Feel-Good Flashback

The Boyfriend Backtrack by Dawn Lanuza

I've been hearing good stuff about this local indie book that I immediately added it to my Kindle. And I'm glad I did. 

The Boyfriend Backtrack was nicely written, even though the story-telling wasn't linear. It involved a series of flashbacks involving the main character and her past brushes with romance. The technique wasn't at all confusing; in fact, it shed light on the character's present dilemma: should she go ahead and marry because she was at the right age? Because her steady boyfriend asked her to? Because it was the next logical step in their relationship?

I loved how the author executed the dialogues. They read so naturally, like I was watching a good rom-com with a little more depth. Another thing I liked about this book was that a love interest's song for the main character was Here comes your Man by the Pixies. Wow, now that's a major flashback. And a really cool one too.

Buy it on Amazon or Smashwords.

Bookish Wish

I'm celebrating National Children's Book Day with a wish!

The question I was asked to answer was: Which Filipino books for kids do you want to get published?

I've always been a big YA (Young Adult) fan even when I stopped being the target reader for the genre.  One of my first jobs was being a segment producer for the now-defunct tween show called 5 and Up. There, I discovered kindred spirits who were just as badly hung up on YA as I was.

My co-producers and I had an informal book club, exchanging our YA books by Jerry Spinelli, S.E. Hinton, E.L. Konigsburg, and Robert Cormier, among others. September was the highlight of our bookish lives; we all hied off to Megamall for the book fair, where we scored discounted YA books. These books were sort of a shared property--we made sure we didn't buy the same book twice (if we didn't have enough cash) since we'd borrow each other's stuff anyway.

MY POINT IS...there weren't enough local YA books at that time. That's why we gorged on those foreign books with characters that were blonde and blue-eyed, stories that mentioned snow, spring break, and other foreign concepts. But the themes were varied, and they kept us coming back for more.

That's why Janus Silang is such a breakthrough--at least in my opinion.

Here's a fresh, new YA book that wasn't thin, with enough words to make it a full-fledged novel. And it was unabashedly Pinoy, its theme revolving around our supernatural culture. The best part about it was that it was written in Tagalog!

I felt that this book changed mindsets. It's cool to read something in Tagalog, in a language that we use to converse with our friends. It involved blood, gore, and gaming addiction--issues that are sometimes side stepped in local books for kids.

Kids want something more sophisticated. Something that won't talk down to them. Something that showed them that they're in this cool stage of their lives, and that being Pinoy is something to be celebrated.

So such is my book wish: please--more local YA reads that tackle a host of subjects that will make us feel that being Pinoy is the coolest thing in the world.

The Children's Book Illustrator I Want to Date

I'm celebrating National Children's Book Day with this somewhat unconventional question:
Which children's book writer or illustrator would you like to date for a day?

Well, I'm going to cheat a bit because the person I would like to spend a day with is a good friend of mine, who happens to be one of the founding members of INK (Ilustrador ng Kabataan).

Presenting (drumroll, please) . . . the supertalented ROBERT ALEJANDRO!

He illustrated "Chief Flower Girl" by Marivi Soliven-Blanco, a children's book released in 1998. I trawled the net but I couldn't find the book cover. But if you're curious about his work, just click on his website or enter any Papemelroti store, which houses his designs, along with his sisters'.

Robert and I bonded when we worked in the children's show, Art is-Kool, which aired on GMA 7 from 2003-2004. It may have been a short-lived show, but it was highly successful. I remember helping organize our free art workshops in the mall, and there would be this DELUGE of participants which we weren't prepared for. We also got a lot of fan mail, and the ratings weren't bad for a morning show.

(me, Kuya Robert, and Aldrin)

Including Robert (and excluding the camera crew), our production team consisted of three. While Robert brainstormed his weekly projects (sometimes, minutes before we filmed), my colleague (first it was Marj then it was Aldrin) and I wrote on-the-spot spiels, directed the shots, edited the episode, and helped the network with marketing (Art is-Kool was produced by Probe Productions, Inc., an independent production company) week after week. It was exhausting work--one that people inevitably bonded over.

Now, Robert is constantly busy, and I would very much like to chat with him again. Aside from being one of the most talented people I know, he is also one of the nicest. I think the reason why Art is-Kool was a success was that Robert genuinely loved kids, and recognized the artist in everyone. He insisted on using recycled materials--none of those fancy-shmancy art materials NOT every kid could afford. From these simple things, he created coin banks, puppets, toy cars and other beautiful objects, which I think, are reflections of his kind heart.

So Robert, if you're reading this, mag-date naman tayo!

My Favorite Pinoy Children's Books

I'm celebrating National Children's Book Day with a post!

I've always loved working for/with children, so I guess it's only natural that even as an adut, I gather inspiration from children's books. And I don't mean just the popular ones from Eric Carle, Dr. Seuss or Sandra Boyton. The local scene is just overflowing with children's books that have touched me in a special way.

Here are some examples (in no particular order)--some of which are my son's favorites as well:


Ang Unang Baboy sa Langit
Author: Rene Villanueva

Illustrator: Ibarra Crisostomo
How can you resist a tongue-in-cheek story about a pig who sacrificed his life by being the first ever lechon? Complete with a reference to Nora Aunor's blockbuster movie, this story is a hit among, not only children, but also adults.

Alamat ng Ampalaya
Author: Augie Rivera
Illustrator: Kora Albano
My son still doesn't like ampalaya, but he loves this book. Through this imaginative tale, we find out how the bitter gourd got its name--and disposition.

Salamat Po!
Author: Russel Molina
Illustrator: Tokwa Peñaflorida
I'm a sucker for children's books that use words sparingly, and this is one of them. I love the authenticity of the young character's voice, and how the story reads like a prayer.

Gusto ko nang lumaki!
Author: Liwliwa Malabed
Illustrator: Domz Agsaway
My son also loves this book; both the illustrations and story were so wacky! I don't think I'll ever get to read the phrase Barbie na nagiging sitaw in another book in this lifetime.

The Girl in a Box
Author: Dang Bagas
Illustrator: Aldy Aguirre
Somber and musical, the tone of the narrative, coupled with the whimsical drawings, packs a punch. No wonder it was chosen as one of 2014's Best Reads at the National Children's Book Awards.

Papel de Liha
Author: Ompong Remigio
Illustrator: Beth Parrocha-Doctolero
Such a simple story with a lot of heart. I read this for the first time when I was an adult, in a bookstore, from cover to cover. After reading it, I bought it, wanting the words to echo within me.

What Helps Me Write

It's hard to get that first (shitty) draft going, and staring at my computer screen while doing that type-delete-pause routine completely drains me. Besides, since my work also involves tapping on my keyboard, I relish the time I spend away from it.

I find that it's easier for me to complete a novella when I first organize my thoughts on paper.

(Sorry for the mirror image--that's what Photobooth coughs out)

I don't edit my thoughts or think about the grammar. I just write and write and write. The day after, I transfer the words on my computer. Sometimes, I don't even have to look at my notes because they're all in my head, and I now have a clearer, more succinct version that flows from my fingertips.

I guess it's because I'd already purged my brain of all unnecessary plot elements that I'm able to get a more accurate feel of what the story is all about.

How about you? What's your technique?

Choco Chip Hips under Construction

Pre-press work is very exciting.

I got my beta-reader's feedback, edits from my grammar girl, and this cover study for the book. :-)

My Writing Corner

I used to have a pretty wooden desk with a swivel chair with all the writing implements within arm's reach--a round canister of freshly sharpened pencils, working pens, notepads and notebooks. Because I write for a living, this was my sanctuary, a place where thoughts flowed freely to the tips of my fingers as I typed on my laptop's keyboard.

Correction: I still have that pretty wooden desk with the swivel chair, but now it's filled with clutter--different colors of clay kneaded together by a toddler's hands so now, they look like one big gray clump, wet wipes, nearly finished tubes of kiddie toothpaste and a wooden spice rack with a glass window, which my son liked to use as an "oven" when he's pretending to bake his gray clay cakes.

Obvs, that ain't my writing corner anymore.

When my son is asleep, that's the only time I can really write. Because when he's awake, he won't leave me alone, grabbing the laptop away from me. So now, my writing corner has become this area.

It's that floor space between the bed (foreground) and the kiddie cabinet (pardon the pants peeping out of the bottom drawer). I usually prop up a pillow against the cabinet so my back won't hurt, then I'd sit on the floor and write. 

When my son would wake up from a daymare (I usually write when he's taking daytime naps 'cause I sleep early like him), I could easily get up and soothe him back to sleep--so I can have more writing time. It isn't a pretty space, but it works, and for now, that's all I need.

*This post is inspired by C.P. Santi's blog post on her writing corner. I couldn't find her post but it's there somewhere in her blog. Check it out!