CraftWatch: Another Open Call for Submissions
It's currently titled A Time for Dragons: An Anthology of Philippine Draconic Fiction.
Check out the link here.
I guess it's time to sharpen my pencils again.
HobbyWatch: Keep your eyes peeled for... Shining Gold!
Ner has told me that he's just gotten copies of a comic book he did the art for.
From what I can piece together, it appears to be a story set in the comic book "Golden Age", and concerns a whole bunch of mystery men who fought in that era.
But no one remembers them.
Why?
I guess we'll find out when this comic book gets released.
Ner has told me that he's just gotten copies of a comic book he did the art for.From what I can piece together, it appears to be a story set in the comic book "Golden Age", and concerns a whole bunch of mystery men who fought in that era.
But no one remembers them.
Why?
I guess we'll find out when this comic book gets released.
I Think I Think, Therefore I Think I Am: An Evolution of Thought
I believe it was only in high school that I chose to "think my way through school". In grade school, I think I relied on my natural intelligence and what meager memory skills I had to get through school. I don't remember being particularly cunning during that time, and seemed to have been content with doing what I'd always done to get through school: paid attention in class, memorize what I could, anything that escaped me... well, tough.
When I had to study, I basically did more of the same. My parents started introducing me to other ways of studying of course, but I never really thought much about it. Drills and lists of stuff to memorize were cool.
I don't have recollection of consciously puzzling things out when I was younger. The closest I can remember was being pilosopo, and being fond of riddles. However, even these were examples of my fondness of the literal meanings of words and often exaggerated my inability to comprehend that conversations often held meanings beneath their literal topics of conversation.
Strangely enough, my hobbies excercised this "thinking" thing. Choose your own adventure books, figuring out how RPGs worked, games like chess, and puzzles like Rubik's Cube. I do seem to remember that I actually learned to reason things about by asking other people how they figured things out and then tried to follow similar paths of logic.
In high school, I took A.P. English, and the instruction and drills we endured in analyzing poetry and short stories really helped hone that critical factor in this brain of mine. However, I had already been prepared by Onofre Pagsanghan's method of reading... identify MP's (memorable passages) and be ready to quote and explain each one of them.
Around this time, I drifted into a group of gamers who were pretty sharp themselves. These guys were, on the whole, tactically sharp, had a wide range of interests that overlapped with mine, and were fond of wordplay, puzzles, political and social commentary.
I'm sure there were other factors, but I credit some of my current habits in thinking to these influences. It IS an evolution, because I can remember terrible habits that I acquired then dropped later on.
The worst of these was accepting that I couldn't figure something out without first figuring out why. I would give up without really trying. I would make excuses that a child could poke holes through. This habit still raises its terrible seven-headed visage from time to time.
THINK! THINK! THINK!
I believe it was only in high school that I chose to "think my way through school". In grade school, I think I relied on my natural intelligence and what meager memory skills I had to get through school. I don't remember being particularly cunning during that time, and seemed to have been content with doing what I'd always done to get through school: paid attention in class, memorize what I could, anything that escaped me... well, tough.
When I had to study, I basically did more of the same. My parents started introducing me to other ways of studying of course, but I never really thought much about it. Drills and lists of stuff to memorize were cool.
I don't have recollection of consciously puzzling things out when I was younger. The closest I can remember was being pilosopo, and being fond of riddles. However, even these were examples of my fondness of the literal meanings of words and often exaggerated my inability to comprehend that conversations often held meanings beneath their literal topics of conversation.
Strangely enough, my hobbies excercised this "thinking" thing. Choose your own adventure books, figuring out how RPGs worked, games like chess, and puzzles like Rubik's Cube. I do seem to remember that I actually learned to reason things about by asking other people how they figured things out and then tried to follow similar paths of logic.
In high school, I took A.P. English, and the instruction and drills we endured in analyzing poetry and short stories really helped hone that critical factor in this brain of mine. However, I had already been prepared by Onofre Pagsanghan's method of reading... identify MP's (memorable passages) and be ready to quote and explain each one of them.
Around this time, I drifted into a group of gamers who were pretty sharp themselves. These guys were, on the whole, tactically sharp, had a wide range of interests that overlapped with mine, and were fond of wordplay, puzzles, political and social commentary.
I'm sure there were other factors, but I credit some of my current habits in thinking to these influences. It IS an evolution, because I can remember terrible habits that I acquired then dropped later on.
The worst of these was accepting that I couldn't figure something out without first figuring out why. I would give up without really trying. I would make excuses that a child could poke holes through. This habit still raises its terrible seven-headed visage from time to time.
THINK! THINK! THINK!
Palanca Virgin
So that's what Palanca night is like.
Never been to one before, you see. Wow, it's a posh affair (sorta). It's got good food, bottomless drinks, and lots of literary people there.
I got to watch my friends Dean & Nikki Alfar get their awards. I got to listen to poetry and listen to a funny one-act play. I got to meet up with Chris Millado, an old acquaintance from San Francisco and the theater group I used to belong to there...
I got to wonder along with my beloved Kate what we'd have to do to get ourselves one of those neat awards next year.
Sadly, I don't know much about the local literary scene. Dean & Nikki and Andrew and Vinnie seemed to know everyone and their works, while I was in the dark as to who was being applauded and so on and so forth.
Time to start, I guess.
So that's what Palanca night is like.
Never been to one before, you see. Wow, it's a posh affair (sorta). It's got good food, bottomless drinks, and lots of literary people there.
I got to watch my friends Dean & Nikki Alfar get their awards. I got to listen to poetry and listen to a funny one-act play. I got to meet up with Chris Millado, an old acquaintance from San Francisco and the theater group I used to belong to there...
I got to wonder along with my beloved Kate what we'd have to do to get ourselves one of those neat awards next year.
Sadly, I don't know much about the local literary scene. Dean & Nikki and Andrew and Vinnie seemed to know everyone and their works, while I was in the dark as to who was being applauded and so on and so forth.
Time to start, I guess.
CraftWatch: Writing
I suddenly realized I'm writing a lot more than I used to. I write a semi-regular column for a news magazine, I've just written a short story for Dean's anthology (rejected, for being... ah... more than meets the eye), and I'm rewriting the script for a 10 page comic.
Techie that I am, I keep thinking about a way to systematize writing things up. I think that a notebook full of story ideas and storytelling techniques would be good thing to keep... just the thing when people say "write something... anything!" I think that a good archive of all written short stories would be good (rejected or not). You never know when you'll be called upon to rewrite your story into a given format.
Speaking of formats, I've found that for writing quick comic scripts, the following method works quite well:
I suddenly realized I'm writing a lot more than I used to. I write a semi-regular column for a news magazine, I've just written a short story for Dean's anthology (rejected, for being... ah... more than meets the eye), and I'm rewriting the script for a 10 page comic.
Techie that I am, I keep thinking about a way to systematize writing things up. I think that a notebook full of story ideas and storytelling techniques would be good thing to keep... just the thing when people say "write something... anything!" I think that a good archive of all written short stories would be good (rejected or not). You never know when you'll be called upon to rewrite your story into a given format.
Speaking of formats, I've found that for writing quick comic scripts, the following method works quite well:
- write a brief paragraph about the setting of the story, and note any visual elements you'd like the artist to make;
- write one brief paragraph about each major character in the story, especially the protagonist(s);
- write a short summary of the plot flow and any special flourishes you want in the story;
- go through the summary, and break it down by pages into a page summary;
- go through each page summary and modify it by breaking down the number of necessary panels without bothering with the actual panel layout on the page;
- go back through each page summary add captions, SFX and dialogue;
- read through the entire 1st draft of the comic script and check for EVERYTHING: plot holes, pages overcrowded with panels, panels overcrowded with captions / word balloons / sound effects, realistic dialogue, unrealistic expectations of the artist, and so on.
HobbyWatch Comics
HobbyWatch: Comics
DC Comics has been my favorite publisher for the past 10 or so years. I’ve always collected at least one DC comic series such as Legion of Superheroes or Teen Titans or some funky Elseworlds thing. They came out with the Swamp Thing and Sandman stuff that eventually become Vertigo, and they’ve shown they were willing to make major changes to the world for fairly lengthy amounts of time.
I’m very excited about the Infinite Crisis storyline, which seems to be revitalizing the universe. It seems that the Big Three (Supes, Bats and Wondy) will no longer be seeing eye to eye, and generations seem to play a role.
I really like the George Perez cover showing several generations for the different superhero “houses”. You have Superboy and Supergirl for the Superman clan, Robin and Nightwing for the Batman clan, and Wonder Girl and Troia for the Wonder Woman clan. I like the re-emergence of the Green Lantern Corps and the Rann-Thanagar War (with L.E.G.I.O.N. playing an important role). I like the Villains getting their act together and uniting (somewhat). I’m kinda iffy on the supernatural ‘verse, but I’m willing to see where it all goes.
DC Comics has been my favorite publisher for the past 10 or so years. I’ve always collected at least one DC comic series such as Legion of Superheroes or Teen Titans or some funky Elseworlds thing. They came out with the Swamp Thing and Sandman stuff that eventually become Vertigo, and they’ve shown they were willing to make major changes to the world for fairly lengthy amounts of time.
I’m very excited about the Infinite Crisis storyline, which seems to be revitalizing the universe. It seems that the Big Three (Supes, Bats and Wondy) will no longer be seeing eye to eye, and generations seem to play a role.
I really like the George Perez cover showing several generations for the different superhero “houses”. You have Superboy and Supergirl for the Superman clan, Robin and Nightwing for the Batman clan, and Wonder Girl and Troia for the Wonder Woman clan. I like the re-emergence of the Green Lantern Corps and the Rann-Thanagar War (with L.E.G.I.O.N. playing an important role). I like the Villains getting their act together and uniting (somewhat). I’m kinda iffy on the supernatural ‘verse, but I’m willing to see where it all goes.
Top 5 Things You May Not Know About Me:
1. My mother saved my life twice (that I know of): At around age 8, I was swimming in a pool, but was pulled underwater in the deepish end and panicked. I began to drown. My mom, leaving the life guard in the dust, waded in, clothes and all, and pulled me out. Another time, I was around 6, and I was given hard candy to stop crying. I began to choke. My mom, not yet familiar with the Heimlich manuever, held me upside down and hammered my back hard until I spit out the offending treat.
2. I had very thick hair on my head when I was born: It was thick enough that my Dad could easily pick me out, face unseen, out of all the sleeping babies in the hospital nursery. Yes, I miss it.
3. I used to sing & dance & act on stage: In grade school and in high school and in college, I used to be a part of a variety of acting / performing groups. I was with Ateneo Children's Theatre, Dulaang Sibol (one year only), Serra High School's theater performances, and with a now-hibernating San Francisco group called Teatro Ng Tanan.
4. I used to be a big UFO nut: read everything I could about them. Knew names, places, incidents, etc. Forgotten 'em all now, after the abduction (just kidding).
5. I believe in but avoid the supernatural: I know it's out there, occasionally get curious and read up about it... but I try to keep it out of my life as much as possible.
1. My mother saved my life twice (that I know of): At around age 8, I was swimming in a pool, but was pulled underwater in the deepish end and panicked. I began to drown. My mom, leaving the life guard in the dust, waded in, clothes and all, and pulled me out. Another time, I was around 6, and I was given hard candy to stop crying. I began to choke. My mom, not yet familiar with the Heimlich manuever, held me upside down and hammered my back hard until I spit out the offending treat.
2. I had very thick hair on my head when I was born: It was thick enough that my Dad could easily pick me out, face unseen, out of all the sleeping babies in the hospital nursery. Yes, I miss it.
3. I used to sing & dance & act on stage: In grade school and in high school and in college, I used to be a part of a variety of acting / performing groups. I was with Ateneo Children's Theatre, Dulaang Sibol (one year only), Serra High School's theater performances, and with a now-hibernating San Francisco group called Teatro Ng Tanan.
4. I used to be a big UFO nut: read everything I could about them. Knew names, places, incidents, etc. Forgotten 'em all now, after the abduction (just kidding).
5. I believe in but avoid the supernatural: I know it's out there, occasionally get curious and read up about it... but I try to keep it out of my life as much as possible.
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