#bayongngkuting – Tara Tries To Write

The 16 Sweetest Moments of 2016

December 31, 2016 No Comments

Honestly, I hadn’t really planned on writing a yearender blog post for reasons that are relatively mababaw (i.e. my internet connection S U C K S here in Baguio City), but I thought it would be nice to cap this mostly WTF year with a look back at the moments I was most thankful for. After all, happiness stems from having a grateful heart, right?

And so without further ado, here are the 16 sweetest moments of my 2016.

1. Being able to write for kids. (Bayong ng Kuting Workshop, January 2016)

Being able to write is, in itself, a blessing, but at the end of 2015, I decided to challenge myself and enroll in the Bayong ng Kuting Workshop. The workshop required us to craft an original children’s story around the Bayong ng Kuting universe. And if you think writing children’s lit is easy, think. again. No news yet about our submissions, but no matter the outcome, I’m so glad I took on this challenge. ^_^

2. Dipping my toes in uncharted waters. (#romanceclass @ Komiket, February 2016)

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Another first for #romanceclass and myself was being one of the participating merchants at the Komiket, an event that featured and celebrated indie komiks and the talented people behind them. We probably stood out like a sore thumb then, selling romance novels alongside comicbooks and art, but it had been fun, and we actually sold books! I believe this was where the idea for #4 came up (though I could be wrong, heh).

BONUS ROUND: I met Manix Abrera for the first time in this event! He is SO COOL. <3

The One With The Cats

February 2, 2016 No Comments

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I don’t remember which month it was last year that Mina posted an announcement about a Children’s Lit writing workshop, I just remember wanting to be in it. So much, that I was already playing with a concept in my head even before I officially signed up.

Maybe it’s because this was going to be my third MVE-facilitated workshop that I’ve come to expect a thing, something . . . like a parameter, a rule. For #SparkNA, it was being brave. And for #StrangeLit it was truth. I wondered what kind of theme #BayongNgKuting was going to have, and as I did so, I sort of abandoned that concept I’d been thinking of just so I could start with a blank slate, just in case.