Kanina pa. As in!
Hindi maalis-alis sa utak ko ang kantang 'to.
***
PAPA COLOGNE
by Parokya ni Edgar
Kung ang iyong problema
Ay ang iyong mukha
Wang nang mag-alala
Pagkat nandito na
Ang sagot sa lahat ng
Problema mo sa mga babae
Ang gamut sa lahat ng pag-
Kakabigo ng mga lalake
Nandito na ang papa papa
Cologne
Mag-aamoy mayaman
Kahit na pag-pawisan
Di na mahihirapan
Diretso ng kanto
Kung saan may tindahang
Mapagbibilhan nitong
Produkto
Siguradong patok (at wala
Kang putok) garantisado
Gumamit ng papa papa cologne
My name is Peter North and I'm
from Houston/Colorado
I play a lot of tennis and I
Know a little judo
My darling likes me smelling
Good
It always turns her on
That's why I always use papa
Cologne
****
you can get it here if you like
April 07, 2006
March 22, 2006
March 17, 2006
excuses, excuses
Natanggap ko ang sumusunod sa e-mail ko kani-kanina lang. Natuwa ako kaya eto, ipinamamahagi ko sa kung sino man ang nagtitiyagang magbasa ng blog na 'to...
___________________________________________________________________
Mga Dahilan Kung Bakit Single Ka Pa Rin :-)
___________________________________________________________________
Ilang ulit na bang nangyari sa iyo ito? Ngayon ang kasal ng pinsan mo. Heto ka ang ganda ganda mo. Naghanda ka talaga dahil minsan-minsan lang ang okasyon sa pamilya nyo. Kadalasan sa mga lamay na lang kayo nagkikita-kita so ngayong kasal ng pinsan mo, gusto mo namang maging maganda at mapansin nila. Aba, napansin ka nga. Ganito ang tanong ng lahat ng kaanak mo sa iyo..."O ikaw kelan ka ikakasal?" "Uy, ikaw na ang susunod ano?" Parang gusto mo na sa susunod na lamay sila naman ang sabihan mo ng "Ikaw, kelan ka susunod?"
Huwag kang malungkot. Ito gusto nga kitang sumaya kaya sinulat ko ito. Hindi ka dapat malungkot dahil maraming posibleng dahilan bakit hindi ka pakinakasal hanggang ngayon. Hayaan mo silang mainip sa paghihintay. Basta kung okay ka, okay ka. Hayaan mo tulungan kita mag-isip kung bakit wala ka pa ring asawa hanggang ngayon. Naisip ko na 'yan eh. Ito ang sampung dahilan bakit wala pa.
1. Kailangan mong mag-concentrate sa career.
Hindi na uso ang mga babaeng pambahay ngayon. Kalimitan meron ng tinatawag na career. Habang hindi ka pa tinatamaan ng palaso ni kupido, hamo na munang magconcentrate ka sa trabaho mo. Kailangan mong ma-achieve ang full potential mo bago ka mag-asawa, kasi 'pag nag-asawa ka na, tanggapin na natin, iba na ang mga prioridad mo sa buhay. Lagi ng mauuna ang pamilya.
Habang feel mo pang lumaban ng lumaban sa rat race at umakyat ng umakyat sa corporate ladder, huwag mong panghinayangan na wala ka pang sariling pamilya.
2. Masyadong mataas ang standards mo.
Ibaba mo kasi ng konti, baka naman kahit si Rizal hindi ma-achieve yung standards mo. Tandaan mo, si Rizal kahit na bayani medyo babaero din. Walang taong perpekto. Kahit naman ikaw di ba? Meron ka ding kapintasan? Baba mo ng konti, yung makatarungang pamantayan lang. Baka naman naghahanap ka ng Brad Pitt eh di ka naman si Jennifer Aniston. Lumagay ka lang sa dapat mong kalagyan. Baka naman naghahanap ka ng kasing yaman ni Zobel eh ikaw naman eh pobre din lang naman. Huwag. Huwag ganoon. Para kang g**o non. Baka naman naghahanap ka ng smart, na gwapong,mayaman. Ate, kung ganon ang hanap mo, malamang tatandang dalaga ka na talaga. Di lahat binibigay ni Lord. Di bale kung salat sa face value, babawi na lang siguro yung sa bait at sa talino. Kung puro face value naman, at salat sa kaalaman or masama ang ugali, manalig ka na lang na baka pag pinakain mo ng gulay tumalino or ito the best, lahat naman ng tao nagbabago . Pwede pa 'yan bumait. -
3. Hindi ka lumalabas ng bahay.
O baka lumalabas ka nga ng bahay, sa opisina lang naman ang punta mo. Huwag ganon. Sumama ka sa mga kaibigan mo, mag-mall ka, magsimba ka, mag-outreach program ka. Huwag mong panisin ang sarili mo sa bahay dahil wala talagang makakapansin sa iyo sa bahay. Mag-aral ka ng painting, voice lessons at Yoga. Imaginin mo kung magka-boyfriend ka na Yoga master? or di kaya, chef. O di ba cool 'yun? Magliwaliw ka sa bookstores, sa coffee shops, at kung saan-saan pang mataong lugar. Baka sakali mapansin ka doon.
4. Baka naman sobrang tapang mo.
Oo nga naman, baka naman sobrang masungit ka at natatakot sa iyo ang mga potential suitors mo. Baka dapat kang maging approachable ng konti. Baka masyadong maangas ang dating mo imbis na matuwa sa iyo matakot. Baka sobrang independent mo, at parang mabubuhay ka ng wala silang lahat. Minsan may epekto rin 'yan. Baka sobrang talino ng dating mo pakiramdam nila mababara lang sila or baka 'pag pinadalhan ka ng love letter eh i-edit mo ng red ink pen. Magkunwari ka kayang t**** minsan-minsan, tingin mo?
5. Baka naman kasi losyang ka.
Oo nga naman, mag-ayos ka paminsan-minsan kay lang kung pangit ka, pangit ka talaga. No amount of make up can change that. Pero at least pwede ma-enhanceng konti.
6. Baka naman hinahanapan pa ni Lord ng ribbon ang para sa iyo.
Natatandaan ko ang sabi ng kaibigan ko. Blessing daw from the Lord ang mga girlfriends/boyfriends. O eh baka naman hinahanapan pa ni Lord ng magandang ribbon yung regalo mo. Kasi baka daw 'pag hinarap ang packaging i-reject mo.
7. Baka naman nagtitipid sa toll fee yung para sa iyo.
Malay mo kasi taga-Norte yung para sa iyo eh mahal naman ang toll fee. Baka nagtitipid dumaan sa walang toll kaya medyo natatagalan.
8. Baka naglakad yung para sa iyo.
Parating na 'yon kaya lang mahal ang gasolina so naglakad na lang papunta sa iyo. Besides, walking is good for the heart daw. Baka sa kakalakad naligaw na. Ito pa namang mga lalaking ito, hindi magtatanong kung hindi pakiramdam nila naliligaw na sila.
9. Baka naman sadyang torpe lang yung para sa iyo.
Baka naman nag-iipon pa ng lakas ng loob o di kaya nag-iisip pa ng magandang tiyempo. Baka talagang hindi lang siya makapag-salita dahil sobrang mahiyain niya. Baka naman dapat makiramdam ka rin ng konti kasi talagang deadma ang dating nito. Baka dapat tinatanong ng unti-unti.
10. Baka naman talagang for single blessedness ka.
Ipagdasal mo. Baka naman kasi pinapagod mo ang sarili mong kakaisip bakit you're still single eh hindi naman kasi marriage ang plan ni Lord for you. Paminsan-minsan magtanong ka kasi sa Kanya baka naman ikaw ang naliligaw. Baka naman ikaw ang nagtitipid. Baka naman kasi ikaw ang torpe. Baka naman kasi ikaw ang problema.
Gasgas man, pero sasabihin ko pa rin. Darating Din Yun. Kung para sa iyo, para sa iyo. Kahit iwasan mo, para talaga sa iyo.
___________________________________________________________________
Mga Dahilan Kung Bakit Single Ka Pa Rin :-)
___________________________________________________________________
Ilang ulit na bang nangyari sa iyo ito? Ngayon ang kasal ng pinsan mo. Heto ka ang ganda ganda mo. Naghanda ka talaga dahil minsan-minsan lang ang okasyon sa pamilya nyo. Kadalasan sa mga lamay na lang kayo nagkikita-kita so ngayong kasal ng pinsan mo, gusto mo namang maging maganda at mapansin nila. Aba, napansin ka nga. Ganito ang tanong ng lahat ng kaanak mo sa iyo..."O ikaw kelan ka ikakasal?" "Uy, ikaw na ang susunod ano?" Parang gusto mo na sa susunod na lamay sila naman ang sabihan mo ng "Ikaw, kelan ka susunod?"
Huwag kang malungkot. Ito gusto nga kitang sumaya kaya sinulat ko ito. Hindi ka dapat malungkot dahil maraming posibleng dahilan bakit hindi ka pakinakasal hanggang ngayon. Hayaan mo silang mainip sa paghihintay. Basta kung okay ka, okay ka. Hayaan mo tulungan kita mag-isip kung bakit wala ka pa ring asawa hanggang ngayon. Naisip ko na 'yan eh. Ito ang sampung dahilan bakit wala pa.
1. Kailangan mong mag-concentrate sa career.
Hindi na uso ang mga babaeng pambahay ngayon. Kalimitan meron ng tinatawag na career. Habang hindi ka pa tinatamaan ng palaso ni kupido, hamo na munang magconcentrate ka sa trabaho mo. Kailangan mong ma-achieve ang full potential mo bago ka mag-asawa, kasi 'pag nag-asawa ka na, tanggapin na natin, iba na ang mga prioridad mo sa buhay. Lagi ng mauuna ang pamilya.
Habang feel mo pang lumaban ng lumaban sa rat race at umakyat ng umakyat sa corporate ladder, huwag mong panghinayangan na wala ka pang sariling pamilya.
2. Masyadong mataas ang standards mo.
Ibaba mo kasi ng konti, baka naman kahit si Rizal hindi ma-achieve yung standards mo. Tandaan mo, si Rizal kahit na bayani medyo babaero din. Walang taong perpekto. Kahit naman ikaw di ba? Meron ka ding kapintasan? Baba mo ng konti, yung makatarungang pamantayan lang. Baka naman naghahanap ka ng Brad Pitt eh di ka naman si Jennifer Aniston. Lumagay ka lang sa dapat mong kalagyan. Baka naman naghahanap ka ng kasing yaman ni Zobel eh ikaw naman eh pobre din lang naman. Huwag. Huwag ganoon. Para kang g**o non. Baka naman naghahanap ka ng smart, na gwapong,mayaman. Ate, kung ganon ang hanap mo, malamang tatandang dalaga ka na talaga. Di lahat binibigay ni Lord. Di bale kung salat sa face value, babawi na lang siguro yung sa bait at sa talino. Kung puro face value naman, at salat sa kaalaman or masama ang ugali, manalig ka na lang na baka pag pinakain mo ng gulay tumalino or ito the best, lahat naman ng tao nagbabago . Pwede pa 'yan bumait. -
3. Hindi ka lumalabas ng bahay.
O baka lumalabas ka nga ng bahay, sa opisina lang naman ang punta mo. Huwag ganon. Sumama ka sa mga kaibigan mo, mag-mall ka, magsimba ka, mag-outreach program ka. Huwag mong panisin ang sarili mo sa bahay dahil wala talagang makakapansin sa iyo sa bahay. Mag-aral ka ng painting, voice lessons at Yoga. Imaginin mo kung magka-boyfriend ka na Yoga master? or di kaya, chef. O di ba cool 'yun? Magliwaliw ka sa bookstores, sa coffee shops, at kung saan-saan pang mataong lugar. Baka sakali mapansin ka doon.
4. Baka naman sobrang tapang mo.
Oo nga naman, baka naman sobrang masungit ka at natatakot sa iyo ang mga potential suitors mo. Baka dapat kang maging approachable ng konti. Baka masyadong maangas ang dating mo imbis na matuwa sa iyo matakot. Baka sobrang independent mo, at parang mabubuhay ka ng wala silang lahat. Minsan may epekto rin 'yan. Baka sobrang talino ng dating mo pakiramdam nila mababara lang sila or baka 'pag pinadalhan ka ng love letter eh i-edit mo ng red ink pen. Magkunwari ka kayang t**** minsan-minsan, tingin mo?
5. Baka naman kasi losyang ka.
Oo nga naman, mag-ayos ka paminsan-minsan kay lang kung pangit ka, pangit ka talaga. No amount of make up can change that. Pero at least pwede ma-enhanceng konti.
6. Baka naman hinahanapan pa ni Lord ng ribbon ang para sa iyo.
Natatandaan ko ang sabi ng kaibigan ko. Blessing daw from the Lord ang mga girlfriends/boyfriends. O eh baka naman hinahanapan pa ni Lord ng magandang ribbon yung regalo mo. Kasi baka daw 'pag hinarap ang packaging i-reject mo.
7. Baka naman nagtitipid sa toll fee yung para sa iyo.
Malay mo kasi taga-Norte yung para sa iyo eh mahal naman ang toll fee. Baka nagtitipid dumaan sa walang toll kaya medyo natatagalan.
8. Baka naglakad yung para sa iyo.
Parating na 'yon kaya lang mahal ang gasolina so naglakad na lang papunta sa iyo. Besides, walking is good for the heart daw. Baka sa kakalakad naligaw na. Ito pa namang mga lalaking ito, hindi magtatanong kung hindi pakiramdam nila naliligaw na sila.
9. Baka naman sadyang torpe lang yung para sa iyo.
Baka naman nag-iipon pa ng lakas ng loob o di kaya nag-iisip pa ng magandang tiyempo. Baka talagang hindi lang siya makapag-salita dahil sobrang mahiyain niya. Baka naman dapat makiramdam ka rin ng konti kasi talagang deadma ang dating nito. Baka dapat tinatanong ng unti-unti.
10. Baka naman talagang for single blessedness ka.
Ipagdasal mo. Baka naman kasi pinapagod mo ang sarili mong kakaisip bakit you're still single eh hindi naman kasi marriage ang plan ni Lord for you. Paminsan-minsan magtanong ka kasi sa Kanya baka naman ikaw ang naliligaw. Baka naman ikaw ang nagtitipid. Baka naman kasi ikaw ang torpe. Baka naman kasi ikaw ang problema.
Gasgas man, pero sasabihin ko pa rin. Darating Din Yun. Kung para sa iyo, para sa iyo. Kahit iwasan mo, para talaga sa iyo.
March 13, 2006
LBM
LBM - looking back at memories
Kahapon, nabasa ko ang TDLH#13 - Rodrigo Ambrosia ni Vanessa. Lyrics of the song Darkness Fell from Wolfgang could be found somewhere in the story. Dahil doon, naalala ko tuloy yung noong unang panahon ko. I was crazy about this band once.
And so she woke up from a dream
That was beautiful and starry and oh so wild
It was all still clear in her eyes
And though her mind was foggy
And blank she wondered why
Her life couldn't be as lovely it was time...
There was this king he had no castle or throne
But his horse was great and white
He rode alone and liked it that way
But when he met her he swore
He would never leave her side...
They rode across the land
Two lovers hand in hand
And no danger could come near
And when something made her cry
She'd look at him teary eyed
And he would make her feel better
Oh so much better so much better than before
And now this forest was their home
It was a night time
And the right time for love
In the dark
She placed her hand upon his chest
And all the rest just flowed
Makin' love down under an ancient far away night
It was so grand just holdin' someone's hand
And now safety came naturally
It was so clear that she would never ever have to fear
Oh tell me a story of magic and spiralling ships
And stars in the night
Just whisper in my ears
Make it soft but make it clear
I want to hear every breath you say
He placed his hand upon her breast
But she woke up from the land
Tears falling in her hands
As she looked up askin' why
She laid back in her bed
Thoughts raising in her head
Why can't my life be beautiful she said
As she closed her eyes again
Just prayin' he'd return
But only Darkness Fell upon her...
Kahapon pa rin, nagpunta ako sa mall para bumili ng mouse dahil ayaw ng makisama ng mouse ko. Pagpasok na pagpasok ko pa lang, "...collectively known as Color It Red..." kaagad ang narinig ko. Apparently, the group was playing there live! Tingnan mo nga naman ang pagkakataon. I luv this band! Hanggang ngayon hindi ako nagsasawang pakinggan ang music nila.
Kanina naman. Habang nanonood ako ng Gulong ng Palad ay sumingit ang teaser ng MMK. Pamilyar agad sa akin yung mga pinakitang eksena. Parang kilala ko yung kuwento. And then finally, sa dulo ng teaser pinakilala kung sino yung ipi-feature, si Raymond Narag. Nyak! kaya naman pala pamilyar. Around the time I was going gaga over the bands I mentioned above, I got a chance to meet the guy. He was in CJ then. Hanga ako sa taong ito dahil hindi siya nauubusan ng pag-asa. He's a friend of a friend of a friend. You know how it goes. Last I heard, may scholarship siyang nakuha to study abroad. Nabanggit na sa akin kung saan, nakalimutan ko lang.
March 09, 2006
word watch
I feel real bad. I've been busy cutting-slashing-ripping to shreds three of my manuscripts because the word count's too long. Sabi kasi ng editor ko, bawasan ko daw. The ideal is between 23K to 24K and I exceeded that.
I added all the words I removed. Here's my tally:
Lovebug 1 - from 31,717 to 26,786 equals 4, 931 words
Lovebug 2 - from 31,784 to 27,283 equals 4,501 words
Lovebug 3 - from 26,922 to 25,643 equals 1,279 words
That's a total of 10,711 words flushed down the drain!!! That's half a books worth. Kung tutuusin, sobra pa din ang word count ko pero hindi ko na talaga kayang paiksiin pa. Kung ipipilit ko aymakokompor... makokompro... mako-compromise na ang istorya.
Nanghihinayang ako sa panahon na binuhos ko sa pagsusulat pero sa huli, tatapyasin ko din pala. Huwag ng isali ang oras na ginuguol ko sa pagtapyas. Ang HIRAP pa namang magbawas ng word count lalo na sa kaso ko, ayokong magtanggal ng eksena hangga't maari. Kaya naman sa flow-of-thought ako tumira at saka sa mga descriptions. Pati na yung mga phrases na "ang totoo ay..." at "the fact is..." na nakagawian kong gamitin, pinagtatanggal ko din. Lahat ng "saad/wika/sambit niya" pinalitan ko ng "aniya"
Lesson learned: when writing, watch my word count!
I added all the words I removed. Here's my tally:
Lovebug 1 - from 31,717 to 26,786 equals 4, 931 words
Lovebug 2 - from 31,784 to 27,283 equals 4,501 words
Lovebug 3 - from 26,922 to 25,643 equals 1,279 words
That's a total of 10,711 words flushed down the drain!!! That's half a books worth. Kung tutuusin, sobra pa din ang word count ko pero hindi ko na talaga kayang paiksiin pa. Kung ipipilit ko ay
Nanghihinayang ako sa panahon na binuhos ko sa pagsusulat pero sa huli, tatapyasin ko din pala. Huwag ng isali ang oras na ginuguol ko sa pagtapyas. Ang HIRAP pa namang magbawas ng word count lalo na sa kaso ko, ayokong magtanggal ng eksena hangga't maari. Kaya naman sa flow-of-thought ako tumira at saka sa mga descriptions. Pati na yung mga phrases na "ang totoo ay..." at "the fact is..." na nakagawian kong gamitin, pinagtatanggal ko din. Lahat ng "saad/wika/sambit niya" pinalitan ko ng "aniya"
Lesson learned: when writing, watch my word count!
February 27, 2006
this took two and half hours off my time
A questionnaire sent to me via e-mail by a bunch of students for their school work...
A. Writer's Personal Profile
B. As Writers of Tagalog Romance novels
1. When did you start writing Tagalog romance novels? 2003
2. When were you first published? Aug 2003
What genre or title - was your first published work? Modern Category Romance written in Popular Tagalog
3. How did you become a Tagalog romance novel writer? My own initiative
Who or what influenced you? I have long since been a fan of the genre and writing felt like a natural progression
4. Do you use any pen names? If yes, what is/are these? Yes, Almira Jose
5. How many novels have you written so far (If forgotten, approximate no.)? Twenty four
6. Are all of these published? If not why? No, 18 have been published already, the rest are still waiting their turn/schedule
7. How do you come up with your plots/stories? How do you choose your characters? My psychology background plays a part. I'd like to think I have a rudimentary understanding of human behavior.
7. What are the usual themes of your novels (aside from having a central love story)? Why do you use such themes? I'm partial to 'coming of age' 'comedy of errors' and 'rekindling old flames' but I try not to indulge myself and write these themes. Why? I want to push and challenge myself.
8. Do you follow a formula/process in writing your manuscript? If yes, what is/are these? Romance fiction by nature is formulaic. Boy meets girl, boy loses girl, boy gets girl in the end.
9. What do you consider as ideal writing conditions (place, almosphere, mood, etc.)? Place - my room...Atmosphere - as long as there's no distraction...Mood - when I don't have pressing problems to think about. In short, when I'm relaxed
10. Where do you get your ideas on what to write in your novels? Decades of reading, watching films, observing strangers, interacting with others etc...
11. What/who are your inspiration/s in writing? I'm a fan of the genre and that inspires me to write.
12. Do you accept inputs suggested by your publisher? Editors? Production Designers or Marketing Directors? Yes. I take their suggestions into consideration.
13. What suggestions do you retain/remove? What I love about PHR is that they give us writers leeway in our stories. We can write 'out of the box' as long as we are able to give justice to our plots
14. Who has the final say as to what gets published? The editor
15. Does/do your publisher/s have memos/ guidelines on how and what to write? No. But they do have book imprints for example, my love my hero (where the heroine's safety is compromised and the hero saves the day), my lovely bride (the story leads to the altar), blue (the male protagonist is a blue collar worker), working girl (most of the scenes take place in the work environment).. they don't obligate us to write under these imprints but they do encourage us
16. Are there any restrictions? If yes, what are they? Who sets these rules? As I've mentioned, the very nature of the genre is formulaic. Boy meets girl, conflict keeps them apart, this conflict is later on resolved and both end up together. Conflicts are vast and varied and it is up to the writer to think of, build up, and resolve this conflict. You can't write a story without these elements and still call it romance.
One rule that can't be broken though is that the hero and heroine together must have a happily ever after ending. This has been a long established requirement of the genre.
For clarification purposes, I'd like to make clear that we are talking about modern romance fiction here. The happily ever after part is a requirement that sets this genre apart from a love story... one example, Love Story by Erich Segal. Although containing elements of romance, this book cannot be categorized under modern romance fiction since the heroine dies in the end.
C. Assessment
On Readers
1. Who do you think read your Tagalog romance novels? I'm guessing upper lower to upper middle classes... age range- mid teens to mid forties or even older.
2. Why do you think they read Tagalog romance novels? They enjoy reading them. They find them entertaining.
3. What do you think is/are the influence/s or impact/s of these novels to them? Romance stories are feel good stories and so they feel good after reading them.
4. Do you have a fan club site/office where you directly communicate with your readers? freewebs.com/almirajose/guestbook.htm - this is not a fan site
5. Do you get any suggestions from your readers? If yes, what are they? I've at times received requests to write their personal love stories...I always say no.
On Publisher/s
6. Do you write for only one publisher? Which publishers do you write for? Yes, Precious Pages Corp.
7. How would you describe your relationship with your
publisher/s? very good
On Themselves
8. Do you read romance novels (foreign or local) by other writers? Yes of course
9. What gratifications do you get from reading romance novels? Entertaining, enjoyable, a short respite from reality.
10. What other genre do you read? Spy Fiction, Mystery, Chick Lit
11. What other genre do you write? Just this one
12. How do you compare yourself with other Tagalog romance novel writers in terms of appeal, popularity, types of novels you write? I opt not to make comparisons
13. What gratifications do you get from writing Tagalog romance novels? The joy of creating a character, her life, her world, her story...also, tremendous amount of fulfillment after hearing that your novel has been approved and then later, seeing them in book form
14. What do you think are the positive/ negative aspects of being a writer? Romance writers in the country don't get paid much. I can earn more doing the job I was trained to do but I choose not to. I enjoy writing but more so the creative aspect of it. It's a different challenge, one that I find I like better
15. Do you intend to continue writing romance novels in the future? Why? Yes. See above.
On Tagalog Romance Novels
16. As a genre, what are the contributions of Tagalog
romance to:
a. Society - undoubtedly, we promote reading... Tagalog Romance is reality based fiction. In part, It reflects how society is. For example, the women in our stories have grown stronger and more independent...more self-assured.
b. Philippine literature - sad to say, they (critics) don't consider Modern Romance Fiction (both here and abroad) as literary
17. What do you think are the prospects for Tagalog romance novels as a:
a. business venture - there's room for more publishers and writers
b. literary genre - more sub-genre's ie fantasy-romance, mystery-romance etc
A. Writer's Personal Profile
B. As Writers of Tagalog Romance novels
1. When did you start writing Tagalog romance novels? 2003
2. When were you first published? Aug 2003
What genre or title - was your first published work? Modern Category Romance written in Popular Tagalog
3. How did you become a Tagalog romance novel writer? My own initiative
Who or what influenced you? I have long since been a fan of the genre and writing felt like a natural progression
4. Do you use any pen names? If yes, what is/are these? Yes, Almira Jose
5. How many novels have you written so far (If forgotten, approximate no.)? Twenty four
6. Are all of these published? If not why? No, 18 have been published already, the rest are still waiting their turn/schedule
7. How do you come up with your plots/stories? How do you choose your characters? My psychology background plays a part. I'd like to think I have a rudimentary understanding of human behavior.
7. What are the usual themes of your novels (aside from having a central love story)? Why do you use such themes? I'm partial to 'coming of age' 'comedy of errors' and 'rekindling old flames' but I try not to indulge myself and write these themes. Why? I want to push and challenge myself.
8. Do you follow a formula/process in writing your manuscript? If yes, what is/are these? Romance fiction by nature is formulaic. Boy meets girl, boy loses girl, boy gets girl in the end.
9. What do you consider as ideal writing conditions (place, almosphere, mood, etc.)? Place - my room...Atmosphere - as long as there's no distraction...Mood - when I don't have pressing problems to think about. In short, when I'm relaxed
10. Where do you get your ideas on what to write in your novels? Decades of reading, watching films, observing strangers, interacting with others etc...
11. What/who are your inspiration/s in writing? I'm a fan of the genre and that inspires me to write.
12. Do you accept inputs suggested by your publisher? Editors? Production Designers or Marketing Directors? Yes. I take their suggestions into consideration.
13. What suggestions do you retain/remove? What I love about PHR is that they give us writers leeway in our stories. We can write 'out of the box' as long as we are able to give justice to our plots
14. Who has the final say as to what gets published? The editor
15. Does/do your publisher/s have memos/ guidelines on how and what to write? No. But they do have book imprints for example, my love my hero (where the heroine's safety is compromised and the hero saves the day), my lovely bride (the story leads to the altar), blue (the male protagonist is a blue collar worker), working girl (most of the scenes take place in the work environment).. they don't obligate us to write under these imprints but they do encourage us
16. Are there any restrictions? If yes, what are they? Who sets these rules? As I've mentioned, the very nature of the genre is formulaic. Boy meets girl, conflict keeps them apart, this conflict is later on resolved and both end up together. Conflicts are vast and varied and it is up to the writer to think of, build up, and resolve this conflict. You can't write a story without these elements and still call it romance.
One rule that can't be broken though is that the hero and heroine together must have a happily ever after ending. This has been a long established requirement of the genre.
For clarification purposes, I'd like to make clear that we are talking about modern romance fiction here. The happily ever after part is a requirement that sets this genre apart from a love story... one example, Love Story by Erich Segal. Although containing elements of romance, this book cannot be categorized under modern romance fiction since the heroine dies in the end.
C. Assessment
On Readers
1. Who do you think read your Tagalog romance novels? I'm guessing upper lower to upper middle classes... age range- mid teens to mid forties or even older.
2. Why do you think they read Tagalog romance novels? They enjoy reading them. They find them entertaining.
3. What do you think is/are the influence/s or impact/s of these novels to them? Romance stories are feel good stories and so they feel good after reading them.
4. Do you have a fan club site/office where you directly communicate with your readers? freewebs.com/almirajose/guestbook.htm - this is not a fan site
5. Do you get any suggestions from your readers? If yes, what are they? I've at times received requests to write their personal love stories...I always say no.
On Publisher/s
6. Do you write for only one publisher? Which publishers do you write for? Yes, Precious Pages Corp.
7. How would you describe your relationship with your
publisher/s? very good
On Themselves
8. Do you read romance novels (foreign or local) by other writers? Yes of course
9. What gratifications do you get from reading romance novels? Entertaining, enjoyable, a short respite from reality.
10. What other genre do you read? Spy Fiction, Mystery, Chick Lit
11. What other genre do you write? Just this one
12. How do you compare yourself with other Tagalog romance novel writers in terms of appeal, popularity, types of novels you write? I opt not to make comparisons
13. What gratifications do you get from writing Tagalog romance novels? The joy of creating a character, her life, her world, her story...also, tremendous amount of fulfillment after hearing that your novel has been approved and then later, seeing them in book form
14. What do you think are the positive/ negative aspects of being a writer? Romance writers in the country don't get paid much. I can earn more doing the job I was trained to do but I choose not to. I enjoy writing but more so the creative aspect of it. It's a different challenge, one that I find I like better
15. Do you intend to continue writing romance novels in the future? Why? Yes. See above.
On Tagalog Romance Novels
16. As a genre, what are the contributions of Tagalog
romance to:
a. Society - undoubtedly, we promote reading... Tagalog Romance is reality based fiction. In part, It reflects how society is. For example, the women in our stories have grown stronger and more independent...more self-assured.
b. Philippine literature - sad to say, they (critics) don't consider Modern Romance Fiction (both here and abroad) as literary
17. What do you think are the prospects for Tagalog romance novels as a:
a. business venture - there's room for more publishers and writers
b. literary genre - more sub-genre's ie fantasy-romance, mystery-romance etc
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