Authors Block

Going Crazy

2011-11-14T21:42:00.001-08:00

I'm going crazy.
Always at the brink of madness.
I'm afraid that I could just fall over
to the other side
where insanity lies.

Lying in wait for me
the dark side sees
me at my weakest
takes me over the edge
to insanity.

Calm, calm
I say to my soul
get a grip
and breathe.

Sleep
Watch TV
Read
anything.

Just don't freeze
in time
to let it
catch you

into the crazy
crazy hole within
where soul and
spirit knows not
where limit is.

Strange Happenings

2011-01-28T04:54:00.000-08:00

Something strange happened yesterday. I had a conversation with someone I made - the keeper of my idea journal. It was weird. I have never done something like this at all. Well, yes I have had conversations with myself but not consciously hold a conversation with someone I know who doesn't exist and it's someone I just made up. Well, to be honest we didn't have a very civil conversation. She went away angry at me for neglecting her of all things. Of course, she had reason to be angry because I neglected her for the whole half year of 2010.

Anyway, she is still staying away. I wonder whether I'll be able to draw her back to talk to me. Maybe.

Eleven Steps To Success

2011-01-12T18:31:00.000-08:00

This is a very good way to begin the year. I wish you all a very successful and productive 2011 and the following will, indeed, help all of us achieve our success, whatever that might be.

A Little-Known, Yet Powerful 11-Step Action Plan for Leading a Successful, Happy Life
By John Wood

What I'm about to share with you today has the potential to change your life forever for the better.

A bold statement, I know.

But I wouldn't make that claim if I wasn't sure I could deliver the goods.

Because every so often you come across something in life where you say to yourself …

"Wow this is good stuff, I wish I'd read this years ago."

In my opinion, what I'm about to share with you today should be displayed behind every computer screen and tacked up on every bulletin board, blackboard and fridge in the world.

Because the ideas it communicates cut to the very core of what all success in life springs from.

I stumbled upon them a few years ago. They were included in a Brian Tracy program I was studying, and I've kept them close by ever since.

(Surprisingly, they are no where to be found on the Internet. Tracy indicates they were taken from something called "Wisdom of the Ages" which I can't find anywhere either.)

They were written by Max Lincoln Schuster.

Never heard of him?

In 1924, he co-founded the Simon and Schuster publishing house – today one of the top four English publishers in the world.

Schuster was an accomplished thinker and a relentless collector of ideas. One of his most inventive ideas was “The Bible Designed to Be Read as Living Literature.” It made the Bible easier to read and understand.

In 1939, he helped create “Pocket Books” which was responsible for bringing the paperback into general circulation. In 1940, he edited the popular “Treasury of the World's Great Letters.”

Along the way, he took the time to list the guidelines he used in his life that made him successful. He titled his mini-essay “Success Is Yours”. Here are his 11 success tips:

Become the world's supreme expert in something – Schuster advises to "begin at once, at this precise moment to choose some subject, some concept, some great name or idea or event in history on which you can eventually make yourself the world's supreme expert."

He urges us to start a crash program immediately using the three R's of modern education, reading, research and reflection – with the goal of establishing yourself as "one who has the most knowledge, the deepest insight and the most audacious willingness to break new ground by defining your terms and actually examining all the alternatives and consequences."
Master the art and technique not merely of rapid reading, but creative reading and creative research – Schuster says it's important to "learn how to use a library and how to build a home library of your own."

He reflects how "back in 1913, high school graduates were singing the old refrain: "No more pencils, no more books, no more teacher's saucy looks." He points out that they were throwing away their books and saving their diplomas.

He urges us to do the opposite, "Forget your diploma, or throw it away, but save your books and use them day and night."
Learn the supreme art of getting sixty seconds out of a minute, sixty minutes out of an hour, twenty four out of a day – He reminds us that we have as much time as everyone else our age.

He says to "Save it, hoard it, plug up all the leaks. If necessary, stand on the street corner, cap in hand like a mendicant, and beg all the passers-by for the seconds and minutes and hours and days they waste."
Master the art of preparation – Do your homework (especially after your formal education). Remember the words of French chemist Louis Pasteur (1822 – 1895) who said “Chance favors the prepared mind.”
Begin now to learn the art and science of preventative medicine – In other words, take care of yourself. Exercise and eat healthy. He says we should prepare now to out-perform and outlive our doctors. He says Ralph Waldo Emerson said it best: "Give me health and a day, and I will make the pomp of emperors ridiculous."
Work hard, think big, and always have a dream beginning with a detailed blueprint and plan for your agenda, your priorities, your first things first – Schuster encourages us to put a firm foundation under our "castles in Spain, in the form of these step-by-step, play-by-play specifics and make your dream come true."
Remember the following three questions: "If I am not for myself, who will be? If I am not for others, what am 'I'? And if not now, when?"These three questions were first asked by renowned Jewish religious leader Hillel the Elder.
Work hard and opportunities will come – Schuster advises us to remember the words of noted American journalist H.L. Mencken (1880 – 1956) who said, “Most people don’t recognize opportunity when it comes along, because usually it is disguised as hard work.”
Don’t try to please everyone – Schuster counsels us to always keep in mind the maxim of U.S. editor and journalist (and the first recipient of the Pulitzer Prize for reporting), Herbert Bayard Swope (1882-1958) who said, “I can’t give you any formula for success, but I can give you a sure formula for failure – try to please everybody.”
Always remember, the time to be happy is now – The place to be happy is here. The way to be happy is to make others so.
Remember what people really want – Schuster’s last point is extremely applicable to writers who promote products and services. He says to "never forget that people never buy things or services … they buy solutions, for their problems. Your job is to help them find solutions."

Not bad advice huh?

But don't just read them and forget them.

Keep them near and use them to guide your actions and I'm confident you'll be more successful in every area of your life.

This article appears courtesy of American Writers & Artists Inc.’s (AWAI) The Writer’s Life, a free newsletter that gives you opportunities that enable you to live life on your own terms. Whether you’re looking for a new career, looking to make some extra money on the side, or looking for an easy work-at-home career, there is an opportunity at AWAI that’s right for you. For a complimentary subscription, visit http://www.awaionline.com/signup/the-writers-life/.

2011 Resolutions

2011-01-10T01:22:00.000-08:00

My priority for 2011 is to doing "first things first" and not to sweat the small stuff. No doubt there are things I wish more time on especially things that I'm interested in but they are not on my top 3 priority list. Ok, here goes ...

Better use of time (time management)
Spend more time reading learning materials and finish first reading well before third month.
Spend time on leisure reading; finish reading one book in one and half months.
Tidy your computer desk; never have or leave papers there for too long. Clear them as soon as possible. File them away as soon as possible.
Store away the newspaper clipping collected.
Reflect and think on Turncoat and others.
Reflect and think of The Gift, The Voice
Look into your the cupboards every now and then to check on the things there.
Make a list of all the books in your bookshelf.
Give yourself two hours of happiness each day in the things that releases your mind from stress and routine.
Journal as frequently as you can if not every day.
Check this blog every other day.
Check the blogs I'm following on this blog every other day.
Learn a new word.
Learn how to use a new word.
Update on Deadly Plot on new developments.
Get some exercise every day if possible.
Get enough sleep every day.
Finish what I started.
Learn something new every day.
Think and reflect on all the projects on my plate.

Twenty-one is actually not bad. I'm not looking for numbers anyway just workable and doable resolutions. I suspect some will be easy to fulfill and then I can cross them out come this year end and there will be some that will be really touch and go, not too certain whether they'll get done. I'm looking for high percentages of fulfillment and not sweat the small stuff. Reflection is reserved for the year end annual prelude to the next year's resolution.

In the meantime, I'll let this year's resolution stay at twenty-one and not promised to add more but not fulfilling it like last year. Live and learn.

So, that's it. May all your 2011 resolutions be fulfilled. A little too unbelievable, I know but then, you can't fault a person for wishing, could you?

Happy 2011 and have a great time going through it.

Prelude to 2011 Resolutions

2011-01-10T00:11:00.000-08:00

I can't believe it. I just reviewed my 2010 resolutions. I did not fulfill even one of those resolutions I made. Well... maybe the last one I was able to do. I can't say I did not reflect and think because I must have done some of those throughout the year. I can safely say I did do some reflection and thinking for "I think, therefore I am" and "I am, therefore I think".

Then, what did I do throughout 2010?

I have done things that were totally different from what I have written down that day. For instance, I have enrolled myself into a Masters programme and was busy with that. I changed my hard disk. I was busy with teaching, preparing lessons, marking assignments. You can see they were everything I needed to do but not what I put down as my resolution to do.

I also went back to review 2009 resolutions. I remember simply working on that one. Just putting down whatever that came to my mind, on a wimp, just for fun and without thinking. I got 15 down promising to add more but did not get round to doing it. So, it stayed at 15 only but I fulfilled more items in 2009 resolutions than 2010 resolutions. I had silly and easy items so it was relatively not difficult to fulfill the majority of it as compared to 2010 Resolutions. All of those in 2010 were serious business and tough to work through.

So, with that said. I'm going to approach 2011 with what I've learnt in 2009 and 2010. Balancing and moderation and not be too perfect or over ambitious. On with it then....

2011 resolutions here I come......

That Time Of The Year Again

2011-01-01T00:41:00.000-08:00

It's that time of the year again where planning and resolutions are made and written down. It's a ritual with me every year to have one and this year is no different. In fact, I feel I need to do this more this year than any other year as I'm committed to keeping it more than any other year.

There are plans I have in mind and reviews I plan to make for this year on last year's planning and accomplishments. I feel strongly that resolutions are good and one should not be overly guilty or depressed about not keep all of it. They are meant to be made and it's human to break some of them but statistically strive and challenges to keeping them ought to viewed as such - a challenge. It's human to fail and there's more good with than without one.

Therefore, I'll be back to make one as usual but if you look at my blog I've also experienced despondency about resolutions in the past but since then I've reconciled resolutions to being there to guide and motivate us not to put us down even when we couldn't make it.

I'm resolved to make one no matter what.

Chronic Lack Of Sleep

2010-12-06T08:22:00.000-08:00

Headache!

Feeling the strain.

Need sleep.

Going to

in a bit.

Just Write It

2010-11-25T08:44:00.000-08:00

You don't have to like it, just write it.

The whole process is just fill with decisions and more decisions. What is the color of your main character's eyes? How tall is she? What is her personality? How many siblings does he have? Does he get along with them? If not, are they at each other's throat all the time? Why? What brought about this?

So many questions to ask and so many questions to answer. Some of them I don't even know how to answer.

Yup, don't like it but just write it. And if you don't like the answers to some of those questions? Change them. You're allowed to. Just write it down. Alter it later.

Sixteen Days?

2010-11-04T09:56:00.000-07:00

I'm doing math again. If thirty days and one thousand six hundred and sixty-seven words per day was alarming numbers, the following will just blow the mind. Yes, I'm talking about something more intense and more stressful than 30 days.

If you think 30 days and 1667 words each day are stressful, then four thousand words in 16 days would be just outrageous. The image of the writer in Stephen King's 'The Shinning' keeps popping up in my mind as I'm doing the math in this 4000 words per day for 16 days. The total of this makes a 64,000-word novel which gives one room for edits, cuts, trims and polishing until it's a shining (pun intended) piece of work. I'd be crazy to go for it.

After reading some writer's routine, how they write and the writing process they go through I'll have to do some real thinking and planning. Character charts, outlines, scenes, ending, beginning chapters, settings, point of views, and lots more. Yikes!

So, is it sixteen days or thirty? Well, first thing's first. I've got to plan to plan and I'm on it as soon as I get my assignments out of the way. Urgent assignments and I'm on it.

Ciao.

Thirty Days?

2010-11-03T08:49:00.000-07:00

I'm doing the math today. I need one thousand six hundred sixty-seven words consistently for 30 days. Then, I'll get exactly 50,010 words. I'm going to stay away from the word 'novel' just for the moment. At most I'll call it a first draft.

After the first draft there's the editing, touching up, adding, subtracting (told ya I'm doing math today), polishing and basically doing everything to get it good and great. I guess this is the meat of the process.

So, for 30 days 1667 words. Easy. Nothing to it. Just think, in 30 days you'll have a first draft to tweak and polish till it shines. Sweet. I'll let it brew and simmer but I'm watching for when it starts boiling then, I know it's time.

All New

2010-11-02T03:51:00.000-07:00

Hi. You would have noticed that there's an all new color design combination here. Yup, I'm changing. This blog is changing ... for the better I hope. I'm going for the darker, more sinister feel and I started with the previous entry. Take a look here.

Change is coming it's for sure. Check back often to see.

In the meantime, writing is torturous.

Uhhhhhhhaaaaaaaaaaa.............

Writing is ...

2010-10-27T03:53:00.000-07:00

Writing ... is ... murder.

The Magic Wand

2010-04-11T02:39:00.000-07:00

I wish I had a magic wand and every time I wave it things get done by themselves. Things get cleaned, clothes get washed, books get written and . . . , you know what I mean. We live in a modern world where we are advanced in technology and even as I write, the technology is ever advancing supposedly to make our lives easier and better. To a large extent it does and it did except we are not advanced enough to that stage where our thinking is done for us. We still need us. We still need to do the darn thing. We still need to write the words to form the story and finally the book that we want written.

No one else can write that book for us. You are the only one who can write that book that is in your heart, your soul. Yes, you and I have to write that book that is bursting to come out. Alone. There is no other way. No other person can write it precisely the way we want it.

Many are called but few can take the challenge. This thing that grips writers is given to many and many are on the road but will they reach their destination or pit stop, as the case may be, is yet to be seen.

No two ways about it and there aren't any shortcuts either, Learn it, keep at it until you get it. The hard is always there but do it no matter how, no matter what. This is where the phrase, "A man's gotta do what a man's gotta do" comes in so succinctly and we've gotta bite the bullet, so to speak, dig in our heels and just do it.

I don't know whether it's just me or whether it happens to everyone but whenever I use this phrase "just do it" Michael Jackson's song "Beat it" plays in my mind. Then, the lyrics change into Weird Al's version "Eat It" and it ends with my words, "Do it, just do it".

"Do it. Just do it. No time for anything. Do it. Just do it."

Scene By Scene

2010-03-20T05:06:00.000-07:00

Novels are not only divided into chapters, they are also guided by scenes. Scene by scene moving the plot forward until the denouement, solution, finale or any other term you want to call it.

Scenes are within the chapters and chapters are within the structure of the book.

Outlines guide the creator to move the plot from beginning to the end.

Looks easy but not easy at all. It's like a sheepdog's work, guiding stray sheep from wondering off the trail to the finale. Any wondering or stray sheep that happened to be left behind reflects the shoddiness of the sheepdog and he will be reprimanded severely.

Reworking the plot or scene is another common occurrence that is both frustrating and rewarding in the long run. Why is this so? That's because it means, first, you're not facing writer's block and, second, you are moving the story forward. The final solution is now within your grasp and you're getting ever closer to your goal, which is, "The End".

All these work that seems useless are actually well worth the creator's time.

I'm going to practice scene writing and moving my plot forward to the final denouement.

The End.

Breakthrough Writing

2010-03-12T18:55:00.000-08:00

What is the hardest thing to overcome in writing? If your answer is writer's block, you are not too far from the truth but not exactly hammering the nail on the head. Well, writer's blog is hard to overcome, yes, true but writer's blog is just a symptom of the number one brick wall to writing success.

So, what is the hardest thing to overcome in writing?

The answer is: our mind. Our mind is where apex from where we conjure up our stories, characters, plots. It is where everything starts or ends. If our minds is not first conquered we face mountains and mountains of writer's block time and time again.

Take for instance, a full-time writer. She has no other source of income except churning out story after story. She has to get into the mindset that churning out stories is her livelihood. No stories, no money. No money equals no food or the basic necessities of life. Writers say that writing to them is a business. It so happens to be something they do, something they like to do and that they are moderately or sufficiently good at. Some say that it's their life, which is very true also.

Conquer the mindset that keeps you from succeeding as a writer. Conquer that suffering inner editor that puts down everything you write. Shut him up but not for good though because you need him for the later stage of your writing to weed out unnecessary trimmings of your writing.

A process of self-encouragement, conquering mountains of self-doubt, perseverance, determination, arming yourself with loads of just-do-it mental attitude and slog on with a come-what-may attitude. Coax your mind. Do whatever it takes to get the first draft out for that darn editor you've shut outside your mind's door, knowing that he's waiting and hungry to edit your first draft should get your writing engine going.

You are a writer. Those feelings you're feeling every time you set out to write are exactly what every bestselling writer feels. They are normal feelings. They write passed those feelings to get to the plain golden meadow where the free writing spirit roams.
(Read: I'm normal)

Keep telling yourself you're writer. No stories, no food. Writing is a business. Writing is your job like any job. You have to spend time at it. Only you can write your stories. Nobody else can. So, you have to write it.

Conquer your mindset.

I'M NORMAL

2010-02-18T01:51:00.000-08:00

Finally, I'm normal. Yay!!!!

I've just come from Sue Grafton's website. She has a journal section where she chronicles her writing process on some of her books. Oh, those questions and obstacles she encountered as she wrote her Kinsey Millhone mystery series are so like some of the questions I have faced as I tried to write my stories. I was so discouraged that I have all these unanswered questions about my stories. I remember squirming in my chair and scolding myself for not knowing all the answers to these questions I have at the time. As I read Sue's journal notes I heaved a sigh of relief. I'm normal. If Sue Grafton has all these unanswered questions at the time of writing then they are no big deal. I'll just have to think them through and solve them as I write my story. It doesn't mean I am not a writer or a bad writer because of them. I just need to work them through as I write. That was what and how Sue does it and I can do it too.

Get the darn thing written first. Think and work out the questions as I write out the story until I reach the end. Boy, this writing process is becoming clearer and clearer.

I'm singing right now. I'm just a normal writer. I'm a writer. And a writer with questions is a writer with questions and a story to write. Wooooohooooo....

Can you picture me with my arms in the air doing the move of pure joy and happiness?

I'm singing. Man, I feel like a writer again. I'm a writer. Writers write, writers have questions, writers solves and answers her questions and the story moves.

Yay!!!!!!!!

Writing the Story is Only the First Step?

2010-02-05T02:22:00.000-08:00

How funny can this be? I found out just now that writing my story was only the first step. All the while I thought that was the be all and end of all of being a writer - writing the story. Once I've written my story I'm done. Who would have guessed that it was just only the beginning, albeit an important beginning, I would believe. No, I want to choose to believe that it's a very important beginning. Then, comes the hard part - the edit.

I've read somewhere that if we do not have anything written, we won't have anything to edit and nothing to turn into a book.

After this revelation no wonder I'm always so blocked. That brick wall that's always before me is there because I've not written it away. This is really a tremendously light bulb moment for me. I've got to write the dank wall away in order to get over to the other side. What a revelation!

The story doesn't need to be perfect yet. I just need to get it written down in the general sort of way to go from point A to B to C and finally E which is the End. So, what I gotta do is make sure I know where the way is, write my way from starting point or the beginning of the story to the next point which is B and then on to C and all the way to E.

Forget the edits at this stage. Get to E first and go back to clean the path of its thistles, briars, weeds, stones, rocks, poison ivy and what-have-yous that shouldn't be there.

Revelation moment! How succintly divine.

I've got it. Have you?

What Makes You You? #2

2010-01-13T20:15:00.000-08:00

Humour. Humour is what makes me me. Or shall I say my particular humour leaning is what makes me me. You see, I like weird or slightly warped kind of humour. For instance, I was reading a writing prompt the other day. When I saw this prompt: Write about a person who gave you encouragement or encouraged you in some tremendous way. Other people were writing how this or that person helped them, said something that encouraged them to do something but my mind was thinking something totally warped. I had this person in my mind that was bad, evil and cruel to say the least, doing things that should discouraged me from whatever I wanted to do. But in some opposite way propelled me positively to do things that was totally not according to what the cruel act was meant to achieve. Like a cruel act of teasing made me better myself. Or an act that was meant to humiliate resulted in goading me to achieve or do things I'd never thought I could, or had the courage to, do if this cruel act was not committed. Strange, huh?

This really made me think that my warped sense of seeing humour in the worst sort of circumstances is what makes me me.

What Makes You You? #1

2010-01-11T07:35:00.000-08:00

Passion makes me me. Hot, gripping passion for something I totally believe in that drives me on and ever forward. This passion defines me, who I am and essentially what makes me tick.

What would I do without passion?

Why would I do without passion? Not by choice definitely. But what if forced to? Oh... definitely no way can passion be taken from me by force. My heart, mind and being would keep the passion alive.

What Makes You You?

2010-01-10T07:50:00.000-08:00

What a remarkable question. It opens so many doors and so many possibilities. Digging into the psyche as well as the character of the innermost being of a person. Wow, I'm blown away but this question. So blown away that I'm going to spend the next few days dwelling on this question.

My days are fulfilled until I find the answer to this question.

Adios.

2010 Resolutions

2009-12-30T04:02:00.000-08:00

OMG! This is my second blog entry in one day. Isn't that simply outrageous? Totally out of this world I can tell you that and if you are following my blog, you'd nod your head in absolute agreement. Hurray! I broke my own record of posting two entries in one day. What a way to end a year, eh? Happy gongs are sounding loud and rambunctiously in my head because of this. Hope I don't go bonkers later : )

Ok, resolutions. I know I gotta make them . Don't know why but I'm really excited about making them as opposed to last year. I reread my last year's resolutions and it was really outrageous.

(Here it is if you care to look: http://writingblocks.blogspot.com/2008/12/happy-2009.html)

I really pulled all the plugs on that one. I was just plain crazy and it was fun. I remember having a good time writing that one last year. But I'm pleased to report that I, at least, fulfilled one resolution out of the whole bunch. I must say that it was a very important resolution to fulfill. Pretty pleased, really, and what a consolation to the year 2009.

My twenty ten resolutions are more serious this year as I'm in a serious mood today. Before I enter into twenty ten (boy, I just like saying it, twenty ten, twenty ten) I would like to reiterate some of 2009 resolution I wasn't able to fulfill.

Read the books I have in my bookshelf (I've added more since last year).

Use writing prompts more often.

Continue the 10 minute writing sessions. Consistency being the operative word.

Twenty ten resolutions:

Work on The Voice, The Call, The Warning.

Work on P.I. Lyn.

Work on The Gift.

Follow the plan.

Trust the process. I'm going to be surprised.

Take time to reflect and to think.

And there you have it. Twenty ten resolutions and just in the nick of time. I'll be busy baking tomorrow and enjoying myself on New Year's day celebrating the last few remaining holiday I have before I start work on Monday.

I hope everyone a Happy Twenty Ten and may all your resolutions be fulfilled. I'll see you in 2010 barring any unplanned inspirational itches to post another entry tomorrow or on what's left of today.

Ciao.

End of 2009, Beginning of 2010

2009-12-30T01:49:00.000-08:00

Well, 2009 is finally drawing to an end. I went through a whole year of newsworthy items in this morning's newspaper. I laughed some, cried some, some I'd rather not know about, some I forgot and didn't wish to be reminded about and some I really don't want to dwell too much about. As usual the year had its ups and downs and mind you those in the papers this morning were global stuff. I'm affected by global events but more to the personal happenings.

2009 wasn't entirely a happy year for me. There were more downs than ups but I'm grateful that there were up moments and they were in a higher percentage on the good side than on the bad side. There were really down moments that I remember and can't help a little sob and sadness over them. The important part, however, is I'm able to ride over them and in spite of them I'm still standing grateful for all that I've gone through. I thank my God for the strength He has given me to go through it all and basically unscathed but stronger and better for the experience.

I stand at the threshold of 2010 with a bit of trepidation. There are some things I wish that will go a certain way, in a different direction or with some change in result but then it's dangerous to change the future because it can affect the past. Or is that the other way around, changing the past can affect the future. Oh well, I can do neither. What I can do is affect the present to a certain extent. The rest I will leave it to my good friend to help me where He sees fit.

So, that's about it for my year-end blog entry. Till next year comes rolling in I'll be signing off for 2009. Cheers.

Actually, I kinda like the sound of 2010. It sounds much better than 2009. Twenty ten. I like it and hopefully when 2010 draws to a close I'll have a brighter year-end blog to write.

Twenty ten. Here I come.....

Do You Have A Plan?

2009-12-04T19:12:00.000-08:00

You got to have a plan. Plan it and follow through with it, step by baby step, progress ever forward towards the goal. Go on plan the plan today.

Write Time

2009-09-21T07:19:00.000-07:00

When it is your time to write, write.

~ Natalie Goldberg,
Writing Down the Bones

I Am?

2009-08-30T19:58:00.000-07:00

I write therefore I am.

I read therefore I write.

I am therefore I read.

I am therefore I write.

I read therefore I am.

I write therefore I read.

Editing . . . Later

2009-08-09T09:00:00.000-07:00

Editing

is

NOT

in

the

first

draft.

The Process

2009-08-09T08:54:00.000-07:00

Trust the Process

Just do it.

Don't think through it.

Do it and discover

that it works.

No matter how slow or how little progress it may seem to you,

the writing process leads to the discovery process

and . . .

. . . to new frontiers.

More importantly . . .

. . . an unedited FINISHED project,

which is the ultimate goal.

I WANT TO WRITE

2009-08-06T06:06:00.000-07:00

BSOS

The only way to write.

Tiny Mustard Seed

2009-07-12T07:55:00.000-07:00

How Spices Can Turbo Charge Your Writing

Billie Williams, an excerpt from Spice Up Your Writing: Write to Entice

CHAPTER NINE

MUSTARD SEED - perseverance.

“If you have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove,”

St Matthew 17:20

Mustard Seed

You’ve read, you’ve studied, and you’ve written and submitted and submitted and submitted. The rejections start coming perhaps until you have enough to wall paper a very large bathroom. Now what? Give up? You must be no good right? Reality check: There are well over 200,000 novels published a year, plus non-fiction, poetry, anthologies of short stories, magazine articles, e-zine articles, newspaper, newsletters….What of it? Where did all these published authors come from? They all started out just like you—you can bet they got rejections.

Besides all that, you are among good company if you get a rejection. Here is just a small example of some big name authors who got more than a couple rejections in their careers.

Dr. Seuss’s first book , And to Think That I Saw It On Mulberry Street was rejected 27 times

Tom Clancy – Hunt For Red October was rejected 12 times.

John Grisham – A Time To Kill rejected by 15 publishers and 30 agents

Ayn Rand – The Fountainhead rejected 12 times

Patricia Cornwell – Postmortem rejected 7 times

Mary Higgins Clark – first story was rejected 40 times

Scott Turrow- first novel was rejected 25 times; The Way Things Are still remains unpublished today.

JK Rowling was rejected 13 times and incidentally was rejected by all the big UK Publishers before Harry Potter’s stories were picked up.

Margaret Mitchell’s Gone With The Wind was turned down by more than 25 publishers.

Daniel Defoe sent Robinson Crusoe to 20 publishers before he finally got it printed. It has since been a best-seller for over 250 years and has been translated into 10 languages.

The movie Star Wars was rejected by every movie studio in Hollywood before 20^th Century Fox finally produced it.

Louisa May Alcott, writer of Little Women, was encouraged to find work as a servant or seamstress by her family.

Chicken Soup For… series had thirty-three of New York’s biggest publishing house turn the book down in the first month—Jack Canfield and Mark Victor Hansen heard things like “Anthologies don’t sell,” “We don’t think there is a market for this book,” “We just don’t’ get it,” “The book is too positive.” And the list goes on. And you know the rest of the story. So perseverance is the key to getting your dream accepted by those outside your story.

~*~

“Be like a postage stamp and stick to one thing until you get there.” Author unknown.

You quickly acquire a thick skin and become like the lowly mustard seed. In that tiny yellow seed is the potential for a huge tree. Not everyone will see that. Some will think, ah flavor for my favorite dish. A dash of spice nothing more. But, some editor, agent or publisher will see your potential, your job. Your missions, should you decide to accept it, is to persevere, to stick to it until you get there.

While you’re sticking, here are some things you can do. Ever and always continue to learn, to perfect your craft. If you want to write romance, read! Pick apart several Nora Roberts books, especially her earlier ones. What did she do? What did she have that some agent, editor or publisher noticed?

By studying other writer’s such as Nora Roberts you will see how they handled many things like dialogue, setting, pace, things practice has taught them. The advantage of reading the top sellers is, you will see and learn what got them to be top sellers. Read like a writer rather than a reader.

A sale or a rejection is the opinion of one person. Here, we are talking about rejection.

“Mistakes are a fact of life. It’s the response to the error that counts,” says Nikki Giovanni.

There are lessons to be learned from rejection. Look for the lesson. Did you research the market before you sent out your submission? Did you polish your submission until it squeaked? If there are comments on the rejection, heed them. You don’t necessarily have to believe them or make any suggested changes, but at least give them due consideration. Editors know what they like in their publications or books. If you want to be published by that particular editor, heed their message.

“Don’t send out one manuscript and then sit back and wait for results,” says Peggy Teeters in You Can Get Published. She recommends sending out a filler or two every week until your next idea is begging to be written. Get into the habit of keeping the writer you writing and submitting. Rejection will lose its sting and your chance for a sale will increase.

A few reasons you may be rejected:

~ exceeded word count/limit

~ material is too trite

~ material is too wordy

~ your story lacks good plot or theme

~ your story sounds contrived

~ lead doesn’t grab readers attention

~ article needs more facts/research

~ similar piece, current or recently published

~ subject over done

“Writing isn’t a test, you can’t fail, and there are no wrong answers,” says Bonni Goldberg in Room to Write. The only difference between a weed and a flower is judgment, just as the only difference in rejection and acceptance is in the opinion of one person.

Writer’s block may be triggered by that rejection letter or you may be trying too hard, expecting to be perfect. Let me clue you in, there is no such thing as perfect. According to Judy Reeves in A Writer’s Book Of Days, “Writer’s block is one of those terms like dysfunctional or co-dependent, that has been used to label so vast a range of symptoms that it’s lost any real meaning.” You may only need to refill what has been emptied according to The Artist Date as mentioned earlier. If you have no ideas what to do, check out Julia Cameron’s book The Artist’s Date book a companion volume to the one mentioned earlier, in it she gives you 365 writing prompts and things to do. There are many books on Writer’s Block and many ideas about what it is. Most of them agree it’s a call to stop, look and listen. Victoria Nelson, author of On Writer’s Block says, “…inability to write means that the unconscious self is vetoing the program demanded by the conscious ego.”

Analyze that and it harbors a seed, a germ of an idea that perhaps a new approach, a new way of looking at your work, a change may be necessary in your thinking.

As Reeves says, “…writing happens word by word, and novels get written scene by scene.” I’ll add sentence by sentence, paragraph by paragraph it will get done.

Again expectations—fear of success—confrontation either with the page and your ideas or the finished product and what other’s may think.

So what kind of fears, besides fear of success, could possibly interfere with your writing?

~~~

Now you can get all three of Billie's books – “Writing Wide: Exercises in Creative Writing,” “Spice Up Your Writing: Write to Entice,” and “Characters in Search of an Author” – as an instant download for a special discount. All the details are here: http://filbertpublishing.com/triple.html

Hazy Days Are Back Again

2009-06-19T02:34:00.000-07:00

Back in August 2005 I wrote about the Hazy Lazy Days (Check the archives). Well, guess what? They are back again. It's not that we've enjoyed fresh, sunny days all these while in between. On the contrary, hazy days occur every year around this time. This time it's earlier than it was in August 2005 although it's not that bad... yet. At least, there's no burning smell in the air ... yet. That's right, you guessed it. I'm not being very optimistic about the condition of our air. I'm sorry, but I can't help being pessimistic about it because it happens every year. The only consolation is whether it'll be as bad as last year or worse than last year.

They keep saying it's the effect of global warming but is it solely because of that or other recurring problem? Hot, dry and hazy. What a combination. In the meantime, I'll have the air-conditioner on full blast and hope for the best when I look out the window every morning.

Wait. Is that the thunder I hear? Can it be true? Will it rain and pour down hard to wash away this annoying haze and smog? I can only wait and hope. Wait and hope ... sigh.

Let The Books Live

2009-06-09T08:45:00.000-07:00

This day, 9th June, 2009, "Let the books live" is born at the same time "Let the bones live" is born at a Jay Koopman youth revival meeting in Penang PCC.

LET THE BOOKS LIVE

LET THE BONES LIVE

LET THE PASSION FIRE BEGIN THIS DAY

Write The Vision

2009-05-14T07:52:00.000-07:00

Habakkuk 2:2-3

Write the vision
And make it plain on tablets,
That he may run who reads it.

For the vision is yet for an appointed time;
But at the end it will speak, and it will not lie,
Though it tarries, wait for it;
Because it will surely come.
It will not tarry.

Muse in, Muse Out

2009-05-04T08:01:00.000-07:00

As flitting as the summer light breeze
As charged as the lightning bolt
There is nothing as satisfying as when the
Muse comes in
Or as frustrating as when the
Muse goes out.
As soon as it has entered the conscious mind and
as fast as it has come
it flutters and dances away

Gone!
When I opened my eyes out of the stupor of
Muse drunkenness!
Muse in.
Muse out.
Muse away.
Into the horizon disappear
until she decides to
visit again in a sudden way
where I least expect it.

There you are.
Waiting,
dancing,
fluttering,
floating,
enticingly into
my consciousness again,
to amuse
entertain
opening possibilities
once again.

Six and then You Are Done 5

2009-04-13T21:30:00.000-07:00

Read. Think. Write.

Repeat.

Breathe......

Repeat.

Six and then You Are Done 4

2009-04-12T09:12:00.000-07:00

There's nothing new under the sun

Six and then You Are Done 3

2009-04-04T00:19:00.000-07:00

Breathe. Eat. Sleep. Think. Breathe again.

E-Book

2009-04-01T08:43:00.000-07:00

In the beginning ...

1 hour of darkness.

There lurking in the darkness dwells evil. Waiting, ever waiting for the opportunity to pounce and devour that which gives it a chance.

Six and then You Are Done

2009-03-30T02:09:00.000-07:00

Lately, fearful. Forced it out. Survived.

Happy 2009

2008-12-31T23:46:00.000-08:00

You know how they say, "From the frying pan into the fire..."? That's precisely my feelings about 2009. We've all been through and experienced 2008. Can anything be worse than 2008? From where I'm standing, that is, the beginning of 2009, the answer is a resounding 'No' but I can't help feeling that there's more bad news in store in the coming year. Very pessimistic I know and after all we're just at the beginning of the dark tunnel. I'm sure many of us are straining our necks looking for that light at the end of this dark tunnel. Do you see it? Is it there? How long will we see a glimmer of that light? Yes, I know, there are lots of uncertainties. Therefore, I'm not going to dwell on those uncertainties but on the certains. The sure, the true and the tried. What is that?

New Year Resolutions! That's that surest certainty at this time of the year. I thought I'll not make any this year but there are too many uncertainties and too many unpleasantness in 2008 for me not to make any resolutions this year. It's the comforting thought to being around to make them and being healthy enough to make them that really changed my mind.

So, there you have it. Make those New Year resolutions for that comforting thought of just that, being able to make them. To heck with not being able to keep them. To heck that you might break them because for one thing they are meant to be broken. Some of them are just impossible to keep anyway. Be crazy about it. Make outrageous resolutions just for the heck of it. Why? Well, because you can and also you know you won't keep them. It's just for laughs and we know we need plenty of those. So, here I go and some of them are pretty outrageous and some I really do hope I can keep them this year : )

Reread all the writing books I have in my bookshelf.
Finish reading all the novels I haven't gotten around to read in my bookshelf.
Go to bed by midnight the latest.
Tidy my room.
Resist the clutter monster.
Reread all my Writer's Digest Mags.
Write 10 minutes every day.
Make use of my writing prompts.
Check my drawer.
Visit my blogs.
Spend more time planning vacations : ) (Outrageous I know)
Scour the newspapers for bizarre stories to use in my writing. Always forget to note them down after reading about them : (
Go through my bookshelf once a month.
Screw my head on tightly and in the correct manner.
Finish my project assignments before the end of February 2009. (At last a solid, logical resolution)

Will add more later ....

Until my next appointment ... Ciao and Happy New Year and may all your resolutions be as outrageous as mine if not more.

Six and then You Are Done

2008-11-25T06:45:00.000-08:00

How hard can six words be? Heck, I've got six words all laid out in question form that tells everything about six words - how hard can six words be?

Indeed, it isn't hard or is it? If six words is hard what would it take to write a novel, a short story, a novella? Six by six, story by story with six, that's all it takes. Give it a try, give it a shot. Nothing to lose but everything to gain.

I'm Breathing

2008-11-19T20:39:00.000-08:00

I'm breathing deep today. Been trying hard to sort out most of the things I have on my plate. There's this thing.... and that thing.... and this and that... They all need to be done and the hard part is trying to juggle which I should do first. The logical thing to do would be to do the most urgent one first and then the second most urgent and so on and so forth.

The tricky part is some of these fourth or fifth item on the list keep jumping up for attention and it's hard to ignore them sometimes. They also tend to push my panic button once in a while for more attention from me. Needless to say they cause me to go into frantic mode and get me so overwhelmed trying to concentrate on the most urgent matter at hand.

So, I'm breathing and deeply at that too. Just hope I don't hyperventilate in the process and cause myself an asthma attack. But I don't have asthma but hyperventilating I could stimulate one. Can I? I'm just afraid I could go into one but not that I've experienced one like that. There's always a first time for everything. Murphy's Law is the first to come to my mind. I'm always wary of Murphy's Law.

Breathe.....

Which is Worse?

2008-11-17T07:17:00.000-08:00

Today I'm faced with a dilemma. It is the question of which is worse, the dreaded block or directionless writing.

The first is a lack of words. The second is not short of words but direction. Where am I going with these words? They are coming incessantly, in waves and floods but they are going all over the place with no stops or a destination in mind. Like superman going hyper on caffeine, zipping to Paris and when he gets there he zips back to the starting point because he doesn't know why he went to Paris in the first place. Then, he has this notion he wants to go the Africa and maybe pass by Congo because he heard some shooting there. He saw the situation in Congo and it was bad. He carries on going but he forgets his next destination and why he wants to go to Africa in the first place. Our superman now sounds like he has a bad case of Alzheimer's and zips back to the original starting point. He starts to ponder his trip to Paris and Africa, what he saw when he was flying there. So while he is doing that he thinks that it might be nice to visit China and see if the people there might need help because of the earthquake. He takes off immediately but the people had already got the situation under control. What is he going to do now? Where is he going to fly to now? Superman found himself asking, "What do I want to do now?" The answer he found within the depth of his heart was: "I don't know."

Finally, he decides he'll sleep for a while before thinking about what he wants to do next. Maybe he will have an answer tomorrow.

Maybe tomorrow I'll find the answer to what I'm going to do with Superman besides having him zip here and there looking for some trouble to solve.

There you have it. Lots of word but going nowhere - directionless. Which is worse?

Well, at least I've gotten rid of the clutter of the Superman story off my mind. Another layer of clutter removed, one more layer less to disseminate. I think I'm nearer to the heart of the real story. We'll see whether I'll find the real story or will have to peel off another layer of clutter.

Someone once said that writing is a process of discoveries. So then, on with the journey of discovery. I will be brave.

The Remedy

2008-11-14T00:54:00.000-08:00

When the dreaded block appears and shows its ugly head always remain calm. Notice that traffic jams aren't all that bad until someone starts honking and yelling. One "move it along" will follow another and another progressing in intensity and urgency until something or someone boils over. However, when the traffic police comes along in his slick motorbike and gives direction, things start to move along. The point is to stay cool, don't panic, don't lose your cool even in the midst of the dreaded block. This will be the time for your brain to catch up and sort things out. The silence can sometimes be really frightening but use this time of silence to breathe and sort out the clutter or traffic jams that have accumulated. This would be a good time to go for that walk, run, swim, or whatever you do to relax and unwind.

After this time of destressing and cleaning the clutter, review the story so far. Time to look for the next opening, the next path in your story.

Then, after these process the block is still before you take your pen or pbtc (put butt to chair) and forge on. Head bent down, take pen to paper or punch the keys on the keyboard and keep on doing. If you need to backtrack or change certain parts go ahead and do it. The important thing is to keep on writing and thinking and plan the next course of your story or plot. You can always go back to tidy up or cut if you don't like any part.

Operative word:

Relax, don't panic.
Forge on. Write and keep writing.
Backtrack or find another path in your plot or story.
Explore the terrain of your story. Do you spot any area that can be changed or reworked?

Never give up. I heard a writer once said these words and it's so true:

The difference between a new writer and a well seasoned writer is that the seasoned writer keep on working it through the block and the new writer stops and gives up because it's too hard.

That really opened my eyes. Every writer finds it hard in the beginning. Why should it be different with me? They can do it so can I because that is what I want to be. That is what I love.

Forge on, with my head bent against the wind and sun and rain, I will not give up.

The Dreaded Block... er .... Blog?

2008-11-11T18:59:00.000-08:00

How ironic can it be if one word means you'll be constipated and nothing comes forth from you and another that means you're there ready and willing to spew forth miles and miles of letters all stringed together however artistically or not into some coherent thoughts. That's precisely what these two words mean to me: Block and Blog.

To have a blog means you're ready and willing to put thoughts to words for whatever audience or readers who are willing to spare 5 or 10 minutes of their precise time and attention to read your blog. However, to have a block means just the opposite - no output of anything at all or anything coherent. What a dilemma if you are a blogger who's having a block at the moment and which can lasts from a day to eternity. That will result in a blocked blog. Do you know how absolutely ridiculous that sounds? In any case, at least the condition or situation has a name to it. Imagine this entry in the blog:

Today's blog is blocked.

or

Today's entry is a blocked blog.

I'm laughing so hard I almost fell out of chair. It's so hilarious I can cry. In fact, I am crying because it's very sad for a blogger to be blocked. A writer or blogger prays it never happens to him/her but it's inevitable that it will come sooner or later like a common cold.

What are we to do when it finally hits us?

Do we go round and round our computer mumbling, "Blocked, blocked. What am I to do? I'm so blocked and I've got to blog."

Next: The remedy.

Passion, Pain and Joy Part 2

2008-11-10T04:40:00.000-08:00

I breathed and continued to breathe. I carried on day by day, looking and searching, waiting, hoping. I looked for it but I found a black hole, very dark and empty, where it once dwelt bouncing and waiting for me to bounce with it. Still, I breathed and kept on looking day by day.

Then, one morning I began to see the clouds dispersing. I could breathe somewhat easier. The day seemed to bring a glimmer of hope. I could feel passion somewhere out there. Without warning it went away and without warning it peeked at me out of the dark and muggy blackness of my surrounding.

"Why did you go away? Where did you go? Will you come back and stay to play?"

I was not prepared for the reply when it came.

"You drove me away."

"Me? How? What did I do?"

Fear is a terrible thing. It drove me away when you embraced my enemy. It had you gripped in its gnarled talons so tightly you were choking and knew it not. You cannot have the both of us within you. Embrace and entertain one or the other, we cannot both exist together.

I now understood the flight of passion which caused me pain. I found joy for I now understand why it left and how I can prevent it from leaving again. I feared and drove passion away. In came pain to keep fear company. Wow, what an insight.

My dear friend, let me not forget to embrace you, passion, alone and discard fear from ever having a grip in my life. Stay and let's forge ahead without fear.

With that, passion floated in once again and we danced our dance of joy. Fear and pain were waved away like the annoying housefly that served no purpose at all.

Passion, Pain and Joy

2008-11-08T03:08:00.000-08:00

There are things which draws you. That sets your heart racing a million beats a second. Things that pumps adrenaline and blood just by thinking of it. It causes your stomach to curl and churn in a funny way that nothing can effect the same sensation. That's passion. It's also pleasure when you think of it and the effect it has on you. You love it. You live and breathe by it. You cannot do without it.

And then, there will come a day when you feel absolutely none of those things and you think whether you've lost the passion. It can last a long time. It can go on for weeks, months. You start to think that you've really lost it, that passion. But you know you've loved it once. Loved it so much you just couldn't carry on living if you've to live without it and now is the day. It's not you who left this passion, this passion has left you. You woke up one morning and it's not there. Where is it? You keep waiting for it to come back. You drag your feet doing what you once loved that at the mere thought of it you get a high. Now everything is flat, stale, blend and colorless.

What are you going to do? Give up and continue as if nothing happened? PASSION where are YOU?????

What did I do? Check back again for part two.

Bleed

2008-11-03T00:28:00.000-08:00

I bleed here.
Words.
word by word
drop by drop.

It's hard
squeezing them out.
word by word
drop by drop

They don't come out easily
like the yanking out of flesh
painful
excruciating pain.

Word by word
Drop by drop
it slowly
seeps.

After much pressing
much heart wrenching
pressing and
one drop

one word
another and
another
till

there is this
lot on the paper
word by word
drop by drop

pull
press
squeeze
one word

Enough!
I have bled
enough
stop!

Contest

2008-11-03T00:24:00.000-08:00

Submit to: Fiction Competition sponsored by Lilith. 250 West 57th Street, Suite 2432
New York, NY 10107.
Deadline: 11/01/08; entry fee: none.
First prize: $250 and publication.
Type: Short Story (3,000 words MAX). MUST be about the lives of Jewish women.
URL: http://www.lilith.org/writers.htm

Soldiers

2008-08-27T22:04:00.000-07:00

Soldiers in full garb
on their way
some stint or camp
truck and van
ZB
was all it says
ZZZZZZZZZ
I thought was dreaming
snoozing
with Zs
army
obedience without question
Are you willing to follow?
total obedience without question
Are you willing to follow?
Sergeant
Major
Leftenant (Br)
Lieutenant (Am)
party
meet the Generals
meet Major XXX
Could this be the one?
Was this the one I saw?
I saw the uniforms
the garb
And the Zs ...

Bouncing

2008-08-20T21:11:00.000-07:00

I saw these words bounced toward me as I walked along the corridor, "Kiss Me". Oh wow, how inviting to a hormone-raging bull but unfortunately, or fortunately, I'd say, I wasn't a hormone-raging bull or else I would be doing what I couldn't help doing. Blaming the hormones wouldn't be much good either because then I'd have done what I absolutely don't want to do.

Anyway, "Kiss Me" passed by without any problems from me but I can't say that for the fellow behind. I think he was drooling and wet his pants as strange sounds came from his direction as soon as "Kiss Me" came into his line of sight.

I sighed and shook my head. Why can't people stop issuing invitations they don't want to issue. But then, maybe they do. Who knows?

Not With Eyes But I Saw

2007-07-19T08:02:00.000-07:00

I was suddenly transported but I was still conscious of what I'm doing at the moment. I was in the mind of someone. It was a small girl, very much like what I was when I was that age. Around the age of 8 to 10, curious about anything and everything. Definitely with my own concept of things and the world around me.

I was this girl and this girl was me. We were one and the same at the moment.

There's something going on in the town where I live. My town is a small town with a small population of simple town folks. Their occupations involves farming, vegetable sellers, fish mongers, gold & jewellry owners, retailers, sundry/grocery shop owners, just simple jobs.

A group of us kids went around to investigate the strange incident that happened in the town unknown to the police and the other grown-ups. Things start to happen and us kids get excited and involved deeper and deeper in our own investigation.

Sometimes grown-ups do not see us kids and we can find out things on our own. Usually, the grown-ups would let us "play" on our own so we won't get in their way. They have their grown-up things to do. So we hear things when we remain "unseen" and we see things that were not meant to be seen by either kids or other grown-ups. Especially other grown-ups and the police.

Then, things get to be too hot and dangerous for the kids to handle. One of them gets detained by the bad guys and it's time to call in the calvary.

I call up my aunt who works for a private investigator in KL. Sometimes she takes cases for her boss and does surveillance and other investigating stuff. I brief her on everything that's happened and she promises to come over to Simpang Ampat to help us. My aunt, Lynn, is the coolest aunt anyone could ever have. She's my hero. That's what I told my friends. If anyone can help Shan Chi, my aunt Lynn can do it.

And then I am myself again, driving to work.

What did you see today?

2007-07-11T02:47:00.000-07:00

I saw faces. Friendly faces. Some smiling, warm and approachable. It made my day pleasant and bearable. I went home without stress.

A smile is all it takes to make a person's day. Sometimes it goes unnoticed. Sometimes it escapes into a hectic day and dissolves like what happens to a puff of smoke.

Be conscious of every smile and return one likewise. It can make someone's day brighter and help someone through a horrible day.

A smile costs nothing. Give it freely and receive the same freely.

What do you see?

2006-04-13T22:30:00.001-07:00

This is the first posting of "What Do You See?" project. These are my observations through the course of my experiences and interactions.

The room was dark and gloomy. No light was switched on and the only light were coming in through the window. At 7 o'clock in the evening the living room was in great need of some artificial light.

There were boxes everywhere. The floor felt grimy and dirty as I stepped in without my shoes. I wished I could wear them in but it was only polite to take off one's shoes when entering someone's house.

The stairs made of just wooden steps were facing the front door. They were the see-through type and not those made of concrete all the way up.

Further in I could see the entrance to the kitchen which was facing the front living room window.

I did not explore beyond or further upstairs. I made a quick retreat partly because of the gloominess and the place being in such a disarray state of someone about to move house.

No Recollection

2006-04-07T06:31:00.000-07:00

How would you feel if you know you have forgotten something but do not know what? I had a dream. I was going around wondering no, worrying about something I had forgotten but I can't remember what it was I had forgotten. I kept thinking hard trying to recall what it was I had forgotten and waking up with the big question on my mind. What did I forget? Up till now I still have no idea what it was I was supposed to have forgotten. I'm actually afraid of forgetting something. It's really annoying and worrying me.

I hope that in time I'll be able to remember what it was I was supposed to have forgotten. Would this dream help me to be on my guard against forgetting something that I don't want to forget? In that case, it's a forewarning, wouldn't it? Hmmmm.... maybe this dream is a warning, a precaution. Then, it's not too bad. I hope I remember what not to forget, eh?

Ok, I'm stopping this merry-go-round monologue.

Staying on The Trail

2006-03-19T08:18:00.000-08:00

I'm on it and still on it. Chapter by chapter I get it read and get it done. I take time to get rest and do other things which I love and most importantly, I don't beat myself up because I'm overwhelmed into inertia by the sheer enormity of these tasks I have before me.

With this strategy I make small progress and this ensures I stay on the trail and focused instead of giving up and changing direction just to get out of the situation.

I'm happy and ecstatic over the progress I'm making no matter how small they may be. This ensures I stay on the trail and enjoying myself at the same time. What more can a person asks for. Sheer happiness is so hard to find. I'm so glad I have found a little bit of it.

Mystery Trail

2006-03-15T00:43:00.000-08:00

I'm on, yo. On the mystery trail supplementing to everything mysterious. I'm open for enlightenment and whatever else that comes with it. Yeah, everything connected to mysteries, the whole shenanigans and all that stuff.

Check back every now and then if this theme tickles your fancy.

Meanwhile, this heat is making me crazy. While other parts of the world might be having cool or cold weather I'm baking over here. It's hot, hot, hot and hot over here south of Thailand north of the land of the king of beasts.

I thank God for the person who invented the air-conditioning every day for giving me many a restful cool nights. Honestly I do. He or she remains on my all time favourite person right now.

Now, I'll get back to those mysteries of life and what have yous. Till next time, yo.

Weather, Weather

2005-11-22T20:45:00.000-08:00

Ahhhhh.... the month of November through December is the best time of the year. The air is cool and chilly. Humidity low and cool breeze blowing in from the north. It's the best time of the year for me. People expect the winter, dark cold snowy short daylight and long night time and what not but I.... I love the cool air this time of year. Snuggled up in bed reading or tapping on my keyboard like what I'm doing now with the light sound of pitter patters outside is so good for reading and writing. I really enjoy these times with school out and do-what-you-want time of the year. Lovely.

Well, they say the monsoon can come any time now bringing with it floods and torrential rain but right now I'll enjoy this cool morning breeze, rain or no rain.

Ahhh.... back to my snuggling up for a snooze now.

Rain's Here

2005-10-13T08:19:00.000-07:00

In some parts of the world people are in the midst of Autumn where the weather is getting cooler and the climate changes setting and preparing for winter. Seasons change, round and round it goes but no matter how many times it goes it still comes around.

The weather over here is cooler now. Sometimes it'll be humid and somedays we'll have rain and cooling wind. Well, it never fails. towards this time of year there will be strong north winds blowing in and we see wet, and nothing but wet days and nights even. The sound of the raindrops on the awnings can be quite soothing and lulls one to sleep easily. You snuggle up in bed and forget about everything until tomorrow. Till the morrow when we toil again as the sweat comes again. Toiling with the brain is a wee bit tricky but the reward can be equally fulfilling.

Gotta to go. My deadline is looming large over me. Ciao.

Hazy Lazy Days of Summer

2005-08-11T22:55:00.000-07:00

These days I have to wipe my glasses twice a day. Water is very essential. Ahhhh....... relief comes instantly until I need the next cooling relief. I tell you the air smelled strange when I woke up this morning. I looked out my wind window. Excuse me, there was this strange whitish [cough] smoke hanging in the air. It looks so much like the [cough] theLondon fog when the wind blows it in. I need another drink. [Gulp] Ahhhh...I needed that.

I try to breathe [ahem, cough] slowly but the thick air sticks [cough] cloying in my throat. I need another [cough] sip. [Gulp] I need to gulp it down too. It hurts [cough] when I try to breathe now. Must be the [cough] effects of coughing [ahem] too much. Must get some mask from the pharmacy [cough,cough] when I go out for lunch. Yikes, dare I go out? It's bad [cough cough] enough indoors what's it going to be outdoors? Should I [ahem] or shouldn't I go out for lunch? I'll watch [cough cough cough] the news on the telly. Maybe they'll [cough] tell me whether it's to go out. My throat is [ahem] so sore. Water. I need [cough cough] some water. [Gulp, gulp]

Ok, it's not [cough cough] that bad the telly says. I'll just run out, buy [cough] the mask, eat lunch, see the doctor [cough cough] about my throat and come back. Should be done in a jiffy . In the meantime, I'll just [ahem] sleep and drink lots of water . I hate [cough cough] this coughing.

It's five hours since I stepped out of my house for the errands I mentioned above. I thought I could do those things in a jiffy but yikes! the clinic was [cough] jampacked with people, children, almost all with exactly the same symptoms as mine.

Two hours waiting in the clinic has worn me out. I've taken my medication and the throat is not that painful now. Those painkillers [ahem] sure works fast. Still some slight irritation in the throat though. I'm really pooped. I really[cough ahem cough] must get some [cough] shut eye. Dang the coughing's [cough cough] starting again. Water, I need [ahem cough] some water.........

What's Unusual?

2005-05-22T02:19:00.000-07:00

Looks like every now and then we get tremors. It has become something of a norm, you know. The big one was on the day after Christmas and now, tremors are a thing that is almost a way of life especially when there is no lives lost. Some people even felt it and think, 'Oh, another one of those tremors' and go on with their lives without so much as another blink.

Is it a good thing or is it foolishness to be so complacent? It's good not to be fearful but then shouldn't we be mindful? On second thought, thankful too that it wasn't another big like like that day on 26 December 2004? Seems people have short memories, very short memories. Or is it that life goes on? Indeed, life has to go on for the living but haven't we learnt something out of the past? Shouldn't we have learnt something? If not, for what happened to those in that December 26 catastrophe been in vain?

What should we have learnt? I guess you are the only one who can answer that for yourself. For the living I can think of a few dozen things we can learn from it. For the dead.... Well, I can't speak for the dead. I don't think I'm qualified to. Your answers could be the turning point in your life or it may not. It's all within the decisions each of us make. Let those be right decisions when we make.

Quaked Again

2005-03-29T07:30:00.000-08:00

It was past midnight and I was doing some studying when I felt my chair shake. The floor rumbled and quaked. I thought I was hallucinating from studying and staying up so late. I got down on the floor to try to feel the quaking 'cause I was not sure whether it was the floor or was it just me. Whoa, I felt it and I thought I was going to faint. I laid down on my stomach, prostrating myself to really feel the movement but then it stopped. I couldn't feel anything anymore.

When I got back to my chair the thought, 'Earthquake' came to my mind. Then my thoughts went to the people in Sumatra as that place immediately came to my mind.

Weirdest experience of my life. Never went through such a thing in my whole life. Two major earthquakes in the same area in a matter of 3 months, it's so frightening.

Some people slept through the whole episode. Many people rushed down from the highrise apartments when they felt the tremors. Thank God no more tsunamis!

And again, tell me what you were doing at that moment.

Mystery and nothing but ....

2005-03-21T02:53:00.000-08:00

Mysteries, whether you love them or hate them I just cannot do without them. They are the spice of life. They make my clock tick. They make my world go round. I love a good mystery preferably one that makes me think and go crazy with suspense.

What makes the sleuth, detective, hero, heroine tick? What makes him or her trunch on in spite of the dangers? What goes through his or her mind when the danger starts and the sleuthing is a matter of life and death, their own? Usually the resolve of the hero or heroine is very solid. Seldom do you find them displaying weak qualities as in stop the sleuthing for fear of their lives. Maybe it has a little to do with the insanity or professionality of the hero/heroine. Plus the fact that if the sluething stops we won't have a story, will we?

But just think that for once one or two of these heroes or heroines will exhibit something like: "Nah, it's not worth my hide to investigate further" and backs away. Turning his or her back on the case because it isn't worth his or her life but due to conscience decides to proceed on albeit cautiously knowing full well that she might lose her life. Calculated risk and not foolish uncaring this-is-a-novel attitude towards life. Now that to me is pure true to life.

All the while readers will be wondering will she turn back? Will she decide to help this so-and-so find the solution?

Now that, I can tell you, will make for a good mystery novel indeed. Not that the mystery will have to unravelled but the character of the protagonist will be on the reader's mind too. Hey, this is serious business. The hero/heroine could die but deep down we know he/she won't die but the thrill is there.

Mysteries, truly love them.

Tsunami: Where were you and what were you doing?

2004-12-30T01:40:00.000-08:00

Sunday 8 am Malaysian time on the island of Penang, Malaysia.

Tsunami was not a word that many Malaysians would care about but from 26th December 2004 onwards it was on every Malaysian's lips and thoughts. We were definitely fortunate as compared to the other countries like Indonesia, Sri Lanka and Thailand. Malaysia did not bear the brunt of the earthquake although being quite close to the epicentre of the quake.

I remembered that day very well. It will remain clearly in my mind for the rest of my days. I want to share with you out there, wherever you are, whoever you are what happened on that day and the days that followed.

As usual I got up at around 8 in the morning and went about my routine. Read newspaper, hang up the washings and prepared to go to church. Busy getting all these things done before going to church I did not feel any tremors of the earthquake. But other members of my family did. Not realising it was an earthquake tremor because the quaking were ever so slight, no one said or mentioned anything.

Later, the events that happened slowly began to unfold as the hours passed. The following days of vigil in front of the television set were intense. The news were sad and heart wrenching as we saw visuals of the devastation on the television. Slowly the tide of shock subsided. Time healed as the world gathered together to help. But this episode will be forever etched in the memory of us all who were affected directly or indirectly by this catastrophe in this part of our world.

Much later the whole aftermath of the catastrophe unfolded before our eyes as we stayed glued to the T.V. for the latest updates. The whole world stood at attention the next few days as the impact of the disaster seeped through the media. The pictures taken of the tsunami and its effects on the affected areas were worth a thousand words. No amount of words can prepare anyone for the devastation before our very eyes. We can only imagine what those people went through. The trauma of seeing the huge tsunami heading towards their direction and their only hope is to run and pray that their legs were fast enough. As they ran they heard the roar and the huge crash of the giant wave. Is it safe to turn and look? Screaming, yelling and crying all around. Where was the woman running just behind? Turning back and seeing people, children helplessly being pulled away into the sea. Bobbing up and down as they try to struggle to the shore, hands raised and then they were gone. The ferocious wave began to subside and as if appeased with the many flesh it had swallow the sea receded like a satisfied giant after a meal the foamy waves wanted to be calm and peaceful again. But it cannot be calm and peaceful yet. Again it came as another heavy swell turned into an humongous roaring wave, rolling in for further destruction.

We said a prayer for those lives affected and hoped that humanity will look to the hope that's in our midst. Let our eyes be opened to what's important because life is so fleeting and short.

Lack Of Knowledge

2004-11-26T00:22:00.000-08:00

To lose something because of the lack of knowledge is a very sad thing. To lose a life, to lose a limb, to lose something that cannot be replaced is so sad especially when it's preventable. When it's common knowledge that was required to prevent it in the first place.

Why? Why did it happen? The age-old question echoes almost unceasingly throughout the ages. Why me? What did I do wrong?

It is always too late when the question is answered because the question was asked after the fact. After the tragedy has occurred then comes the question and then the answer. The only thing is to learn from it. But do we? It seems that since time immemorial we cannot learn and the cycle goes on again. On and on from here to eternity. God help us.

As a song goes, 'When will we ever learn?'

What am I talking about? It's so simple. Let those who have ears let them hear. Let those who have eyes let them see. The child in the front seat of the automobile without a baby seat or any seat belts on. The child on the mother's lap seating on the front seat of an automobile. Do these parents and grown-ups profess to love their children? Oh yes, without a doubt, they'd even die for them but they did not think for them.

How sad when the only explanation after some tragedy has happened is, 'I did not think. I did not know.'

'I'm sorry, mama, papa. I'm sorry that you didn't know. I'm sorry you didn't think. I wish you'd had thought. I wish you'd had known. Now I hope you'd had learnt and you'd think and know when my sister or brother is with you.

'Bye, bye, mama, papa. I forgive you because you didn't think and didn't know. I hope that it will not happen to sister or brother the way it happened to me.'

Do What Is Not Easy

2004-11-03T01:05:00.000-08:00

Where is the greatness in doing what comes naturally? The greatest joy and satisfaction is doing something that is totally out of character and out of sync with the natural but is utterly right and correct to do. Something which you want to do but have to will yourself gives a greater satisfaction when having accomplished and achieved that aspiration.

Totally bland and boring would be doing what comes naturally. It takes no effort and there’s no challenge at all to doing what comes naturally. It’s routine and mundane at some point even. But after struggling, striving, maybe with much discipline and self-control the success in the end will taste very sweet and satisfying.

So it is with writing. After weeks, maybe months, hopefully not years, of writing blocks; meeting dead ends (not deadlines, sadly) at every turn I am now enjoying the exhilarating thrill of marching forth to what I’ve previously considered unnaturally for me. Therefore, after having experienced this extreme high (of which I had experienced before at certain intervals in my writing life which is few and far between, sad to say) I am aiming to make what is unnatural for me natural. Thus, doing so will advance my writing dream.

"It was a high counsel that I once heard given to a young
person, "Always do what you are afraid to do. "
-- Ralph Waldo Emerson, author and philosopher

Almost Derailed Again

2004-10-26T01:33:00.000-07:00

It’s so strange, isn’t it? Every time I try to write I’m filled with longing to play games. The conscious side of me wants to run away and it’s always to want fun, play games with the computer. It never fails. I’ve never noticed it before until now. The yearning is so overwhelming that I can literally feel my heart pound and I just want to get away rather than face thinking up words or scenes. Why is that?

I love writing. When I’m not in front of the computer I can’t wait to get to it. I’d get the feeling of such excitement just thinking what a wonderful time I’d have pounding the keyboard, churning out words. Then, when I’m in front of the computer I’d think of something else to do with the computer like checking emails, checking search engines and you-name-it-I’ve-tried-it on the Net except write. Woe is me. Woe is me. I do the very thing I don’t want to do and I don’t do the thing I want to do.

The only way to rid of this menace and hindrance to my writing is to just ignore the fear. Ignore the cold sweaty palms, the mad hammering in my heart to run away from the task at hand and just pound the keyboard with whatever that is in my head at that very moment. That’s the way to beat it. Write the fear. Write it away even if the writing comes out is useless to anyone. The purpose is to start the engine even it the engine is hard of starting. Even though the engine screams in protest cranked it anyway. Turn the ignition anyway no matter how painful and how loud it coughs and screams in objection.

Will it work? I hope so. I'll fill you in on my progress. Now there's a story I must finish. I have it in my head and I've to get it out in words somehow. Yeah, that's it. Just do it. Ignore the fear, the cold sweaty palms already developing and waiting to burst out. Must maintain composure. Stay with it. Stay with it. On to battle, brave heart.

Stay Focused

2004-10-24T20:25:00.000-07:00

"The life that conquers is the life that moves with a steady resolution and persistence toward a predetermined goal. Those who succeed are those who have thoroughly learned the immense importance of plan in life, and the tragic brevity of time."-- W.J. Davison

Staying focused is something I find difficult to do sometimes. As anyone can tell you, life don't always come nicely packed and orderly. Life deals situations as it is, all jumbled up and we have to sort it out, keep some things, throw some away and some needs extra work and touch up before they can be used. Therefore, the package I started out or those in the beginning do not get finished if I don't stay focused and come back to work on them.

Projects lay about unfinished while I'd busy myself with projects and more projects that keep coming until I'm buried in them. I've resolved to not let that happen. I'm staying focused and will not get too distracted. I'm blogging them here so I'll not let them disappear or die.

Care to join me?

What Makes a Writer a Writer?

2004-10-21T22:47:00.000-07:00

What makes a writer a writer? That is a very important question for anyone who aspires to be a writer. I'm sure the answer will as diverse as there are writers. Each writer will have to answer it for himself or herself. For me it is very simple. A writer is a writer when he/she writes. Don't call yourself a writer when you don't write. A writer will most definitely write and read. The more the writer writes, the more the writer will want to read and the more he/she reads the more he/she will want to write. Write, read. Read, write. One cannot do without the other when one is a writer. So, for me the answer can be summarize into two words. A writer is a writer when he/she writes and reads.

Yesterday I did precisely that along with every day mundanes of life. I wrote, slept, read, and the other things all ordinary human do that I will spare the detailed account in this blog. Also, for the reason of plain etiquette that I will leave it to the imagination of those who have the misfortune of stopping by my blog. Anyway, may you be spared that upset stomach that next time you stop by. Ciao, cheerio, and whatever.

After having said that I must add though that sometimes writers do this too --

Many people hear voices when no one is there. Some of them are called mad and are shut up in rooms where they stare at the walls all day. Others are called writers and they do pretty much the same thing.

Margaret Chittenden -Writer

Sigh... what a wonderful life ; )

One Inspirational Minute

2004-10-19T21:59:00.000-07:00

Hello,

For one inspirational minute, what can one write? Well, it actually depends on how good a writer you are or in this case, how good a writer I am. Good or not, is actually so relative. Some like it hot and some like it cold, preferences can be so preferential, you know. So, like it or not, it really depends on the person reading. As a writer and the author of this blog, I write what pleases me. Afterall, the writer is me and the publisher is me. So, it doesn't really matter whether you, the reader like what you read here. However, I would be interested to know what you, the reader, think of what I write. Although I'd like to state here at the outset that even though I might consider your opinions I might not necessarily change my writing.

My one inspirational minute is up. Thank you for reading.

Authors Block

Going Crazy

Strange Happenings

Eleven Steps To Success

A Little-Known, Yet Powerful 11-Step Action Plan for Leading a Successful, Happy LifeBy John Wood

2011 Resolutions

Prelude to 2011 Resolutions

That Time Of The Year Again

Chronic Lack Of Sleep

Just Write It

Sixteen Days?

Thirty Days?

All New

Writing is ...

The Magic Wand

Scene By Scene

Breakthrough Writing

I'M NORMAL

Writing the Story is Only the First Step?

What Makes You You? #2

What Makes You You? #1

What Makes You You?

2010 Resolutions

End of 2009, Beginning of 2010

Do You Have A Plan?

Write Time

I Am?

Editing . . . Later

The Process

I WANT TO WRITE

Tiny Mustard Seed

Hazy Days Are Back Again

Let The Books Live

Write The Vision

Muse in, Muse Out

Six and then You Are Done 5

Six and then You Are Done 4

Six and then You Are Done 3

E-Book

Six and then You Are Done

Happy 2009

Six and then You Are Done

I'm Breathing

Which is Worse?

The Remedy

The Dreaded Block... er .... Blog?

Passion, Pain and Joy Part 2

Passion, Pain and Joy

Bleed

Contest

Soldiers

Bouncing

Not With Eyes But I Saw

What did you see today?

What do you see?

No Recollection

Staying on The Trail

Mystery Trail

Weather, Weather

Rain's Here

Hazy Lazy Days of Summer

What's Unusual?

Quaked Again

Mystery and nothing but ....

Tsunami: Where were you and what were you doing?

Lack Of Knowledge

Do What Is Not Easy

Almost Derailed Again

Stay Focused

What Makes a Writer a Writer?

One Inspirational Minute

A Little-Known, Yet Powerful 11-Step Action Plan for Leading a Successful, Happy Life
By John Wood