Maalala mo Sana-

Kung bibigyan ka ng pagkakataon na makasama muli ang tao na dating sinaktan ka at ipinagpalit sa iba, tatanggapin mo ba?

Tanong na kaydaling sabihin ngunit kayhirap sagutin. Lalo na kapag ikaw ay nasa sitwasyon na iyon mismo. Anim na buwan nang naganap ang lahat. Tumangis ang kalangitan, kasabay ng malakas na hangin. Mistulang dumaan ang isang unos na hindi maiwasan. Sinalag ang lahat ng sakit at pghati at inakalng di na makakaya.

Pagkalipas ng unos ay biglang isang kuwento ang nakapagpabago ng lahat. Isang kataga na gumising sa natutulog na damdamin. Tila nabagok ang ulo at nagising sa katotohahan. Makalipas ang ilang buwang paghihintay ay biglang lumabas ang katotohahan. Katotohanan na nagpabago ng lahat. Ngunit ang oras at panahon ay nasayang na. Hindi na maaaring maibalik.Tanging ang tandahana na lamang ang maaaring makapagsabi kung tama na ba o itutuloy pa.

Ang mahalaga natuto, nagpatawad, nagmahal nang totoo, nanalig sa Kanya. Di sumuko at higit sa lahat hinarap ang bagong umaga.

Magandang Gabi!

Ang Buhay ng Writer

Ang Buhay ng Writer

(Kuwento sa likod ng magazine na ito)

Tumambad sa akin ang madaming laptop. Nagulat ako, ngunit gaya ng iba kong kasama ay may dala rin ako. Nagsimula ang lahat sa pag-inon ng kape at kaunting kwentuhan. Iba talaga kapag produktong Starbucks, ang sarap. Maya-maya pa ay nagsimula nang magsalita si sir at ma'am. Ilabas na ang lahat ng isinulat, simulan na natin ang trabaho. Kailangan natin matapos ang magazine na ito.

Napakamot ako ng ulo dahil alam ko sa sarili ko na marami pa akong hindi naisusulat. Subalit dahil sa hinihingi ng sitwasyon ay kinailangan kong kumilos at mag-isip ng mas mabilis para makaabot ako sa deadline. Oo DEADline.

Tumahimik na ang lahat, kanya-kanya ng pagtipa sa mga dalang laptop. Ang iba ay naka-ipod. Ayaw ata paggambala sa ingay na naririnig mula sa katabing umpukan. Samantala, ako naman ay nagsimula na ring magsulat.

Sa totoo lang ay kung inaakala ninyo na madali ang magsulat ay nagkakamali kayo. Hindi ito kasingdali ng pag-inom ng isang frapp sa Starbuks. Samakatuwid kailangan mo ng talino, matinding karanasan, inspirasyon, dedikasyon at nasa mood ka rin ng panahon na iyon para sa pagsusulat. Kapag wala nun sa mga nabanggit. Matulog ka na lang.

Habang nagkakagulo ang mga tao sa labas dahil sa botohang pambaranggay ay abala rin kami para tapusin ang magazine na ito. Sinubukan kong magpatawa at kausapin ang aking mga kasama, at bilang respeto nakinig naman sila. Naramdaman ko na di buo ang atensyong ibinigay nila sa akin. Abala nga sila subalit ako ay nanatili pa rin nakatitig sa laptop ko at nag-iisip kung ano ang aking isusulat.

Samantala, ay napatingin ako sa isa kong kasama, ang husay niya pa lang gumuhit. Tahimik siya at nakita ko na seryoso siya sa kanyang ginagawa. Tinitigan ko kung ano ang kanyang iginuguhit. Logo pala ng Dalubwiquest. Ang ganda ng gawa niya walang kaparis. Sa kabilang bahagi naman ay nakita ko si mam at sir. Nakakunot ang noo, panay hawi sa buhok. Ramdam ko na nahihirapan sila.

"Naemail na sa akin ang tula, tanaga at iba pa, aayusin ko na ba?" sambit ng isa kong kasama. Sumagot ang head namin ng oo samantala ako gaya ng dati wala pa ring masulat. Tuloy pa rin ang lahat sa paggawa, ang lahat ay nagsusulat. Ang lahat ay kumikilos para sa isang layunin na matapos ang magazine na ito. Ang isang kasama naman namin ay abala sa pagkuha ng kung anu-anong larawan. Nasabi ko sa sarili ko na ang dali naman ng kanyang ginagawa. Konting anggulo lang tapos ok na. Ngunit mali ako, lalo akong napakamot ng ulo nang marinig ko kanya na ang dami niyang nakuhang larawan ngunit ilan lang naman ang kinukuha niya. Puro raw siya bura. Naisip ko para rin pala siyang nagsusulat.

Nagutom ang lahat, nagpasyang kumain. Sa harap ng hapag-kainan ay hindi nag-iba ang usapan, tungkol pa rin sa magazine. "Okay na ba ang isports? Ang iyong mga tula? O yung article mo?, akin na at edit ko na, yung featured articles ba natin meron na?, " Gusto ko sanang takpan ang aking tenga subalit dahil sa bahagi ako ng magazine na ito ay tiniis ko ang kanilang usapan. Buong puso akong nakinig at nakipagpalitan ng opinyon.

Hapon na at papalubog na ang araw. Lalo kong nararamdaman na kailngan ko nang matapos sa aking isinusulat. Ngunit gaya ng dati nahihirapan pa rin ako. Si mam at si sir abala sa pagproof read. Ang iba naman ay abala sa pagsusulat at pagsasama-sama ng mga articles. Ang galing nila, samantalang ako ay simple lang pinagagawa ngunit di ko magawa.

Natapos na ang lahat, ramdam ko ang pagod ng lahat. Nagpakain si sir at mam, tagumpay daw ang aming ginawa. Sulit daw ang pagod. Ang lahat daw ay nagpakita ng husay sa pagsusulat, pagkuha ng mga larawan, pagsasaliksik, pagproof read at pagsasaayos ng magazine. Lahat ay nagtatawanan na ngunit biglang may napansin na kulang si mam sa aming gawa. Kinabahan ako sapagkat agad na tumingin sa akin si mam. Tila ako nanigas na yelo sa harapan ng aking mga kasama. "Iho, yung gawa mo na lang pala ang kulang, kaya pala sabi ko parang may mali, nagawa mo na ba yung malikhaing pagsulat na pinagagawa ko sa iyo?."

Nahiya ako at di makatingin sa kanyang mata. Kinuha ni mam ang laptop ko at inusisa kung ano ang tinatago ko. Ngumiti siya at tumingin sa akin sabay sabi..

"Mahusay ang iyong gawa."

At doon ko lang napagtanto, ito pala ay naisulat ko na.

Kuwentong Pag-ibig

Kuwentong Pag-ibig

Salin at isinaayos ni Sir Yuan

Noong unang panahon ay mayroong isang isla kung saan nananahan ang iba’t ibang emosyon: Kasiyahan, Kalungkutan, Katalinuhan at marami pang iba, kasama ang Pag-ibig.

Isang araw, ibinalita sa lahat na lulubog na ang isla sa gitna ng karagatan kayat naghanda ang bawat isa ng kani-kanilang mga bangka para agad na lumisan.

Tanging si Pag-ibig lamang ang nagdesisyon na huwag munang iwanan ang isla hanggang sa huling pagkakataon.

Nang makita niya na halos nakalubong ang malaking bahagi ng isla ay doon nagdesisyon si Pag-ibig na lisanin na ang isla. At doon nagsimula siyang humingi ng tulong.

Habang padaan si Kayamanan sakay ng isang engrandeng bangka. Nagtanong si Pag-ibig, “Maaari ba akong makisakay sa iyong bangka?” Sumagot si Kayamanan, “Paumanhin ngunit puno ng ginto at pilak ang aking bangka kayat wala ng lugar para sa iyo rito.”

Nagdesisyon si Pag-ibig na humigi na lang ng tulong kay Banidoso. “Banidoso, tulungan mo ako pakiusap.” “Hindi kita matutulungan”, tugon ni Banidoso, tingnan mo, ikaw ay basang-basa masisira mo ang napakaganda kong bangka.”

Sumunod na nakita ni Pag-ibig si Kalungkutan. Siya ay nagsusumamong humingi ng tulong kay Kalungkutan. “Kalungkutan, isama mo ako sa iyo.” Sumagot si Kalungkutan, Pag-ibig paumanhin ngunit hindi maaari, nais kong mapag-isa.”

Nagsimulang lumuha si Pag-ibig. Mag-isa at walang nang makitang pag-asa, nang biglang isang tinig ang kanyang narinig,”Pag-ibig halika at sumama ka sa akin”, tinig ng isang matanda.

Nakaramdam ng labis na kasiyahan si Pag-ibig kayat nakalimutan niyang magpasalamat at tanungin ang pangalan ng matanda.

Nang makarating sila sa kabilang isla ay siya namang pag-alis din ng matandang nagligtas kay Pag-ibig.

Doon ay napagtanto niya na malaki ang kanyang utang na loob sa nagligtas sa kanya na matanda.

Nakita ni Pag-ibig si Katalinuhan at nagtanong, “Sino ang naglitas sa akin?”

“Si Panahon ang nagligtas sa iyo Pag-ibig”, tugon ni Katalinuhan.

“Ngunit bakit ako tinulungan ni Panahon na hindi ginawa ninuman?”, pagtataka ni Pag-ibig.

Ngumiti si Katalinuhan ng buong dunong at sinseridad at sumagot,

Dahil tanging ang PANAHON.

Bitin :)

Maaga pa lamang ay gumising na ako para sa dalawang gawain, una para bumoto ikalawa para sa pagsusulat. Kahit bakasyon at naisin ko mang makita ang aking sarili na matagal na nakahiga sa aking kama ay bumangon ako agad ng walang pag-aalinlangan.

Maya-maya pa ay nakatanggap ako ng mensahe mula sa telepono, gising na! Mukang sabik ata sa pagkikita. Hindi ko sinagot sa halip ipinagpatuloy ko ang paghahanda para sa aking mga gagawin sa araw na ito.

Maraming tao, magulo, gaya ng dati maraming nakakalat sa paligid na mga papel ng mga tatakbong kandidato para sa Punong Barangay at Kagawad. Nakikipagsiksikan ako upang hanapin ang presinto na kung saan ako boboto.

Pagdating ko sa presinto ay maikli pa lang ang pila, iba talaga ang nagagawa kapag maaga ka nagpunta. At dahil sa magaling pa ako sumungit dahil sa hindi oraganisadong pila ay pang-apat ako sa mga nakaboto. Pagkaupo ko, walang kopya ng mga tatakbong kandidato. Napatingala ako sa langit. Paano ko gagalingan ang panghuhula eh kung wala man lang akong kaideya-ideya. At dahil sa mahal ko ang aking ina ay siya lamang ang aking binoto. Sinubukan kong iligid ang aking mga mata, baka sakaling makakita ng kakilala. Baka sakaling mabigyan nila ako ng kopya ng mga kandidato at makapamili. Di ako nabigo, mayroon nga akong nakitang kakilala. Nagtanong ako ng pasimple at mantakin ba naman na utusan ako na ito raw ang mga pangalan na iboto ko. Nagmistulang bata ako na pinipilit sa isang bagay na ay kong gawin. Di ko na lang pinansin sa halip pinanindigan ko na nanay ko lang ang aking iboboto.

Umuwi ako ng bahay upang kuhanin lang ang aking gamit para magtungo naman sa BF .

Rainy Days :)

Dear Blogspot?

Hi! How are you! Naging busy man ako pero di ibig sabihin nun nakalimutan na kita. Alam mo ba ang daming kuwento mo ng namiss sa akin. Una, bakasyon ko na ngayon. Yun nga lang nakakalungkot kasi namatay ako ng kaibigan. Si Alwyn, oo siya nga. Sinaksak siya nung isang araw. Nakakalungkot ang kanyang pagkamatay, di mo inaasahan. Ang bilis lang talaga ng buhay no? Isang click lang then wala na. Sorry blogspot kung ganito ako magsalita. Myx ang salita haha! Nabababoy ang wika. Anyway, its not the language its the feelings behind these text. haha! Tama ba ako? Ayun may isa pa akong problema, alam mo naman yun, heart problem pero lalong bumigat yung pakiramdam ko dahil sa bad news na yun. Mabait si Alwyn, ang dami nyang payo na naibigay sa sakin lalo na nung panahon na down ako sa mga problema ko sa pag-ibig. Pero ngayon hindi na namin siya makakasama, kinuha na siya. Pero alam ko na masaya siya kung nasaan man siya. Kasi kasama na siya si Lord. Yun nga lang sana mabigyan ng hustisya yung pagkamatay niya.

Sa kabilang dako, naks Tagalog na Tagalog. May kung ano na nalulungkot ako ngayon, sembreak na kasi eh. Namimiss ko yung dati, Nasa Iloilo siya ngayon at nagpunta rin siya sa Boracay. Sinubukan ko siyang itext, nagrereply naman, yun nga ang cold niya. Habang nagsusulat ako sibukan ko rin siya kausapin pero hindi na siya nagrereply. Nakakalungkot at masakit kasi wala na talagang natitira na love para sa akin. Sana maunawaan mo ako kung hirap na hirap ako magmove on. Hindi dahil sa mahina ako pero hindi kasi ganun kadali yun. Slowly but surely nga ang sabi nila diba. Alam ko naman na hindi ako pababayaan ng taas. May dahilan siya. Alam ko rin na masama man sa paningin ko siya dahil sa pananakit na ginagawa niya alam kong hindi niya sinasadya un. Hindi ko naman kasi siya pwede turuan na mahalin niya ulit ako gaya ng dati. Kasi ang pag-ibig sadyang di natuturuan. Di maaaring diktahan. Nakakabaliw talaga ang pag-ibig haha! Minsan okay ang mood ko minsan naman hindi, ang resulta itetext ko naman siya. Araw-araw nagdadasal ako na maging okay na ako at hindi ko na siya namimiss. Mahirap kasi magsalita ng isang bagay na patapos, napatunayan ko na yun.

Dalawang chapter sa buhay ko ang nagbago, nawala sa tropa namin si Alwyn at nawala siya. Parehong A Ang simula ng kanilang pangalan.

Lord tulungan nyo po akong maging matatag at maging mahinahon sa mga desisyon ko sa buhay. May dahilan ang lahat kung bakit tayo nasasaktan. Ang mahalaga sa bawat pagkakamali natututo tayong bumangon at maging matatag para sa pagbabago. :)

Maikling Kuwento-

Hindi ko maayos ang application sa I-touch ko. Naiinis ako, bago ang protector pati jellycase, di ko naman maenjoy. Lagi pa rin akong late, napapansin na ako. Nalalayuan na ako sa byahe. Nakakapagod, nakakahagard.

Nagpunta ako kanina sa Rob Manila upang bumli nga ng protector gaya ng nabanggit ko kanina. Malamig.. At lalo akong nilamig nang maramdaman ko na marami na namang oras ang dapat kong patayin na mag-isa. Gusto ko siyana itext o kaya tawagan. Kaso pag naiisip ko yung mga sinasabi niya na hindi na niya kao mahal at kailangan, napapaatras na ako. Pakiramdam ko bagamat okay na naman ako, di naman buo ang aking pagkatao. Ayoko na ituloy. Kaantok pero ayoko pa matulog.

sCRAP Book..

Dear Blogspot, Lunes bagong pag-asa ngunit hindi ko na naman nagawa. Pinipilit kong lumayo subalit sa tuwing sinasabi ko iyon ay bumabalik na naman ako sa simula. Tila isang goma. Habang abala ako kanina sa pagbabasa ng mga scrapbook ng aking mga estudyante ay may nakita akong mga sobrang pangdisenyo sa scrapbook na hindi nagamit. Kinuha ko ito at nilagyan ng disenyo ang dalawa kong telepono. Yuan ang nakalagay sa isa at Juanito naman sa ikalawa. Nakakatuwa kaya't hindi ko napigilan gawin iyon. Dalawa na rin ang aking number. Di ko maiwan yung lumang number ko, sayang kasi pag nagpalit na naman ako. Walang consistency. Minsan na lang tumunog ang phone ko. At sa tuwing tumutunog iyon, inaamin ko siya agad ang una kong naiisip. Ngunit gaya ng dati lagi akong bigo. Kaya sa tuwing tumutunog ito alam kong hindi ito siya at pagbukas ko, hindi nga. Sanay na talaga ako. Masasakit ang mga salita na binibitawan niya. May halo pa ring panunumbat kahit na ito ay tapos na. Wala akong magagawa iyon na siya. Araw-araw ay dahan-dahan ko siyang inaalis sa sistema ko. Sobra na masyado na akong tanga. Gusto kong isalba ang relasyon namin sapagkat di biro ang bumuo ng ganoon at makikita mo lang sa wala. Wala nang kumakausap sa akin. Familiar na sila. Tanging magagawa ko, matulog at kumuha ng lakas upang bumangon sa pagkakadapa. Matutulog na ako.

:/

Inaantok na ako, pero ayoko pa matulog. Hinihintay ko pa ang text nya. Makalipas ang apat na araw na paglalakbay, panandalian may nagbago pero hindi pa rin siya tuluyan nawawala sa isip at puso ko. Consistent siya hindi na raw niya ako mahal, at hindi na raw niya kayang maibalik. Indenial pa ata ako kaya ganito pakiramdam ko. Sa totoo lang napapagod na ako pero kinakaya ko pa rin kahit ang sakit sakit na. :/

Masaya ang retreat kahit hindi naman ako totally kasali dun, pero may part pa rin na nagsasalita kami. Very inspiring, nakakataba ng puso. Ang sarap magbagong buhay. Ang sarap mas maging matatag sa pananampalataya. Ang sarap maniwala at magtiwala sa kanya, mga bagay na natutuhan ko.

Angels Hills ang lugar na aming pinuntuhan, nakatulog ako ng hapon pero hindi ako komportable masyado, natatakot ako sa dahilang mag-isa lang ako sa kwarto. Sa totoo lang din di ko nagustuhan ang pagkain, walang sabaw, tuyot at bukod pa roon ay kakaunti. Matapos magdinner, naligo ako at nagtungo ako sa simbahan. Unang pagkakataon kong magsimba doon. Walang tao, ako lang solo ko ang simbahan. Tahimik at alam ko na mananamnam ko ang pakikipag-usap sa Kanya. Tumulo ang luha sa aking mga mata na mistulang bata. Kahit hindi pa ako pumapasok doon alam kong alam na niya ang nasasaloob ko.

Bumalik ako sa lugar kung nasaan nandoon ang mga estudyante ko. Ang lahat ay humagulogol na. Maya-maya pa ay tinawag kami upang ibigay ang sulat ng kanilang mga nanay. Lalo silang umiyak. Ang sarap talaga ng pag-iyak lalo na kung ito ay totoo at galing sa iyong puso.

Tinatamad na akong dugtungan, pagod na talaga katawan ko. :/

123

Di naman ako masyado na naluluha. May lakad pa nga ako mamayang gabi. Sa pagkakataong ito di ako sumuko. Ginawa ko yung best ko para masave ko lahat. Kaso walang pinatunguhan. Ayoko na paniwalain pa sarili ko na may pag-asa pa. Matagal na nga akong pinapasuko, ako lang yung makulit. Kasi ayoko masayang yung tatlong taon na pinaghirapan namin. Ang hirap kaya bumuo ng ganun lalo na pag alam mo na minsang minahal ninyo ang isa't isa. Yun nga lang ang masakit dito eh talaga pa lang minsan napapagod din ang puso, ang matindi pa ehh, minsan nawawala pa yung feelings. Anyway di masyado gumagana utak ko ngayon sa pagsusulat. Ayoko lang may mamiss na araw sa pagsusulat.

Gagawa pa ako ret let haha!

From Doc Ed's profile, kakatouch ehh :)

"Love Story"

Once upon a time there was an island where all the feelings
lived: happiness, sadness, knowledge, and all the others,
including love.

One day it was announced to all of the feelings that the
island was going to sink to the bottom of the ocean.
So all the feelings prepared their boats to leave.

Love was the only one that stayed. He wanted to preserve
the island paradise until the last possible moment.

When the island was almost totally under, Love decided it was
time to leave. He began looking for someone to ask for help.

Just then Richness was passing by in a grand boat. Love
asked, "Richness, Can I come with you on your boat?"
Richness answered, " I'm sorry, but there is a lot of silver
and gold on my boat and there would be no room for you anywhere."

Then Love decided to ask Vanity for help who was passing in a
beautiful vessel. Love cried out, "Vanity, help me please."
"I can't help you", Vanity said, "You are all wet and will
damage my beautiful boat."

Next, Love saw Sadness passing by, Love said, "Sadness,
please let me go with you." Sadness answered, "Love, I'm sorry, but,
I just need to be alone now."

Then, Love saw Happiness. Love cried out, " Happiness, please
take me with you." But Happiness was so overjoyed that he
didn't hear Love calling to him.

Love began to cry. Then, he heard a voice say, "Come Love,
I will take you with me." It was an elder.

Love felt so blessed and overjoyed that he forgot to ask the
elder his name.

When they arrived on land the elder went on his way.
Love realized how much he owed the elder.

Love then found Knowledge and asked,
"Who was it that helped me?"

"It was Time", Knowledge answered.

"But why did Time help me when no one else would?", Love
asked.

Knowledge smiled and with deep wisdom and sincerity, answered,

" BECAUSE ONLY TIME

Kundiman Part 2

Dear Blogspot,

Pinilit kong gumising nang maaga kanina kahit na ako ay inaantok pa. Napupuyat ako na di naman produktibo. Papalapit na ang bakasyon ngunit ito pa rin ako tulala. Naghihintay pa rin at umaasa na maaayos ang lahat sa amin o kaya naman ay makalimutan ko na ang lahat. Sa totoo lang ay di ako sinuwerte sa nasakyan ko kanina, ubod ng bagal. Maaga man ako umalis, huli pa rin. sa harapan ko ay sandamakmak na choco crunchies. Ang sarap ganun talaga pag may iniisip ako, kapag depress ako tsokolate ang takbuhan. Masyado nang malala ang sakit. Masyado nang pinalala ng mga nangyari. Sinubukan kong isalba ngunit sa tuwing ginagawa ko iyon ay lumalayo siya. Panahon na talaga na dapat ay may paghugutan ako ng lakas ng loob para bumangon. Hindi man sa isang tao maaari rin naman sa mga bagay. Kasabay ng pagbabahagi ko ng kuwento ay kumakain ako kaya pahinto-hinto ako ngayon. Madalas ko rin tingnan ang telepono ko. Nagbabakasakali na siya na ang magtetext. Ngunit mali. Walang nagtetext. Okay na siguro talaga siya sa isa. Kung pagtabuyan na niya ako daig ko pa ang hayop. Tanggapin ko na dapat ang mayroon ngayon. Na wala na talaga siya. Na isa na lang siyang alaala. Kagabi lang sobra ang iyak ko. haha! Nakakatawa pero totoo. Nung pauwi na rin ako kanina, naluluha ako pero pinigilan ko. Malaki na ang kasalanan ko sa Kanya, sa sarili ko, sa kaibigan ko at sa mga taong napabayaan ko. Pero alam ko nauunawaan nila ako sa pinagdadaanan. Kahit sa blog ko man lang mapasalamatan ko kayo. Salamat sa lahat ng tumulong. Kaunting buwan pa, linggo, araw? Siguro magiging okay na ako. :)

Ayoko nang magsalita. Gagawin ko na lang.. :)

Okay!

Articles

50 simple rules for making it as a writer

A VETERAN AUTHOR OF A DOZEN NONFICTION BOOKS DISTILLS THE LESSONS HE'S LEARNED

By Harvey Rachlin

Published: June 8, 2010

To succeed as a writer in the world of publishing is no easy task. A plethora of writers—many of them seasoned pros or people famous from other fields—compete for the precious space in magazines and newspapers and for the limited number of book contracts offered by publishing houses. A writer needs talent, drive and dedication to break into the game or stay in it, not to mention a little bit of luck. But opportunities abound. Industry folk are always looking for strong new voices, and the writer with respectable credits often has a leg up on the competition. Still, writing for publication is a challenging endeavor—a bit like shooting three-pointers from half-court. And for all writers, new and experienced alike, there are some basic rules that may serve as a blueprint for success. Here are 50 of them: 1. Pick a direction. What do you want to do? Write novels, biography, self-help, science fiction, essays, articles, poetry? The industry likes to peg writers, so set your compass and follow the needle. 2. Learn your craft. Different literary forms require different stylistic techniques. Learn and master the form you want to write in. Read, study (via courses, for example, or an MFA program), write; read, study, write! 3. Learn the industry. Whether you want to write books or newspaper and magazine articles or for the Internet, writing without knowing the markets is like trying to pin the tail on the donkey. Confidence and success come with identifying the publishers who are most likely to buy your work. Comb the trades and writing magazines, explore libraries and magazine stands, and search the Internet to see what the markets are. 4. Write all the time. Like concert musicians who practice every day to give their best performance, writers need to write all the time to do their best work. Periods of abstinence are a guaranteed route to rustiness. 5. Be a fountain of ideas. Ideas are the lifeblood of the writer’s trade. Train yourself to sprout fresh and innovative ideas by constantly thinking about what would make a great book or article. Ideas are all around you—headlines, culture, research, conversations, not to mention your own fertile imagination. 6. Pursue ideas with the greatest commercial potential. Who is the audience for your book? Is it sizeable? Does your book idea cover an angle that hasn’t been done before? To convince a publisher to offer you a contract, you want to present a book idea that has the greatest chance of success. 7. Run your nonfiction book ideas by others. Before you spend time writing a book proposal, make sure the book has a solid market. Get feedback from your agent if you have one, but if you don’t, ask someone knowledgeable whose judgment you trust, like a librarian or bookseller. 8. Learn how to write a great proposal. Generally speaking, for fiction, a complete manuscript or several sample chapters are needed for a publishing contract. For nonfiction, it’s proposals. Nonfiction-book proposals follow a basic formula. Learn how to craft a proposal, to write dynamite sample chapters, and to set your proposal apart from the competition. 9. Get started on something! Once you’ve decided what to write about, don’t procrastinate, just start. Get something down. You will write and rewrite, write and rewrite, but you won’t have anything if you don’t begin. No excuses; just results. 10. Read before you write. Starting to write “cold” can produce uninspired work. There’s nothing like great writing to warm you up to tempo, rhythm, flow, cadences, flavor, and overall élan. Before you begin pounding the keyboard, pick up a piece of writing that moves you and read it until your creative batteries are charged.

11. See it through. Writers come up with all sorts of excuses not to finish what we started. Don’t! Avoid distractions, stay focused, work out problems, and wrap it up. 12. Be sure your work is in the best possible shape before you submit it. In your eagerness to get published, don’t let your writing get short shrift. It isn’t finished until you’ve given it your best effort. 13. Hire an editor. After reading your work over and over, you can lose your objectivity about it. Before submitting your work, have a professional editor or someone whose editorial judgment you trust read it over. 14. Write multiple proposals. Every agent has his or her own interests and editorial contacts. Sending an agent several book proposals may increase the chance that the agent will like at least one of your ideas. It’s more work, but it may be worth it in the end. And you can always use the other proposals down the line. 15. Write books with international appeal. Foreign publishers buy books they believe will be of particular interest to their countries’ readers, so keep that in mind when planning or writing your book. 16. Build your platform. Unless they have a Ph.D., a slew of prestigious writing credits, or a guaranteed appearance on Oprah, it’s essential for nonfiction writers to beef up their credentials to get a book contract. Teach a course, build a media profile, do whatever you can to make yourself a recognized expert in your subject area. 17. Snag endorsements from established authors. If you can submit your work with sparkling blurbs from successful authors or leaders in your genre, you show not only that your work is of high quality, but that you are a professional committed to marketing your work. 18. Follow submission guidelines. Check publications’ or publishers’ websites for instructions on how to submit work, as well as for descriptions of what kinds of material they’re looking for. If possible, address queries and submissions to specific people. If you don’t know the name of an appropriate editor, call or e-mail the company and find out (although in some cases websites direct submissions to particular departments without naming an editor). 19. Write a great query letter. This is the first thing an editor or agent sees, so you want it to be a knockout. Look for books and magazine or online articles to learn the tricks of writing query letters that capture the reader’s attention. 20. Follow up submissions in a timely manner. It may take time to get a response, so be patient. But if several weeks have passed and you haven’t heard back, write (or call, if allowed) to find out the status of your submission. Keep orderly records of all your submissions and follow-up activities.

21. Find markets that can further your career goals. Do you want to publish in literary journals, music magazines, women’s magazines, or special-interest online sites? Research available outlets and either send in your work or query. Also, don’t overlook alumni magazines, trade publications, and other specialty magazines, which can also generate national recognition and book contracts. For fiction writers, keep in mind that agents and editors scour these types of publications for new talent. Let your work here catch their attention. 22. Read target publications before you submit. It’s one of the basic rules of publishing, but surprisingly it’s not always followed. Read several issues of any publication to which you wish to send your work to be sure your work is appropriate for it. 23. Suggest a column with your local town newspaper. Want to be an arts critic, a political pundit, a humor writer, an advice columnist? Write a few pieces on spec for your local paper and try to create a gig for yourself. This could not only build up your writing credits but later lead to syndication. 24. Find an agent. We all know writers need agents, but how do you find the right one for you? To aid your search, you could attend writers conferences, ask other writers, inquire at author associations or college writing departments, check the acknowledgments of books like yours, read writers magazines and industry trades, read online sites or correspond on writers forums, or check with professional literary agent associations, such as the Association of Authors’ Representatives. 25. Make sure your agent is working in your best interest. Just because you have an agent doesn’t mean you’ll be successful. Monitor the work of your agent to be certain he or she is doing his or her best on your behalf--helping you shape your work for submission, selling it, negotiating your contract, selling license rights, and championing you to industry folk. If your agent isn’t facilitating your career, talk it over with him or her, and if that doesn’t produce results, move on. 26. Eschew vanity presses and fee-charging agents. Writers don’t pay to get published, they GET paid. Avoid publishers and agents who want you to pay them. (Some agents charge reading fees; check them out to make sure they’re reputable before sending them your manuscript.) 27. Go it alone. Not every author needs an agent. There are successful authors who find publishers themselves and negotiate their own contracts. Keep in mind that small and independent publishers and university presses may be more open than the major houses to manuscripts submitted by an author without an agent. If you manage your own career, you may do things like contacting film/TV subagents to sell your book for film or TV or literary subagents to sell your book in foreign territories. 28. Write for book packagers. Book packagers differ from agents in that they come up with book ideas and sell them to agents, and then hire writers to write the books. What packagers pay may be less than you’d receive with your own book contract drawn up by an agent, but it is a good way for unproved writers to get book credits and make some money, not to mention learn the craft of actually writing a book. Check out Literary Market Place for listings of packagers. 29. Meet your deadlines. Once your project has been accepted, show you are a professional by meeting your deadlines. Plan appropriately so you don’t have to make an excuse for not delivering on time. Likewise, do not object to reasonable requests for revisions. 30. Develop relationships with editors. Befriend editors who accept your work. Turn rejections into friendships. Follow up with thank-you notes and requests for permission to make future submissions. Send holiday cards. The personal touch may help. Look for some kind of connection, like a common college alma mater, or a shared interest, such as playing guitar.

31. Always try to have something in the submission pipeline. Success is achieved by constant writing and constant submission. The more projects you have cooking, the higher your chances for success. 32. Attend writers conferences and workshops. These are great sources of inspiration, information and contacts. And critiquing others’ writing gives you a better editorial eye for your own work. Make an effort to network with people who can help further your career. Collect and hand out business cards, set up meetings, send “nice to meet you” e-mails. 33. Create your own luck. Fortuitous breaks happen when people know about you. So be active and attend as many writing or publishing events as you can; query publishers frequently; and make as many acquaintances and friendships with industry people as possible. Let them know about you and your work, and you’ll guide opportunities your way. 34. Prepare and implement your own marketing and publicity plan. Today, it’s necessary for authors to supplement their publishers’ marketing and publicity activities to sell their books. So create and implement your own marketing plan: Do online marketing; contact reporters, journalists, and editors for articles or reviews; do readings and speeches; write essays or op-eds in which your new book is mentioned in your credits. And remember, it’s never too early to start publicity. 35. Get local media behind you. Local media are often receptive to local authors. Use local publicity to start things off and parlay it into publicity at the regional or national levels. 36. Milk publicity for every event you do. If you make any kind of professional appearance—a speech or book signing, for example—contact the local media. No publicity is too small. Send in a press release and picture before the event, or a photo of yourself and a write-up of the event afterward. And be sure to post it all on your Web site. 37. Create and maintain an outstanding website. These days having a website is de rigueur for an author, so you need to make your website stand out from the pack. What is it that you would like to accomplish with your website? Tailor your site to fit your goals, and update it often. 38. Make use of the latest technology. Podcasts, vlogs, blogs, YouTube videos, book trailers, online forums—writers are taking advantage of modern communications technology to exploit their work and boost their careers. Look for firms that specialize in working with authors on Web-based promotions, or seek out Web sites that provide free how-to guides and master some of the techniques yourself. 39. Look for trends. Trendy magazines and online publications are constantly reporting on emerging new developments. Be on the lookout, and approach editors as soon as you see something exciting emerging that would make a good story. 40. Look for thematic tie-ins for articles and promotion. Whether you want to write an article or promote your latest opus, you may enhance your chances for success by finding connections that are of interest to your target media, such as anniversaries, holidays and celebrations. Be sure to query well in advance when proposing such an article or promotion.

41. Self-publish. For some authors, self-publishing used to be either a last resort or a means to interest publishers by racking up sales and proving there was an audience for the author’s book. With the Internet, a great facilitator of book reproduction and marketing, self-publishing is often a promising route to success, especially in today’s difficult publishing environment. Be aware, however, that self-publishing usually requires a significant commitment of time and effort to turn out a quality product. 42. Hold a board meeting. Your writing career not going the way you’d like? Stop, and hold a board meeting! You’re the CEO, president and sole employee of your writing career, so have a meeting with yourself and consider where you are in your career, what your goals are, and how you can get there. Strategize, and then take action. Consider a new approach, such as writing in a different genre or collaborating with an expert. A new line of attack can kick-start or revitalize a stagnating career. 43. Have a video ready to send to talent coordinators. Talk-show bookers like to see and hear authors they are considering. If you’ve appeared on other TV shows, they may want to see a video. You could also tape a mock interview with a friend playing host. Make sure the video projects what TV bookers are looking for in their guests: Be articulate, animated and intelligent. 44. Limit the time you spend on speculation writing. It’s great to have an assignment or a book contract, but writing in the hope of selling your work is a gamble. Set a limit to the time you put into spec writing. 45. Parlay research for one project into another. A great side benefit of doing research is that you uncover fascinating information or stories that could be the basis of another project. If you find something during your research that strikes you as having potential, take notes or photocopy the relevant passages (noting source, author, publisher, page number, and so forth) so you can come back to the subject at a later date. Also record your ideas on how it could be used, particular angles you could take, and so forth. 46. Be obsessed. Publishing is fiercely competitive. To break into and stay in the writing field, you have to want it passionately. Obsession may be the driving force that compels you to do your best work and stick through the tough times until you’ve achieved success. But don’t let your passion become self-destructive. Strike a balance between obsession and healthy everyday living. 47. Never give up. Writing is lonely and rejection is inevitable, but you love to write, and you love the idea of being published. When your days are not going as you’d like, you may become discouraged. But never give up! Develop a thick skin. Know that the time and struggle it takes to break in is just the nature of the publishing beast, and have confidence you’ll succeed. 48. Move on. No matter how much you believe in a project, if the rejections pile up, sometimes it’s best to chalk it up and go on to something else. You can always come back to the project, but know when to stop beating a dead horse. Channel anger and frustration into motivation to succeed in whatever you decide to do next. 49. Always be professional. From simple e-mails to formal submissions, show that you are the consummate professional. No matter what your current mood, keep all communications purposeful, positive and friendly. This will help ensure that your agent, publisher, or editor stays receptive to whatever you have to say. 50. Devise your own rules. Maybe you already have your own set of rules that you practice. There’s virtually an unlimited number of rules that could be devised for writing-career success. Find those that work best for you and use them for guidance, reinforcement and inspiration. Of course, many of these rules are common sense. That’s because success is usually achieved the old-fashioned way—with ingenuity, hard work, perseverance and, hopefully, a dash of good fortune. And perhaps that’s the most important rule of all. # # #

Harvey Rachlin Harvey Rachlin is an award-winning author of a dozen books. His most recent book,Scandals, Vandals and da Vincis (Penguin), was published in June 2010 in Poland, following other foreign editions in Korea, Spain and the U.K.

Kim :)

Hello blogspot :)

Isang araw di na lang ako magpaparamdam sa lahat :)

Magmomove ako na di ko na kakailanganin ang tulong ng iba. Pangako. :)

Sana lang magdecide ka na, wag mo na ako paasahin. Oo na nagkamali ako sayo noon pero may rason at di kita pinagpalit sa iba. Sana tama na kasi sobra na ginagawa mo. Kung alam lang nila nangyayari siguro maililigtas pa kita sa lahat. Kaso hindi ikaw mismo nabubulagan.

Masayang Gabi sa lahat :)

Ang ganda ni Kim Chiu plus Maja! Happy Birthday Maja! :)

Ingat ka :)

Since the day that your gone

I'm sitting here alone and waiting for you to come

Hoping and praying that you'll come back

I need you beside me please save me tonight

3

Halos mag-aalas onse na nang nakauwi ako sa aming bahay. Nakakapagod at ang daming gumugulo sa aking isipan. Nalugi ng ilang kostumer ang Starbucks Aguirre sa dahilang halos limang oras akong nanatili kasama ng aking mga kasama sa trabaho upang magbahaginan ng mga kuwento ng buhay.

Tunay ngang nakikiiyak ang langit. Naging emosyonal na naman ako. Matapos nang mahabang kwentuhan nakita ko na naman ang aking sarili na lumuluha sa loob ng tricycle. Salamat na lang at may sumakay kaya nahinto ang aking pagluha.

Sa totoo lang ay hirap na hirap na ako sa sitwasyon ko. Napapagod na ako. Ang gusto ko lang malaman kung siya ba talaga ay nakalaan sa akin o hindi. Sana matapos na ang lahat, pagod na pagod na pagod na ang pisikal, mental, emosyonal na bahagi ng aking pagkatao.

Sana sapat na yung napakita ko para maramdaman mo na mahal kita, na tunay ang narardaman ko sa iyo. Ang bawat hawak mo sa aking kamay ay nagpapaalala sa akin na mahal mo pa ako kahit papaano. Sana magising ka na sa katotohahan at makita mo ang halaga ko.

Ang mata ko ay napapapikit na, bukas ko na itutuloy.