Writing – Page 11 – Tara Tries To Write

Backtracking a bit: My #SparkNA journey

July 2, 2015 4 Comments

It’s been almost a month since the #SparkNA writing workshop came to a close, and I never really got around to writing about the experience–or I did, but in increments over the past few months–because 1) things got crazy at work, and; 2) I think I’m still in denial that it had already ended.

During our second and last face-to-face class on the 6th of June, our mentor, Mina, asked us to answer three questions: What went right? What went wrong? And: What’s next?

It’s funny how most of our responses were very similar; I guess it’s true what they say about birds of the same feather, haha. Anyway, I think this whole experience merits another round of . . .

Prompt of the Day, Writing

Day One Hundred

July 2, 2015 No Comments

On-File: “*We Got Married” Interview Reel
Im Jinah
Week Twelve

“It’s almost your 100th day together,” the PD says off-camera. “Are you planning something special for your husband?”

The smile on Nana’s face is wide. She is ready to answer this question. “Yes.”

“Tell us about it.”

Prompt of the Day, Writing

Maybe Some Other Day

July 1, 2015 No Comments

“Today,” she tells her reflection in the mirror as she puts an earring on. “It has to be today.”

She has lost count of the times she’d resolved to break up with Daniel–her boyfriend of almost three months–only for said resolve to weaken and disappear completely the moment he smiles at her. Who could blame her, really? Aside from the fact that her boyfriend’s good looks could so easily land him on magazine covers, he is the sweetest, most attentive man she’s known. (It could be argued, however, that the most dominant male figure in her life leaves much to be desired, but that’s not the point.)

Daniel is not the problem in this equation, no. It’s her. She needs to break up with him because she knows there is no way she could be completely honest with him. And that’s not fair.

Personal, Writing

끝. Wakas. The End.

June 5, 2015 No Comments

I am a writer who dislikes writing endings.

Which is kind of weird, right? As a writer, I should feel happy about getting to the end of my story. It’s an achievement, something to be celebrated, even in the simplest of ways. And yet, during the past few years I’ve realized a trend when I’m about to close a work of fiction: I stall.

Two or three chapters away from my ending, I stop looking at my manuscript altogether. I read or reread books, think of new stories to write, watch dramas or films . . . I do anything to keep myself from writing those last few chapters, and all because I’ve gotten attached to my characters and don’t want to let them go yet.

It’s probably not a good thing, what I do, but hey . . . I’m pretty sure we all have our own quirks. I almost did the same routine with my #SparkNA novella, but I had a deadline to beat this time, and maybe that’s one of the reasons why I joined this class in the first place: to learn to discipline myself as a writer.

Personal, Writing

What I really (really) want

May 7, 2015 No Comments

And so we’ve come down to this: a month left to go before everyone in our #SparkNA class has to turn in our finished manuscripts for Anvil Publishing to review. Today, we all received a pep talk in the form of an email and while I usually read and re-read Mina’s emails to us several times within the day before moving on with my life, I didn’t do that today. Why?

Because she posed such a loaded question that my mind just exploded. And I had to pick up the pieces all day long.

Yes, while struggling with a bunch of other stuff at work. Thanks a lot, Mina.