bahala na

It's the first day of the working year and I'm spending it by identifying what needs to be done for various clients and projects, devising strategies and approaches based on last year's learnings, compartmentalizing tasks so things are not so overwhelming, and allocating resources (including myself) to start getting things done. Several items on my task list are ongoing concerns, which means there is the necessity of thinking months ahead, while others, somewhat routine in aspect, need a jolt of freshness in terms of thinking and execution.

It's no secret that many companies in Manila (in the country, in the region, in the world) view 2009 with anxiety. Some predict worsening economic realities. Stability can be replaced by the simply need for survival, as a number of companies in my area have shut down or downsized. It is vital that we do what we can in terms of intelligent preparations for the slings and arrows of (outrageous) fortune.

Being Filipino, part of me is influenced by "bahala na". The English translation "come what may" does not begin to articulate the meaning of "bahala na". It is a unique mix of Pinoy pragmatism, optimism and cynicism, finding expression in a certain cavalier, devil-may-care attitude. For some, "bahala na" seems like acceptance of defeat in the light of inglorious circumstances. But for me, "bahala na" is about taking action, about calculated risks and motive force, about going for something and not simply sitting down. My "bahala na" is uttered with a growl, understanding that while hope may be cruel, things do not miraculously get better on their own, and that problems can be tackled as segmented challenges, a bit at a time, with industry and clear thinking.

Similarly, part of my writing attitude (and certainly part of my poetics) is "bahala na". It means trying my hand at a genre or writing manner I've never done before, refusing to accept that I'm anywhere near "good", continously attempting to tell different stories in different ways and learning from the good and bad experiences. It means embracing the realities of being a working writer, of needing to publish, of understanding that my writerly life measured in words. It means continuing to encourage others to tell stories, sharing what little I've learned so more people take up the pen, and educating myself by reading, getting what works and integrating what feels right into my writing. All of this without needing someone to validate my entire approach or process ("bahala na", indeed), but also working to reach the high acceptance standards of various publications here and abroad.

Despite my age (and yes, I'm finding that forty is sexy), I still consider myself a young writer, especially in terms of output. I like to imagine that I have more to tell, and that if I keep trying I'll improve. The proof, for me and for all other working writers, is in what we put out and publish, and I hope to have some good stuff this year.

Maybe a second collection. And a novel.

Bahala na.

writing

In retrospect, I wish I had actually managed to write another novel this year, but things being things, I was not able to.

With short fiction, I did better. After being able to make time (a dicey proposition in a year graced by a new daughter) and after many false starts (believe me, my hard drive has a folder marked "Fiction 2008" that is littered with stillborn and crippled beginnings, middles and endings) I managed to eke out some new stories, which combined with sold inventory and a reprint or two from last year, make a decent publishing list for 2008:

“An Excerpt from 'Princes of the Sultanate' (Ghazali: 1902); Annotated by Omar Jamad Maududi, MLS, HOL, JMS” in Story Philippines, February 2008
“The Middle Prince” in Tales of Fantasy and Enchantment, edited by Cristina Pantoja-Hidalgo, February 2008
“In the Dim Plane” in Digest of Philippine Genre Stories, April 2008.
“Sunboy” in Philippines Free Press, May 2008.
“The Many Loves of Ramil Alonzo” in Philippines Free Press, August 2008.
“The Maiden and the Crocodile” in Bewildering Stories, September 2008.
“Remembrance” in Exotic Gothic II, edited by Danel Olsen, Ash-Tree Press, September 2008
“I, D.I." in Belonging: Stories of Relationships, edited by Erlinda Panlilio, Anvil, October 2008
“Report HC-IK017785A-0097B-006 de Ocampo: Survey of Artifacts Found in the Derelict Vessel The Malaya” in Philippines Free Press, November 2008.

I also translated a story for Khavn's Ultraviolins.

I still feel terrible that the publication of Philippine Speculative Fiction IV was postponed to February 2009, but what can you do?

Moving into next year, I'm happy to note that I have several stories slated for publication in various anthos and periodicals, which frees me from the initial anxiety of having nothing in the pipeline (remember that I take this "working writer" thing quite seriously, and a working writer publishes) and permits me the usual anxiety of developing new inventory.

I think that by mid-year I'll have enough for a second collection of stories - we'll see.

new fiction: the malaya

I have a new story out in the November 29 issue of the Philippines Free Press: "Report HC-IK017785A-0097B-006 de Ocampo: Survey of artifacts found in the derelict vessel 'The Malaya'".
---

Notes on a fMRIS scan, attributed to Dr. Jocelyn Montemayor (vessel’s physician); extracted from Montemayor’s audio logs

MONTEMAYOR: …suggest subject’s ventral tegmental areas unusually inactive. Begin note: test for quantities of dopamine in brain’s lower regions. May be answer for subject’s intense craving and audial hallucination. End note. Scan suggests subject’s nucleus accumbens, higher and forward than the ventral tegmental, is producing extraordinary amounts of oxytocin. Begin note. Oxytocin is the body’s most powerful bonding element, test others as well. End note. Scan suggests pronounced activity in subject’s caudate nucleus as well. Begin note: What’s going on? The caudate nucleus is associated with maladaptation and obsessive behavior. Are the sounds various subjects reported hearing be linked? Can something heard affect us like this? Can sound be a vector of sorts? This does not look good. End note.

the people who grinned themselves to death

Yes, right now I keep a grim grin on my face as I wrestle with all the work requirements of various projects. Work is always good (and I'm not complaining about revenue streams) but the unavoidable confluence of deadlines, change orders, new requirements and multiple meetings tend to wear on me more as I get older. I'm thinking maybe I need more sleep or vitamins, haha.

The nature of my work requires me to be able to listen and pitch ideas in an instant, followed by execution plans usually in the same conversation. It is always exciting (and sometimes nervewracking) and is one of the aspects of my work that I love. But sometimes I long for a less stressful life. But it is what it is, so we move on.

Couple of bits of good news for me this week:

"Belongings: Stories of Relationships" edited by Linda Panlilio and published by Anvil was launched yesterday. It was fun event, with us signing books in a production line and my joshing around with Danton Remoto about him and myself being the youngest writers there ("Yes,
he agreed, "But you look older than me"). Jimmy Abad was a blast to talk to.

"The Kite of Stars and Other Stories" is a finalist for the National Book Award this year. Win or no win, I'm happy that these spec fic stories are being read in the first place. It's an honor to be recognized and is encouragement to produce more.

Here's the full list from Isagani Cruz:

ANTHOLOGY: A la Carte, edited by Cecile Manguerra Brainard and Marily Ysip Orosa; At Home in Unhomeliness, edited by J. Neil C. Garcia; Best Filipino Stories, edited by Gemino H. Abad and Gregorio C. Brillantes; Cordillera in June, edited by B. P. Tapang; Ang Dagling Tagalog, 1903-1936, edited by Rolando B. Tolentino and Aristotle Atienza; Mga Piling Dulang Mindanao, edited by Arthur P. Casanova; Very Short Stories for Harried Readers, edited by Vicente Garcia Groyon.

ART/ALFONSO T. ONGPIN PRIZE: Philippine Church Façades, by Pedro G. Galende, OSA; Pinoy Dressing, by Barge Ramos; Salvador F. Bernal, by Nicanor G. Tiongson.

BIOGRAPHY/AUTOBIOGRAPHY: From Barrio to Senado, by Juan M. Flavier; Legends & Adventures, by Carmen Guerrero Nakpil; A Man and His Music, by Angel M. Peña; Maria Kalaw Katigbak, by Monina Allarey Mercado.

CHILDREN'S LITERATURE: The Boy Who Touched Heaven/Ang Batang Humipo sa Langit, by Iris Gem Li, translated by Roberto Añonuevo; Dalawang Bayani ng Bansa, by Rene O. Villanueva; Sampu Pataas, Sampu Pababa, by Russell Molina; Tight Times, by Jeanette C. Patindol.

COOKBOOKS AND FOOD: Cooking for Health, by Cris C. Abiva, Luz S. Callanta, and Atel E. Jazmines; An Introduction to Coffee, by Pacita U. Juan and Ma. Regina S. Francisco.

DRAMA: Psychedelia Apocalypsis at Iba Pang Dula, by Nicolas B. Pichay; Tatlong Paglalakbay, by Tony Perez.

EDUCATION: Magaling ang Pinoy!, by Queena N. Lee-Chua, Ma. Isabel Sison-Dionisio, and Nerisa C. Fernandez.

ESSAY/CREATIVE NONFICTION: Into the Country of Standing Men, by Rey Ventura; Pagmumuni-muni at Pagtatalak ng Sirenang Nagpapanggap na Prinsesa, by J. I. E. Teodoro; Tongues on Fire, by Conrado de Quiros.

FICTION/JUAN C. LAYA PRIZE: Mga Gerilya sa Powell Street, by Benjamin Pimentel.

SHORT FICTION: The Kite of Stars & Other Stories, by Dean Francis Alfar.

HISTORY: Assembly of the Nation, by Manuel L. Quezon III, Jeremy R. Barns, Emmanuel A. Albano, Ricardo T. Jose, and Manuel F. Martinez; Forcing the Pace, by Ken Fuller; Kolonyal na Patakaran at Nagbabagong Kamalayang Filipino, by Raul C. Navarro; Occupation, by Benito J. Legarda Jr.; The Saga of La Naval, edited by Lito B. Zulueta.

JOURNALISM: Dateline Manila, by Foreign Correspondents Association of the Philippines; Exposé, by Boy Villasanta; The Rulemakers, by Sheila S. Coronel, Yvonne T. Chua, Luz Rimban, and Booma B. Cruz.LAW: A Living Constitution, by Joaquin G. Bernas SJ.

LINGUISTICS: (Re)making Society, edited by T. Ruanni F. Tupas.

LITERARY CRITICISM: Ang Bayan sa Labas ng Maynila / The Nation Beyond Manila, by Rosario Cruz-Lucero; A Handbook of Philippine Folklore, by Mellie Leandicho Lopez; Sipat Kultura, by Rolando B. Tolentino.

MEDICINE: Bone Tumors in Filipinos, by Edward H. M. Wang and Ariel Vergel de Dios.P

OETRY: Antisi*Pasyon asin iba pang Rawitdawit sa Bikol asin Ingles / Anticipation and Other Poems in Bikol and English, by Victor Dennis T. Nierva, translated by Marne L. Kilates and H. Francisco V. Peñones Jr.; Dissonant Umbrellas, by Angelo V. Suarez; Malagilion: Sonnets tan Villanelles, by Santiago B. Villafania; Mannahatta Mahal, by Luis Cabalquinto; Mostly in Monsoon Weather, by Marne L. Kilates; Passage, by Edgar B. Maranan; Pusuanon, by Kristian Sendon Cordero, translated by Marne L. Kilates and H. Francisco V. Peñones Jr.; Textual Relations, by Ramil Digal Gulle.

SCIENCES: Living with Nature in Our Times, by Abercio V. Rotor.

SOCIAL SCIENCES: Colonial Pathologies, by Warwick Anderson; The Dynamics of Regional Development, edited by Arsenio M. Balisacan and Hal Hill.

SPORTS: Sports @ Far Eastern University, by Manolo R. Iñigo, Mark Molina, and Gloria R. Aligada.

THEOLOGY & RELIGION: Body and Sexuality, edited by Agnes M. Brazal and Andrea Lizares Si; God's Global Household, by Andrew Gimenez Recepcion; Investing in Miracles, by Katharine L. Wiegele.

TRANSLATION: Lagalag sa Nanyang, translated by Joaquin Sy from Nanyang Piaoliuji, by Bai Ren.

TRAVEL: Baler, Aurora, by Edgardo J. Angara, Jesus T. Peralta, Domingo Madulid, Jose Maria A. Cariño, Xavier Brisset, Enrique Quezon Avanceña, Manuel L. Quezon III, Ricardo T. Jose, and Juan Edgardo M. Angara; Iloilo, edited by Anita Feleo.

BEST DESIGN: Dissonant Umbrellas, designed by Angelo V. Suarez, Constantino Zicarelli, Keith Dador, Sandra Palomar, Mark Salvatus, Stephanie Yapnayon, Macy Cruz, Mike Mendoza, Julie Grafia, and Dwein Trahata Baltazar; Cebu, designed by Norrino C. Hernandez; Lola Puti, designed by Vanessa Tamayo; Pearl of the Orient, designed by Felix Mago Miguel; The Saga of La Naval, designed by Bong Bundag, Florentino Bolo OP, and Robbie Villegas; Salvador F. Bernal, designed by Brian Tenorio; Sol, designed by Farley del Rosario; Tight Times, designed by Sergio T. Bumatay III.

The book entitled Vocabulary of the Kapampangan Language in Spanish and Dictionary of the Spanish Language in Kapampangan will be given a citation.

exotic gothic 2

Good news from my editor, Danel Olson. Exotic Gothic 2, from Ash Tree Press, is out and should be available in various bookstores (as well as Amazon.com) soon! Huzzah!

For a sneak peek, here are the Table of Contents, Preface and advanced reviews.

Thank you so much, Danel. I'm happy and proud to be part of the book.

whirlwind days

The past few days have been a little hectic but fun.

SciFi Panel

I was part of a panel that discussed science and science fiction last weekend over at the Science Discovery Center at the Mall of Asia, along with Queena Lee-Chua, Quark Henares, Emil Flores and host Karen Kunawicz. While scifi is not precisely my forte, I spoke about the genre in the context, of course, of speculative fiction. Highlights include my decision to throw poor Quark under the bus when a rather difficult question from the audience came our way (sorry Quark!), Queena and I exchanging whispers about time travel and Star Trek, and Emil and I arguing over the merits of Mazinger Z's Kouji Kabuto. Later, a Gundam question stumped the entire panel.

The Discovery Center is a very cool place, complete with a planetarium and lots of things to do. I plan on taking Sage there one day.


HBO Sunday

On Sunday, Nikki and I were godparents for the firstborn of Alex and Kate Osias - the handsome Hector Benjamin Osias. Hector and Rowan were born a week apart. The church was beautiful but the reception food was even better - nothing beats chicken and kare-kare at Aristocrat! Secretly, we actually arrived with time to spare and had adobo flying saucers.


Wow-Wow (no wee) at the Palancas

We celebrated Kate's first Palanca Award (Short Story for Children) as well as Ian's first 1st Prize (Short Story - 4 to go for the Hall of Fame, Ian!) and got to share in everyone's happiness (and food, siyempre - combat buffet-style). This was when Butch recruited me for a new project early next year (and rather cleverly managed to foist responsibility on me - haha), Sarge and I ribbed each other as losers, and Jing and Tony gently exerted pressure on Nikki to submit her book to Milfores for publication. I was happy to see Marge Evasco and congratulate her for her Free Press win and join the marginalized smokers (old and new winners) in the adjacent smoking area. Everyone was hoping for a repeat of last year's outrageous door prizes - and we got our wish when P100k was raffled away, half of which went to Charlson Ong.


Ilustrado

We had lunch with the winner of the Grand Prize for the Novel (English), Miguel Syjuco. Such a pleasant and well-spoken man, we were happy to find our poetics aligned in many ways. He wrote "Ilustrado" in the three years and cut down the 200,000 word monster in a more palatable 80,000 words (the same novel, by the way, is long-listed for the Man Asia). Over tapas and champagne we talked shop, and asked ourselves where everything is going, and what should be done, what we could do, and so on. We spoke about how, ultimately, we need to build upon (and then destroy) what has been done and construct new texts - killing our fathers, so to speak.

Yvette Tan, Wanggo Gallaga, Audrey Carpio and Tals Diaz were there for questions and revelations - and somehow, conversation swerved to "Twilight", and glittering vampires (gah), and how the LitCritters should be renamed GlitCritters or Gliterati (haha). The long lunch ended with open invitations for everyone to sit in with the LitCritters and/or play Upwords (we love this game).


Dragon Fantastic

Vin Simbulan's fantasy antho "A Time for Dragons" has been greenlit by Anvil, with cover and inner illustrationsby Andrew Drilon. Authors in the draconic antho include (to the best of my knowledge): Yvette Tan, Elbert Or, Cyan Abad-Jugo, Kate Aton-Osias, Alexander Drilon, Elyss Punsalan, Gabriela Lee, Nikki Alfar, Joseph Nacino, Apol Lejano-Massebieau, Vincent Michael Simbulan, Paolo Chikiamco-Recio, Dominique Cimafranca, Alexander Osias, Oscar Alvarez, Sarge Lacuesta and me.

Kudos to Vin!


I heart Rochita

Big, big thanks to Rochita Loenen-Ruiz (who blogs here and here) for sending me a surprise package: Interzone, Asimov's and stuff for Sage and Rowan! I am so happy - reading material!!!

Someday, I'll figure out how to get published in Interzone (Rochita recommended this lovely piece of spec fic by Aliette de Bodard, "Deer Flight").

fiction - new and upcoming

I have a few new stories out and upcoming.

"The Many Loves of Ramil Alonzo" appears in the latest issue of the Philippines Free Press (Aug 23,2008). While definitely not a poet, I wanted to try writing a story that had poetry in it, and experimented with a few forms. The story is about a man and his menagerie of monstrous lovers.

"I, D.I." appears in October in an antho edited by Erlinda Panlilio and published by Anvil Publishing entitled "Belonging: Stories of Relationships". It's a non-fiction extravaganza with contributions from Edith Tiempo, Rowena Torrevillas, Joi Barrios, Sarge Lacuesta, Ricardo de Ungria, Krip Yuson, and a lot more. My CNF (creative non-fiction) piece is about a dance instructor whose oscillations go beyond the ballroom. Writing it was quite an experience for me, and I deployed fiction techniques to get the story done.

I have a story in "Exotic Gothic 2" edited by Danel Olson, to be published later this year by Ash-Tree Press. Danel, who selected stories from seven continents, provides the links to the table of contents as well as his preface. Here are some advance reviews.

Fingers crossed for a few other submissions out in various markets.

Writing is a bit slow these days, but with an unexpected letter from Night Shade Books, I'm more jazzed up to work on the novels I want to finish.

But, but, but, there is still Philippine Speculative Fiction 4 to get done - so send in your best stories!

novel ideas

Butch Dalisay wrote me while I was at hospital waiting for Rowan to be born - and believe me, I was happy to answer him to take my mind off my anxieties then. He was prepping for a talk on novels by Filipino authors and decided to publish the responses from Charlson Ong, Jing Hidalgo, Vince Groyon and myself.

Part One is over here.

on spec fic and writer's block

From an interview (Inquirer.net)

bound

Nikki Alfar's story, "Bound", appears in the latest issue (May) of Rogue Magazine. It's cool and disturbing.

Yes, she trumps me at fantastic erotica, dammit.

recent publications

The complete version of "Sunboy" appears in this week's issue of the Philippines Free Press. It's spec fic in only the most general possible sense of the term (okay, it's domestic realism, but try it out).

"In the Dim Plane" appears in the latest issue of the Digest of Philippine Genre Stories.

I'm wrapping up around a few more stories, slated for publication in a number of anthos year.

I know I keep yapping about the heat, but really, it has been quite a feat to even find the will to write during the daytime. The humidity is also quite a bitch, and I find myself needing to rehydrate every do often. I find my mind drifting away, hijacked by thoughts of cooler climes.

gah

With all the juggling between three days of lectures at AIM on direct marketing, brand valuations, predictive modeling and such, along with the usual project workloads (launching a new restaurant, consulting for internet companies, prepping for fall-holiday campaigns, generating leads and pitching to new clients), I am usually close to braindead, creatively, when I get home. Not in the sense that I cannot enjoy time with my lovely pregnant wife and "Love And Berry"-addicted daughter, I can and do, with sense of humor intact. But when everything quiets down and I have a moment to myself, all the discipline in the world delivers the smallest amount of words. My writing has bogged down.

It's easy to list rationalizations: fatigue, humidity, distractions, disengagement with subject matter. I put myself on a self-imposed story-a-day regimen - it worked for a couple of days, producing a couple of defensible stories, but when the demands of business spilled into my disciplined writing time (as a business owner, I have "homework"), I could not focus on short fiction, much more the novel.

I despise my turtle-pace. It's back to guerilla writing.

the vaporous novel

Gah. There are times the words simply refuse to cooperate, when every sentence seems banal or trite or forced or constructed, when restatement is on a half-holiday with characterization and plot somewhere cold.

Deadlines loom and what little I've written is so displeasing to me.

Can discipline really pull a rabbit out of a hat?

It seems impossible.

But we'll see (yes, that's the part of me that stubbornly refuses to give up just yet, but may be in for a reality check by next week).

an invitation

I just got invited by an editor in the US to be part of an antho being put together- news that made me smile on a horrendously busy Monday morning (busy because this being Holy Week, we only have three working days to execute a ton of taks for various clients). I'll wait for a go signal before posting any more details about this, but just wanted to share the happy news (yes, for writers like me who don't get published much outside of the country, this is a big thing).

The deadline seems tight (though not confirmed yet) so I have to really hunker down and write a new story soon (curse you, depleted inventory!). But the wonderful thing, if everything works out, is that I'll have a couple of stories out in the US market soonish (this one, plus my story in Exotic Gothic II).

I'm always happy to be in anthos - and honestly, one of the big reasons is seeing my story alongside those by authors I admire. It's a surreal fan-boy/reader thrill, almost like I can't believe it to true. In the first antho I was in (Year's Best Fantasy & Horror), it was Ursula Le Guin, Stephen King, Kelly Link, Paolo Bacigalupi and Neil Gaiman. In Rabid Transit: Menagerie, it was Rudi Dornemann and Vandana Singh. In the upcoming Exotic Gothic II, it's Nicholas Royle, Nancy Collins and Terry Dowling. And in this new one, there those writers that I look up to.

Now, of course, there is the matter of writing my story...

writing with vin

For the past couple of nights, I've been writing in the evenings at my best friend's pad (just an elevator ride down from mine) where my nicotine addiction can be sated.

The amazing thing is that I was actually able to complete a couple of stories while Vin and I sat across from each other, pounding away at our respective laptops. Amazing, because I fully expected him to interrupt me every 2 minutes - and yet he maintained his writerly silence and only engaged me when I stood up to relieve myself. With two stories to finish, he had matters of his own to attend to.

I still prefer to work by myself but I'm happy to note that his presence is not at all a hindrance to writing. Once in a while, it is even I who disturb him.

Years ago, when he used to manage his store at Megamall, I'd visit him and we'd take turns writing on his decrepit virus-infested PC. We'd toss ideas and scenes at each other and end up writing stories or parts of stories. Forlorn, that world devastated by evil things, came into being at one of those times. Plus various comic book projects and many other creative things besides.

One of the things I love about him is that his passion for fantasy makes mine look like a one night's stand. He, along with Nikki (and on a couple of occassions, Sage), reads my news stories first, and has always been an encouragement.

Oh, and he gives me Coke Zero when I'm writing there.

feeling writerly

Time management is a big issue for me, something that I constantly struggle with. The demands of work, for example, take priority over writing, so it is only when there is a lull in my work day that I can write like a guerilla - which means being able, by necessity, to "switch on" the writerly mode at a moment's notice, and be willing to relinquish the hat when more real work needs to be done.

The other time I write is after work, usually late at night or early in the morning when I've spent some time with wife and daughter - dinner, watching TV or DVDs, reading stories, putting up a miniature hand play, relaxing, unwinding.

When Sage is asleep and I'm rested to a degree, then I write.

Among the stories on my "must write" writerly docket, I need to complete a children's book commissioned by the the good folk of the Ramon Magsaysay Foundation. Though its not a long text (around 1000 or words or so), its quite tricky, given the target audience of 8-16. Even with two stories written for young people under my belt ("Poor, Poor Luisa" and "How Rosang Taba Won A Race"), I find that it takes a different kind of mindset (given that my default prose style tends toward the elaborate).

I have a couple of days left to complete the book. My challenge is not in the existents (plot, characters, setting, etc.) but rather in the discourse and the small word count.

As with the original version of "Rosang Taba"(complete with footnotes), I think I'll finish the lengthy story in first draft then cut and polish. The good thing is that I don't consider these parameters as restrictions or limitations. I look at them as as discourse challenges, to be able to tell a story with certain givens.

It is important in writing instances like this to write with an audience firmly in mind - a mindset I sometimes, but not always, adhere to when I write fiction. Yes, writing teachers and books galore will tell you that you need to write for an audience, but in my experience, especially with Salamanca and majority of the stories from my collection, I work better just writing and not splitting hairs on who this is for. I do agree, however, that there exists in the writerly imagination a certain "ideal reader"(that changes from story to story) that we end up writing for; and that we do write for an audience, even if that audience is an audience of one: the author. But in cases where the story is commissioned, where the story is written for a market (magazine, anthology or periodical submission where the market caters to a specific reading audience), or even, arguably, for a contest (though how can you write for a board of judges whose composition you are unaware of?), you must write for an audience.

If all goes well, then this book (I'm not solid on the title as of this time) will be published by Bookmark later this year.

As for the second novel, well, I'm around 5000 words into it. In theory, if I do not sleep and do nothing else for the next three weeks (haha), I should be done. The going is slow and I need to clone myself somehow. The thing has yet to have a title (though if I had my way I'd force/wedge "Sinverguenzza" somehow - but it really doesn't fit), but that is the least of my concerns. I hope to make the end of the month deadline but won't go on a rampage if I am unable to.

As is the case with my writerly output, we'll see.

on things we’ve done, done well, and done right

Butch Dalisay's Feb 4 Penman column in the Philippine Star on animating literature in our country is an interesting read (full article here). Along the way, he cites "things we’ve done, done well, and done right in the Philippines to promote literature", mentioning big publishers like Anvil, the work of the National Book Development Board, the advocacies of Read Or Die, as well as the success of Carl's Zsa Zsa Zaturnnah and Panitikan. He also talks about new literature:

"This brings me to the emergence and the growing popularity of new kinds of literature in the Philippines—genre fiction, speculative fiction, graphic or comic-book fiction, creative nonfiction, chick lit, performance poetry—all of which offer writers, especially new and young ones, some alternatives to mainstream realism. These genres don’t lack for enthusiastic supporters who will go out of their way to promote their favored schools of writing. One young entrepreneur, Kenneth Yu, took it upon himself to publish the slim but groundbreaking Philippine Genre Stories, now on its fourth issue. A prizewinning novelist, Dean Alfar, leads a group of young writers called Lit Critters, who meet regularly to discuss both local and foreign stories that might help them in their own work. Both Kenneth and Dean have extensive online networks. (And here, the formula seems to be alternative + young + Internet + network.)"

There's a lot of work to be done, true. But I'm happy to note that there are many willing helping hands. Thanks, Butch (of course, Kyu and I are somewhat delighted at being considered 'young' LOL)!

litcritters

Previously:

(Originals, scifi)

Down the Double Curved City by Andrew Drilon
OpPlan Sanction by Alexander Osias
The Millenia Bloom by Vincent Simbulan
Sleeping Beauty Syndrome by Kate Aton-Osias
Selected Transmissions from Synthesized Human Emulation Mk.8.014b, Otherwise Known as Katey by Nikki Alfar
Report HC-IK017785A-0097B-006 de Ocampo: Survey of Artifacts Found in the Derelict Vessel The Malaya by Dean Francis Alfar

(readings)

Pride and Prometheus by John Kessel
Mars A Traveler's Guide by Ruth Nestvold
Tonino and the Incubus by Peg Robinson
The New Mother by Lucy Lanr Clifford

This week:

Philologos by Debra Doyle and James MacDonald
Urchins, While Swimming by Catherynne Valente
Retrospect by Ann Miller
Metal More Attractive by Ysabeau S. Wilce


Upcoming (Originals)

The Man Who Loved the Moon by Zarah Gagatiga
Galactic Vinyl by Elyss Punsalan
Beats by Kenneth Yu
The Man on the Moon by Miguel Escano
A Night with Candlelight and Amber by Blue Soon
The Quest for Memory by Charles Tan
The Shearing Time by Martin Badoy
The Hand of the Evil Eye by Charles Tan

what's the skinny?

The start of this year is quite hectic for my design agency, with a lot of work to be done. There's also the secret new business my partner and I are putting together (my aching head, I tell you), plus running the pet store and the food franchise. Sometimes, I'm overwhelmed, but then take a deep breath and dive back in.

On the writing front, I've made zero progress on the novel - which means I need a miracle if I want to compete for any of the three big novel prizes up for grabs this year (P200k is a very nice prize to aim for). But I won't get anywhere unless I get off my ass, smash the DVD player and all the reality shows I'm sadly addicted to, bury the DSLite and stop hunting for every possible Pokemon in existence, devote less time to non-productive writing, and simply get to work.

It's slightly better on the short fiction front, but the deadlines are looming. Last night I worked on the story for Exotic Gothic, got up in the morning and polished the story for Playboy, and ripped apart something I started for Rogue. By the time I was done, it was 4AM. And there is still the new fairy tale for next month LitCritter originals, plus something for Free Press. And Vin and I are talking about producing more Forlorn stories this year (in a few weeks, 3 Forlorn stories will be out - 2 in Philippine Genre Stories, and 1 in Story Philippines). Gah, indeed.

I'm usually on the side of disciplined writing (you know, writing on schedule regardless of how I feel), but once in a while, like now, it would be great to be slapped across the face - hard - by the muse of inspiration, collapse into a stupor, and wake up at dawn with bleeding fingers and several marvelous completed stories. Haha. I wish.

So what am I going to do about all this? Why, get a new laptop, of course!

I know, I know. But even just thinking about getting one those HP Pavilions makes me happy, and -here's the hard sell to myself- will make me instantly more productive.

So, this afternoon I'm taking a break from work and writing and will browse laptop showrooms and see what moves me. I've had my MSI ultralight laptop for more than 2 years, so I think my shoulder has healed and can handle the stress of something heavier once more.

We'll see.

on inventory

I'm pushing for the goal of having my writer friends (as well as myself, of course) write six new stories this year, one new piece of speculative fiction every two months. To the international professional writers, this is a piece of cake (I'm convinced Jay Lake writes a new story every week). But in this country, where writers tend to take months or even years to generate a single new short story, it is quite a challenge.

The goal is to develop inventory, a number of stories that can be submitted for consideration to various markets or competitions. Rather than panic-writing for the Palancas for example (though I remember the strange delight of doing that when I much younger), it's good to have some completed stories that one can revisit or polish. Having an inventory, apart from giving the author a sense of security (being a working writer), also permits the author presence in publications. A writer, after all, is supposed to write.

Discipline becomes the key factor. It is one thing to write when inspiration strikes; it is quite another thing to write on demand. Some would argue that only stories written in the white heat of inspiration are worthwhile. I tend to disagree. The final verdict is given by the reader who is unaware of how the story was developed - what matters is that the story is a good read, which means it is well-written and engaging. Behind the scenes, unseen, is all the discipline of the author (I'm fighting my temptation myself, as the siren call of DVDs and the DSLite is nigh irresistable).

I have nothing against writers who take their time writing. Some of the best work comes from very long gestations. But the flip side is also true. Some of the best work comes from authors who can write quickly and produce fiction of consistently good quality. As a reader, I'd rather follow the work of an author who is of the latter sort - I get to experience his or her worlds more often. As an author, my own impatience drives me to action.

Back to inventory. As of now, I have stories upcoming in Story Philippines, the Digest of Philippine Genre Stories, Tales of Magic & Enchantment, Story Junior, and Growing Up Filipino. Most of these should be out before the end of the first quarter. But my own inventory is exhausted, due to unexpected sales last month. I need to get in there and write some stories. I just have one completed story, left over from last year.

A US anthology editor requested a new story from me, due March. The thought of contributing something to the antho that previously had killer authors like Joyce Carol Oates, Neil Gaiman, Nancy Collins and Terry Dowling (some of them returning in the new book) has caused me more than an upset stomach. Plus there are the usual markets that I submit to, and I would like to have a couple of pieces there this year.

In the "well, sure, but I hope it's fiction" file, I got feelers from Playboy magazine (it seems that the brand is launching a Filipino edition) if I'd be interested in writing. Of course I am. The US edition of this men's mag has published a veritable who's who of authors. I honestly don't know if this will push through or, if so, if I'll have anything to do with it. We'll see.