Istoryan Writers

[Blongkoy]

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iSTORYA.writers,

The reason why I am bringing you in to Counterpart International, Inc. to piggy-back on its facilities is simply to inspire you more as a writer by interacting with the staff of the organization.

Counterpart International today has a staff of about 35 people --- all professionals in their chosen field --- and has presence throughout the Philippines. They are paid in US dollars and the least paid person (the utility person) earns something like $250 a month. Right now it is operating with more US dollars in the bank than some banks do.

Now I can tell people that Counterpart International is a product of a strategic planning session I facilitated in 1997. The original 7 people in that strategic planning session are still very much connected with the organization. Talk to them and find out how we all did it.

I can repeat that feat with the iSTORYA.writers.

[thisbe.ara]

hi sir blongx,
i am willing to be moulded. and i agree that not only writing can lead you to a great career, it can also be your emotional best friend. thanks for enlightening me with that, sir blongx.
next stop, venue.. i'll be asking possible ones for our strategic planning. will be posting later.

@velvet..thanks. it's a real one, though. care to join us?

[Blongkoy]

thisbe.ara,

By writing, we allow ourselves to be taken over the boundaries of human limitation and into that liberating experience of that which we need to articulate. Many revolutions, for example, have been waged after a few men (and women for that matter) lit some candles in dark and scribbled notes of unshackled thoughts. Writing is the language of the soul. Remove that, we all cannot be any better than dead.

In our more mundane talk about money during the EB, I let you in on how much I am making today per hour as a writer (please keep that to yourself), although that is now more in the area of specialization. Oh, yes, I have written a lot more without that money thoughts in my mind. And may yet write a lot more as long as I live. This is not for memory or for some megalomaniac tendencies. This is only for the enabling of my more silent self to be a little bit more vocal about life, love and death.

See you.

[josephdc]

Is a writer born or made?

If a person can be made a writer, then I sure am interested in learning how. I once fancied myself a writer. But oh, how delusional I was. I wanted to really be able to write, to express myself clearly and eloquently in words, but I always failed. I always ended up feeling frustrated at myself.

I loved poetry. I used to jot down stuff I consider as "poetry" before, during moments when I find myself inspired by someone or something. But we are all like that. We are all poets when we are love-struck or drowning in misery, so I am not at all special.

I write occasionally, and sometimes contribute articles to Sun Star. But the embarassing thing is that my articles are usually severely edited by the paper before they're published. Hehe..

I am also interested in surrounding myself with writers and people who want to learn how to write in the hope that I'll be influenced and inspired to learn to write well, too.

[Blongkoy]

josephdc,

I believe we are all made into that which we have the inclination to become. Our environment, breeding, studies and biases mold us into we are today.

You writing in the post above shows you to be one with a good writing skills. Not only your grammar is impeccable but also the syntax somewhat excites me to sway with the rhythym. If you come to be part of the group initiated by thisbe.ara and reggiebuang, I am sure you will be able to enhance the group.

I was with Sun Star Daily for quite a while as one of their 4xweekly columnist writing on political risks and political analysis. I also had there a Sunday piece, quite a romantic stuff, titled as "Dear Ana." First and foremost, Sun Star Daily editors do their (editing) jobs for space consideration; then they go for grammar, syntax, language and overall thought. If they do not edit submission, especially unsolicited submission, they threw it away. But, then, it is always a perennial problem in the editorial room to look for good, printable writing. Failing to do just that, they resort to fillers from wire companies and other submission they could lay their hands on.

Oh, by the way, poetry is very difficult to write. Until now, after many years in writing for bread and butter, I still do not know how to write a poem.

[MrBiddle]

Oh, by the way, poetry is very difficult to write.

Does poetry have to rhyme?

[Blongkoy]

Prior to becoming a judge, Simeon Dumdum Jr. was a practising lawyer for many years. But as a lawyer he was only known to his clients. He was better known as a writer of The Freeman, then Sun Star Daily and now editorial and essayist par excellence of Cebu Daily News.

The point here is that here is this already successful professional (lawyer) who was too helpless to ward off the temptation of becoming a writer (4 books already). A Supreme Court Justice, a dear friend of mine, told me how he values the court decisions penned by Judge Dumdum. They read like real life novels.

I look forward to telling you a story on a writing workshop presided by Dr. Resil Mojares and Judge Simeon Dumdum Jr. This particular writers' workshop was called Cornelio Faigao Memorial Writing Workshop, one episode of which called for finding the correct word in Cebuano/Visayan for the English word "*****." For two or three days we grappled with Cebuano/Visayan words like "tintin", "oten", "luso", " "karaho," and others I do not remember anymore. The whole exercise was meant to find the exact word for a particular thing or event at a certain particular time.

[Blongkoy]

Oh, by the way, poetry is very difficult to write.

Does poetry have to rhyme?

Read Rolando Carbonnel for all the sweets without rhyme. Read the world famous Jose Garcia Villa for all the commas.

If you do that, you will be able to answer your own question.

[Blongkoy]

thisbe.ara and reggiebuang,

In my earlier post, I mentioned about "10 or less people" participating. The reason for this is that the conference room I am negotiating does not have space for 10 or more people.

I believe there are more people out there who are interested in joining. Your problem is finding the day and time in such a way it will not compromise your day job. In my opinion, however, is to find that day and time and leave your worries behind; a "lost" half day of your day job is bound to be compensated well --- as the Words have it, "it will return a hundredfold."

On the second thought, do not force yourself into new experiences --- such as doing strategic planning as a first step into forming a writers' group --- if you are not prepared for this. It will not result to anything and the risk is that it will only jeopardize your day job.

Writing is not an easy job. There are studies to be made; skills to be developed; nights, to be spent not knowing where to find gainful outlets for the effort; etc. But if you could drop by at Tinderbox between 11:00 PM and 2:30 AM, you will find that the big spenders in that place are writers distancing from their notebooks or typewriters.

The bottomline is that there is no easy work. Even if you are a bigtime movie actor --- and my The Little Company is into enough filmmaking business to know this --- you will still complain of the many difficulties assocaited with your acting job. You will even find yourself complaining and bitching on pale coffee and cold sandwiches. Once on the set of that long running "Little House on the Prairie", I even saw a famous actor screaming her lungs out for the simple issue of the 'honey truck" (mobile CR) having been parked a few more steps away.

Of course, we can tap real good professionals to teach us, professionals like Dr. Resil Mojares (national book titlist). But the best teacher remains to be us and our interest in the craft.

[Blongkoy]

thisbe.ara and reggiebuang,

I will be out from Dec. 10 to Dec. 23, 2004. Then from Dec. 24 to Dec. 30, I prefer to stay at home with the family. Jan. 1 to March 30, 2005, I will have a short-term contract with a foreign company doing liaison work with the local government and other government agencies. The whole of April 2005 is very likely to be spent in finalizing the 'Ms. MM" project of The Little Company. The whole of May 2005 to mid June the following month I reserve for the filming 35mm of "Ms. MM". And mid June 2005 to the end of the following month of July will be spent in the post-production of "Ms. MM". Then follows the market preparation for the release of "Ms. MM".

So you see I will have very little time for other engagement come 2005.