularity and unagented want to be a writer. I remember back then, seems like a long time ago in a galaxy far far away, the only way to get people to read your writings, blabberings, opinions and what nots were as good as nil unless it was someone who doesn't mind reading it. To get something published then was near impossible, unless of course you dish out tons of money and do it anyway so that someone might actually read what you write.

All those years of toiling with snail mails, a term that did not exist then, and with stamps and international reply coupons came to nothing (meaning without results) but rejection slips, discouragements and despair. Any sane or left-brained person would have accepted the fate and moved on to another career change or dream altogether. Oh but not me. Being the right-brained, expressive, creative kind who would die for my art, I continued writing for god know why.

Every time I thought I wasn't cut out for it something small happens. A poem gets published in a now defunct tabloid. A movie review gets me a byline in another paper. A book review gets me a free book. A somebody who comes round and say 'I like your horror stories', and then they disappear again.

So what did I do? I wrote and I wrote and I wrote. Someone asked me once what I would do if I couldn't make it as a writer? I was younger and I had a lot of justifications to back me up but I also went back home, laid in bed, looked at the stars and asked God, the universe, the voices in my head: "Am I cut out to be a writer?" No one answered.

The trouble with me and writing is, to tell everyone the truth, and I'm not afraid to admit it, is that, I, I, I am addicted to it. I can't stop. Leave me a pencil and a paper, you'll soon see doodles, words, names, one liners, quotes, a story idea and all kinds of expressions filling up the empty space. If I don't write even for one day my mind, heart and soul will not leave me alone. I have to write something: a grocery list, plans for the future, a thought, a word, anything. Imagine the volumes of papers all over the room. Then again, no one gets to read them. No one wants to, not the ones that I know at least. But like a fool, like a junkie, like a fantasist, I write nevertheless.

And then one day, in the 90s, the internet came. The first thing we did was chat with people from all over the world. Then of course there was adult entertainment and loads of 'em. Emailing became the norm. Later on there was napster (thanks to Shawn Fanning who will be cited as the godfather of freedom some day but of course Metallica and Dr. Dre won't be among those to carry that flag), the revolution that changed everyone's perception of copyright. Then personal websites, forums, blogs and thousands of other stuff.

So now as a writer who is isolated from the world, I am also in touch with it. I still write to survive, one way or the other, and I love doing it. Although I am not all there yet (lauded for being a wordsmith) at least some people do get to read what I write. They are chanced strangers whom I may meet someday, acquaintances who want to share something intimate and friends who just want to know what goes on in my head. One things for sure, there are less papers in my room now and I don't need to lick stamps anymore.

And you know what's the funniest thing? I still write as much as I can because I can, it's just that I'm not laughing all the way to the bank ... yet.

The Making Of Pencak Akhir

2008-03-13T20:58:00.000-07:00

24th September 2007 (Monday)
Getting in touch with Catherine from EVO Pictures through email from the ad I saw on Kakiseni.

20th Octorber 2007 (Saturday)
Met Michael Chuah, the Director of The Seed Of Darkness, at KFC Atria on for the first time to discuss the business of scriptwriting. At the same time I was attending the writing workshop with Nagmeh Samini at the Central Market Annexe. My first 'test' was to write the Black Diary treatment.

29th October 2007 (Monday)
Sent the Black Diary treatment for approval.

5th November, 2007 (Monday)
Got an email from Michael that he would like me to try to write a malay telemovie treatment based on the synopsis given.

16th November 2007 (Friday)
Sent the first draft of the script previously known as Di Sebalik Terik Matahari (Behind The Scorching Sun)

19th November 2007 (Monday)
At the same time I was working on another treatment about a journalist tentatively called Dangerous Games. Completed the treatment and sent to Michael.

9th December 2007 (Sunday)
Sending the sample script in Malay.

25th December 2007 (Tuesday)
Sent the second draft.

8th January 2008 (Tuesday)
Sent the 3rd draft of Terik.

15th January 2008 (Tuesday)
Sent the third draft in Malay.

Ina helped some during my writing of the Malay version of the script with words and phrases. Thanks to her it kept me a little sane.

5th March 2008 (Wednesday)
Meeting with Michael and Cordelia (Cordy), fellow scriptwriter, to discuss a feature project and also the announcement of Pencak Akhir's launch on 28th March, Friday at 10pm. Micheal also told us the good news about the release of the trailer on youtube soon.

12th March 2007 (Wednesday)
Pencak Akhir is uploaded at http://youtube.com/watch?v=2PsOVcA6rs0

My first script going live.

Delayed screening to 18th April, 2008

Killing Disruptions The Easy Way

2008-03-09T23:39:00.000-07:00

I love writing in silence. But once in a while I get a very irritating idiot who comes by and switches on the TV disregarding everyone else in the same room. He would turn the volume up as high as his ears could manage without popping. I get frustrated when this happens but I try, as much as I can to ignore and tune off if I can't leave the room. I would force myself to keep on clicking the keys away, like what I am doing now, to keep myself from attempted murder in the first degree.

It took me awhile to be able to adjust to the unnatural habitat of a writer but I did it. I could carry on to shut myself away and focus on what is more important to me, like writing my pieces for business and pleasure.

Under unbearable conditions; extremely hot weather, noise pollution, irritable presence of individuals and deadline pressures, I have been through it all. But sometimes I do get upset when I am lured into the distraction occasionally, and my solution at times like these is to write about it or the situation or the person and finally killing him off in one of my stories and it may go something like:

The first thing I did was to shoot him in the head and then the heart and then his groins. Some people need to be taught the hard way.

Review: The Indelible Terrors Of Puyuh

2008-02-17T22:34:00.000-08:00

If you're into graphic novels or comics, Puyuh is one of the best local talents I have ever come across. His drawings and illustrations are amazing and his styles range from the horrific to scifi to fantasy.

His first book (Dari Alam Angker) has all the horror stuff straight out of hell, though the story telling is kind of platitude in general. However, with the release of his second book (Twisted Mind Of Puyuh), his graphics have matured and the tales are more captivating.

My favorites are Metamorfosis, Muka, Tragedi Nyamuk and Artificial Intelligence. Can't wait for his next collection for another round of heart thumping session.

Puyuh is Leong Wan Kok in this life ... or at least he says.

Check out 1000tentacles.com for more information.

The guard outside my window, the writer inside my door

2008-02-17T22:30:00.000-08:00

The guard outside my window, the writer inside my door

There's this guard who sits outside my window under the trees for the entire day from seven in the morning till seven at night. I watch him occasionally just to see what he does for twelve hours. It's not like I've got nothing to do that draws me to the window to take a peek at the outside world, it's just one of those moments it takes to glance and see what activities takes place on a hot dreary afternoon.

This man, I don't even know his name, sits in his chair, looking vacantly at the street where he monitors and lulls away hour upon hour doing what he is paid to do. I can't help but feel curious as to what goes through his mind for almost half a day without having too many people to talk to. Sometimes, some drivers who comes to pick up the children from a nursery would chat with him but other than that there is no one else.

As a writer, I know how lonely one can get when it comes to writing, but a security guard’s life is far worse in this aspect, or at least I think so. Writers can dream of things, read a book, scibble some ideas and talk to themselves for research and entertainment, but a man who has to keep an eye on the street because he is assigned to do so hasn't got very much going for him.

Many of the security guards go through the same motion of motionless so to speak everyday of their lives ... much like a writer's when they are stuck to the keyboard trying to be clever, witty, dramatic or just plain silly.

Wild Animals

2008-02-10T22:12:00.000-08:00

Ideas are like wild animals. They watch you from a distance and will only approach when they don't sense danger, are used to your capriciousness or out for blood.

In any case, you can easily scare them off with one false move and it will either take forever to lure them back out or you would have lost them forever.

Blog Your Way To Freedom

2008-02-05T07:27:00.000-08:00

Blogging is one way to start writing for better or for worse. It’s like back then when we have something called a diary, or perhaps a journal to keep our lives in check with a timeline and a confidante. Now it's simply called a blog.

I used to think people are crazy or have too much time on their hands when they blog. What could people actually blog about whether it's a private affair or a publicity stunt to get traffic? One day when I had too much to say I couldn't ignore the fact that blogging could be a therapeutic outlet for the many things I want to convey and express. Although I am still lost at generating traffic, I have at least seven blogs now where I keep my writings categorized. First it was personal, after that it was on the things I liked, and then it went on to the things I wanted to say.

With blogging I get the small diversion I need when I am too involved with my heavy writing projects. It helps me unwind, chillout and write anything my heart desires, which surely is a tranquilizing pill.

Blogs these days have also become a stage for lovers of literature, political publicity, environmental education, personal journeys and everything else anyone can think of to blog about. It has become a tool, a weapon, a bandstand, a soapbox and a sanatorium. What else can come of it is unimaginable and unthinkable because blogging has expanded from local to global to universal in such a short span of time, and it doesn't seem like it's going to stop there even for a moment.

Which one are you?

2008-01-16T21:50:00.000-08:00

There are two kinds of writers:

those who want to write and those who write,
those who write a book and those who write books,
those who go with the flow and those who strategize,
those who say 'I can do that' and those who say 'I will do that',
those you give up and those who don't,
those you reject themselves and those who get rejected by others,
those who are out to make a quick buck and those who are out to make art,
those who feel they are too good and those who feel good just to do,
those who wait for inspirations and those who inspire every ration,
those who won't sweat for it and those who will die for it,
those who work against time and those who time against work.

Which one are you?
So stop complaining.

Review: The Old Man Who Read Love Stories

2007-12-23T19:18:00.000-08:00

Written in Spanish originally by Luis Sepulveda, the English version which is translated by Peter Rush is a magnificent book about man and nature. Especially an old man called Antonio Jose Bolivar, the protagonist of the story that expresses his thought generously and leads you into a kingdom we seldom see with our eyes. His two favorite things being his dentures and love stories. Although it is a small book which could be finished in one sitting, every sentence and every paragraph is rich with imagery and full of intriguing knowledge. At times the book will seem like a wildlife documentary with Antonio as your guide. Some of the twists and plots may remind you of Agatha Christie’s Inspector Poirot or Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes. And through all the brilliant discovery you will eventually learn why the old man likes to read love stories.

In this book you will also understand why monkey meat is better than pork or beef, why never to have a full stomach before a hunt and a lot more tips and tricks for jungle tracking. Beautifully written, the words composed here are carefully constructed like the one in Like Water For Chocolate. They are no unnecessary expressions or descriptions thrown in to add on to the word count like many other novels do. This is a straightforward, concise and tell it like it is story, and you’ll treasure them much more than you can imagine.

The characters of the book are memorable and distinctive. The old Antonio, the dentist, the mayor ‘slimy toad’, his best friend and the ocelot. Although the ocelot is the antagonist in this book, the empathy is drawn out of us for it when we learn that it was the gringos that made her what she was; a vicious killing machine that terrorizes the town of El Idilio. There’s a little strain of The Ghost and The Darkness in it but it gives us more insight of why an animal behaves out of the norm.

In the final chapter before it closes we will not have the heart to condemn the ocelot for being outraged and menacing but we will fear for the life of Antonio as he confronts her for a showdown.

The charm of this old man with his characteristic dentures is alluring and his ideals of living peacefully with his love-novels makes it quite amusing. Reading into this book is like an adventure with Antonio where you will lose yourself to his pleasant disposition and astute principles. In every country, city or town, there is always a slimy toad, the gringos, the ocelot and of course an old man who read love stories.

An adaptation into a movie was made by an Australian director, Rolf De Heer with the leading role played by Richard Dreyfuss.

Review: Confessions of an old Boy: The Dato' Hamid Adventures

2007-12-17T20:26:00.000-08:00

I've seen the book, I've heard of him, I know someone who knows him but I've never picked up the book to read. Seeing it in the bookshelf in my friend's apartment I couldn't resist the beautifully illustrated artwork. Since it has already captured my attention I thought I'd just give it a go and see what the fuss is all about. The first story didn't intrigue me at all. And after the second story I thought I'll put it back in the shelf to see how long it's shelf life might be.

It was late night when I saw the book again laying around by the bedside that I decided to read the third story Dato' in Love. It was then that Kam Raslan's writing got the hook on me. I loved the humor, I loved the language and I loved the writing style. I couldn't stop reading and was even more amazed at the forth story The Beat Generation. It was absolutely lovely. It felt like I was watching a quaint little Hallmark movie.

Moving on to the next adventure, Ariff and Capitalism is indeed an action packed story with intrigue, suspense, mystery and espionage. It was really kind of a cool story of big boys playing with expensive toys.

And the biggie Murder In Parit Chindai is a whodunit synonymous to Agatha Christie, Ellery Queen and Sherlock Holmes. It was absolutely delectable, palatable and comical. Upon closing the book at the end of it I felt a sense of nostalgia coming over me because I've come to know Dato' Hamid too well to want to say goodbye.

I've Always Wanted To Be A Novelist

2007-12-17T19:07:00.002-08:00

A long time ago when I was a kid, with the first book in my hand, The Famous Five by Enid Blyton, I figured out that I really loved reading. I remember it used to cost a lot for me when I had to pay about four dollars and fifty cents for one book, probably and equivalent to RM30 now.

After the secret adventures and mystery solving kids I happened to chance on Harold Robbin's The Lonely Lady, which of course blew my mind. I never thought books could be so graphic, or visually stunning. At that point of my life I also began to write to ease my coming of age years with pathetic poetries of woes and sorrows. They were always about isolation, confusion, detachment and dreams. When I was too deluged by the pathos that came with it I turned to writing horror stories. The Night Gallery, The Twilight Zone, One Step Beyond, The Night Stalker, and a whole lot of B grade horror movies has had their influence on me. But Edgar Allan Poe, Ray Bradbury, W.W. Jacobs, Shirley Jackson and a whole lot of other writers in that wonderful Pan book of Horror anthologies by Herbert Van Thal prompted me to start my own. And so I upgraded myself to write horror stories now.

It was not until the day that I picked up Stephen King's Firestarter that started me on fire. That was the time I knew I wanted to be a novelist. I wrote Something About The Moon on an old typewriter, which took me about six months to complete the first draft. It was when I started to try and market my manuscript that shook the reality bits out of my surreal state of mind. It wasn't going to be as easy as I thought.

I tried a few years to sell my first novel but to no avail. Today when I read it again I know why the manuscript didn't cut the it. It just wasn't all there yet. But along the way, through the different routes of life that I walked, I began to write other things to fulfill my hunger for words. I wrote short crime stories, or crime related stories to be exact, and got it published gratis in Thriller UK magazine (http://www.thrilleruk.fsnet.co.uk/latest.htm) called Sacrifice: An Inspector Dores Mystery.

Having gone through a 'major change' in my life I began to write articles from the heart and got some published in The Star. Although I thought of writing articles before I didn't realize I could do it, and this was a pleasant surprise. But I still wanted to pursue with the novel that I've always wanted to write.

Jeffrey Eugenides' The Virgin Suicides stimulated me into writing my second novel. It is based on some accounts mildly disguised into Secrets From The Edge Of A Knife, which is still being submitted to various agents and publishers with apologetic replies. I sometimes wonder if I am even good enough to be a writer. But while it is still not seeing the light of day yet I was inspired to write a non-fiction - Doing Time - due to the need for its existence. It also is looking for homes to keep someone, anyone company.

With the trials of getting something published in today's commercially bent world I sidetracked into playwriting and won a consolation prize in the Kakiscript Award for Breakfast With The Dogs. I felt like I was climbing a notch up the writer's ladder, but I have yet to see a novel to my name.

Being ambitious, curious and restless I tried my hand in script writing and completed Vigil for the Zoetrope competition, which I didn't win. Now, this is also floating about to see the light of the silver screen. However, on the local front, I met a director and he got me started to write for the local telemovie and I did. It's an underdog story with a lot of punch in it but has yet to be given an appropriate title.

It's been a very long and beneficial journey for me to have gone from one plain of writing to another. I am even dabbling in the comic industry writing for graphic novels and comics, but still in an infancy stage. How I could have come this far is sometimes beyond me. But one thing I know is that I always challenge myself to do the things which I have no confidence in, not because I am intrigued by it but because something inside me tells me to.

Are you good enough?

2007-11-19T21:55:00.000-08:00

Sometimes I wonder if I am a good enough writer to warrant me that title. I have been sending stories, articles and what not to publishers, agents and publications who keep telling me it isn't right for them. At times I just want to give it up and do something else that did not involve writing at all. Although I have had been away from it for a while I still come back to this love I cannot forsake. Sooner or later I need to pick up a pen and write on any surface that can hold its ink.

The irony of wanting to be a writer is the loneliness it begets and the intrusion it might succeed. The undeniable passion it nurtures and the temptation of recognition it entices. The want of a solitary life versus the wholesaling of our values.

Whenever I hear good news of someone wanting to publish a piece I wrote with my byline underneath I get so thrilled and exhilarated but at the same time I feel so judged and conformed. On the other hand whenever someone sends me the heart wrenching formatted rejection I get so dishearten, dismayed and disillusioned where I want to throw my towel in and cry me a river. But then I still write.

I write because I have to release the words that are mingling in my head and bursting out of my ears. I write because I love the magic of words in formation and structure. I write because I feel good doing it, like eating luscious creamy vanilla ice cream, like watching a movie that rewires my whole system with inspirational moments, like snuggling in the heart of someone you love, like kissing that silly dog that is always there for you, like so many other things that make me smile. That's why I write, and that's good enough for me.

Finding That Elusive Voice

2007-09-30T23:37:00.000-07:00

Writing is easiest when you find the right voice to do it. Be it horror, drama, comedy or an opinionated article, when you are in tune with the voice of the character that is speaking to you, everything will fall into place and you will feel as though writing is nothing but pure joy and a dream come true. But it is not always that way.

Being able to find the right voice for the right job can sometimes lead to a tedious hunt for that elusive voice. In our world of mixed messages sometimes it's so loud we can hardly hear ourselves in the midst chaos. And other times it's so quiet it's actually discordant to our ears. These are the times when you try really hard but nothing wants to be written. You can call this by any name you want but the fact remains the same. No voice is communicating with you.

That comes to an adage about the voice inside you. Where does this voice reside? Some believe it is in the head while others say it's in the heart. Wherever that voice may be, there's one thing about it that we all share whether we are writers or criminals or
insanely religious fanatics. We all hear it.

It helps to hear the death throes of a victim, the intellectualization of a killer and the agonizing sufferer who thinks the world is upon him. But is it possible to summon this voice as and when we need them? You might ask. Yes, it is. With loads of reading, research, watching movies, chatting and putting two and two together, there'll be voices enough to fill up the pages of your story. But first, trust yourself to give them life.

All or Nothing

2007-09-06T16:42:00.000-07:00

I remember Milli Vanilli's first album entitled All or Nothing. If you don't remember who they are they are one of the most successful dance pop duo in the late eighties to have gone all the way to receiving the Grammy in 1990. But both the aspiring models never sang a word, they were just a front lip syncing songs for visual impact. And the rest, as you know, is history.

In a way all writers begin like the album title, All or Nothing. You either give it all you've got or you just don't give it anything at all to be a writer. You are either the most sought after writer or you are just another one of those writers sorting out his/her life. You either have a room full of proses, poems, lyrics and scripts that will worth millions someday or they are merely scribblings and approximations of what you dream about on pieces of paper. You're all or nothing.

The day I read 'The lesson of the moth' by Don Marquis was the day I decided to burn with passion for all the things I want to do. One of them was writing. I have been doing that for as long as I can remember how to put words together to construct a sentence, with an occasional verbose expression thrown in here and there for effect. But for all the years I have been writing I have been rejected just as many times. Some people look at me and wonder why I am still writing today, sometimes I wonder myself. I can sit in front of the computer, it used to be an old typewriter, and write and write away as though I was fabricating a bestseller. To date, I am still being rejected subtly with undertones of we don't know who you are and we don't think your are marketable, but thank you anyway letters. I can understand why Frank Farian, the creator of Milli Vanilli, hired two male models with an attitude to boost the group's identity to sell millions.

On a bad day I feel like a ghost caught in between worlds that I can't get out of. On a good day I feel like a million bucks, not because I am a bestselling writer but because I enjoy writing and I am still doing it for all the right or wrong reasons. Those three words that writers always chant on is write write write, and it actually does work. When I first started out to write I wrote because it was fun. As my writing progressed I focused on being rich and famous, but that didn't happen and I almost left it because there was no fruit to this labor. After some time of departure from this passionate dream of mine I came back to it again and continued writing because I just love writing. Up until now I have mixed reviews about my work from being a slush pile to one that has potential. But I am at it every chance I get. I still have faith in my writing and I still believe I can make it happen someday like I've done with so many other things in my life.

What every agent & publisher want these days is how you intend to market yourself if they agree to take on your project. This may sound something like the world's oldest profession, and it is to a certain extend. In fact, all our lives of wanting to get attention, getting a job and getting promoted is about marketing ourselves to potential 'buyers' and we've done it unconsciously all our lives beginning from home. To be successful by world standards you would have to sell your soul to reap the possessions. But if you know how to whip up success in your own right you will be in control and still get the rewards. To win this war you must first have a strategy.
I myself haven't gone all out to do what I have to do to be a published writer, but of course it takes time. If and when all options fail I still have self publishing to think about, a last resort some may consider, and somehow I will still get what I want. But why do writers want to do it in the first place? Fame? Fortune? Pride? A personal vendetta? Whatever the motive, you pay as you go. And if you are prepared to get into this passion driven, mind numbing, back aching, thrill seeking adventure of a lifetime you will either get all or nothing.

This year I figure I'll do everything I can to get my writings published. Although I've done writing some of the things I wanted to write, I am still writing they things that are yet to come. Since I've come so far what have I got to lose? I participated in competitions, I pitched my fiction and non fiction to agents, I wrote articles for the local press and even tried my luck with some e-book publishers. I've done all that I can to make it happen but I won't be stopping there. If by any chance my byline is not in print than you'll know I am still writing to amuse myself somewhere in the world while trying to make ends meet.

The real writer

2007-08-26T21:20:00.000-07:00

When you start troubling yourself to be the writer that you want to be, then only will you be acknowledged as one.

Writing is about self- incarceration

2007-08-19T19:51:00.000-07:00

When people tell me they don't have the time to write or they don't have the will power, I'll suggest self-incarceration. That's the only way to go when you want to write. Sure you could write in between lunch breaks and after working hours, but how self-regulated are you? Everyone wants to be a writer in the limelight signing books, being interviewed for their successes and being splashed on the covers of the magazine but no one wants to live that lonely life of the writer. To write, you have to be on your own. Talking to yourself, mumbling words that may or may not make any sense to you, giving up your weekend to complete the novel you've always wanted to complete. That's the barefaced truth every writer has to experience to get that book out of his or her system. The book doesn't write itself.

But if you are that kind of a writer who can write in the midst of chaos, well and good. If you can't then you need to create that solitary confinement of yours and start moving those heart, body, mind and soul full steam. Your imprisonment takes however long you take to write. If you are a slow writer you will have to be on your own for a very long time. But if you write at the speed of light you'll be able to enjoy the fruit of your loins faster that everybody else. Then again when you are a writer your job is to write, rewrite, revise, get rejected and rewrite until you get everything right. So, all in all, the time you spend alone, while the world spins with those crazy party animals, may be a long and dreary stretch for you. Unless, of course, you write only one book that hits the bestseller list for you to retire for the rest of your live doing anything else but writing.

For those who bank on the idea of passion or calling, your books may not even sell a thousand copies. That's a chance you have to take. Risk your blood, sweat and tears like a hermit just to find no audience appreciating your labor of love. If that's the case, do you still want to write? The media can glorify anything for you to believe you want it for yourself: the world's greatest filmmaker, the consummate actor, the ingenious inventor and an entire list of success stories that make you green with envy. But every one of them comes with the strength to believe, the power to imagine and the will to succeed. The tough times don't count for people who want something in life. Being a sole survivor of your dreams is a fact that you will have to bear from the very beginning. Even after fame and fortune have come to kowtow to you, there will still be times when you have to go back into your dungeon to plan and strategize your next move.

It's a never-ending cycle of renewing your love with the one and only thing that drives you to become the best. To do that, first you have to be alone. You have to discipline every bone and tissue in your body to keep you on track because you say you want it so badly. But if you're not that kind of person to die for your art you could always choose the easy life and live like a mortal.

The art of writing blindly

2007-08-18T20:29:00.000-07:00

How do you start? By taking a pen or pencil or sitting in front of a typewriter or computer and you begin by putting words together. That's the most basics of all basic writing. But is it a good way to start? There is no hard and fast rule for everyone to assimilate because every writer writes differently. Some love doing it in the morning, some in the afternoon and some at night, writing that is. Some prefer the long hand traditional standards and some prefer the keyboard with the delete key available at all times. Some writers prepare a long list of background history of every character he or she wants in the story. Some just write and introduce them along the way. The question is, what kind of a writer are you? Which one are you?

As for me, some stories need to be planned and plotted for months and years to get properly structured and then written. Some just pop out of my head with the phenomenal auto writing syndrome where my head spins faster than my two finger typing could type. That's why I feel I am only the secretary of my imagination. All I do is to dictate word for word until I exhaust myself from hours of writing. At times I write just with a piece of paper and pen because I get too whacked sitting and facing the whirring machine which is hot and brain draining. When I go back to the paper and pen I love lying down while I'm at it. So to me it's all about variations.

One moment I can write a business proposal but when I get flustered with logic I turn to one of my fiction when I can lose myself in it. In between times of leisure I dream of plots, contradictions and denouements. When I get jammed for an ending or a starting point I watch movies, get out with the crowd or gaze at nature to find my heart. Most often that not, something will appear and that little voice will tell me to put all the pieces together.

I used to get upset when I couldn't complete a novel, short story or script when I plan to. But as the years rolled on I realized when they are not ready to be written they will not be written o matter what I do. I could try to cut them to size for a compromised fit but I know it will not be as good. So the best thing for me to do is to keep on writing ad writing whatever comes to mind because like I said, I'm only a hired hand. I'm not actually a writer, I'm an instrument that my body, soul and mind use to describe what they want me to do, so I do it blindly.

What's writing?

2007-08-15T17:57:00.001-07:00

Writing is about rewriting, rejection and revelation.

Writer's block-ing me!

2007-08-15T17:52:00.000-07:00

What's this writer's block all about? Does it really exist or is it just a phantom writers create to escape the days when the keyboard refuses to type? Through my own experience I can personally vouch that there is no such thing ... and yet, there is such a thing. Confusing? Yes that is what it's all about. This phantom appears when it likes and when it's at the most inconvenient time. But why? You ask. Why block me? Well, the flat faced truth of the matter is, a block is a block because we, as writers, wannabes or pros, making measly bucks or raking millions, give it life. Yes. Out of a King or Barker or Gaiman story, we fed it with so much fear, it's turning around to take a bite out of us.

A writer's block can be due to stress. Whatever's giving you stress, there it'll be. You get worked up so much you can't think, you can't read, you can't sit still. Another reason for its haunt is lack of content. You started off writing on a whim and a flash and a spot on inspiration. Your fingers can't stop clicking away the keys and then all of a sudden you hit the wall. Bullseye! You drop into a dead zone. Nothing runs through your head anymore and your fingers are shaking from the carpal tunnel syndrome, which you will be feeling more of when you go to sleep tonight. Like Bam! It's gone. As you take it easy and sit back to take a nap or a drink, you then realized there wasn't sufficient research material to keep you going. And then there are always the kamikaze writers who sabotage themselves even before they could finish writing a chapter. They bludgeon and inflict themselves with so much torture they might as well nail themselves on the tree. Other writers dwell on the idea of making it big with their ego they have no more room for improvement whichever direction. Why do we do the things we do to obstruct the only place that can generate all the essences we need to write what we love to write? Who knows? Finally, all the excuses we give ourselves are so bad it's good enough to make a lousy slush pile manuscript that will most likely never see the light of day.

In saying what I have to say, this is, after all, only a writer's blog.