Contest Time!

I like joining writing contests, especially for this organization because the people there come up with the most beautifully designed and illustrated children's books, as well as the coolest projects that promote local culture.

Their annual writing competition is up and running. Click here to find out the details.

I've joined it a couple of times, and I haven't won top prize.  I did gain honorable mention thrice, I think.  And the first time I did, the organizers decided to publish my story.

You can view it here, and purchase it here.

Light and love, everyone!

It's out!

Finally promoted ze book on FB and Twitter!

Now, to twiddle my thumbs and hope people purchase the book, and write their reviews.

Here's a high-res of the book cover made by the talented Gerry Isaac! Check out his blog to see how he created the cover art. Thanks, Gerry!

Purchase the book on Amazon.
Purchase the book on Smashwords.

Again and Again

And so, I revised the digital copy for the last time--or so I thought. After uploading it on my Kindle, I found two errors.

And so once again, I'm waiting for the book to be published until I can re-upload the final final final version. I swear, I'm not gonna read it anymore lest I find more errors. (don't follow my lead, writers)

In other news, here's what I posted in #romanceclass, the online class on romance novella writing initiated by Mina V. Esguerra about how I finished the whole thing.

my romance novella writing experience:

so yes, i cheated. technically, i already had my novella written even before i joined this class. i wrote it on my last trimester of pregnancy last year. i don't know why, but i just felt the need to do something creative--something that required more effort than the usual before i popped. i started by writing a YA novella. i couldn't progress beyond the 2nd chapter. so i figured, why not try writing a romance novella?

i trawled the net for tips on novel writing. also, pregnancy made my brain feel nice and fuzzy. all it craved were chick-lit books. that was part of research. 

i basically did the following steps:
1) mapped out MC's character. this will determine her voice, decisions and ultimately, her fate.
2) had a general idea of the storyline.
3) but to make sure i had enough material to stretch it into chapters, i wrote a synopsis for each chapter. no judgment, no grammar checking. white-heat writing first so i can make some progress.
4) then everyday, i made sure i put in some work. i allotted two days per chapter.

i started the project 2 months before i gave birth. and i finished it 2 weeks before my due date. so it's doable! i'm glad i wrote it then because now, with an almost one-year-old EBFeeding (plus my regular home-based work), i don't think I'd be able to wing it.

happy writing, everyone!

unofficially published

And so I clicked on Publish on Kindle before I gave my book a final proofreading.  A momentary panic moment there when I thought there was no turning back.  Thankfully, I found out I could still edit my story once it's been published (after 12 hours).

So, no reason to advertise the book yet. Hopefully, it'll be up on payday Monday next week!

Still At It

My self-deadline for publishing the novella online is in less than two weeks. Dearest Universe, please help me make it.

My artist-friend sent the study for the cover last night, and I was pleasantly surprised by his work.  It was his first time to design a book cover (a romance novella at that), and I liked how he made it cartoonish. I felt it matched the story's vibe.  

I just hope I can mold the story in its best version possible. I feel like I'm a horseshoe craftsman, heating up and pounding the story into shape.