From the monthly archives: October 2008
Rating: 
As seniors in high school ,Troy and Gabriella struggle with the idea of being separated from one another as college approaches. Along with the rest of the Wildcats, they stage a spring musical to address their experiences, hopes and fears about their future.
It’s been so long since I last listened to any High School Musical songs. Ever since it became a household name and everyone was singing and making remakes of the songs and all that, I stopped being a big fan because…well, everyone else loved it and I didn’t really like going along with what everyone liked. But, being a Disney Channel lover and having watched the first two movies, I knew I’d watch this. I was kind of prepared for some cheesy songs and all that, but…I guess you can say that the third movie surprised me. In a good way.
I loved the first movie for the gripping and clean story. It’s the kind of movie that you’d watch because you want to know what happens to Troy and Gabriella, to know if they’d get together and if they’d get the main parts even with Sharpay and Ryan sabotaging them. The songs were easy to remember and fun to sing, and the lesson is easy to see. It’s something you wouldn’t mind watching over and over again (even if I admit, the lip syncing kind of annoys me) just to feel good. The second movie was okay, but I admit I didn’t like it as much as the first, probably because I found some of their songs too poppy or corny. Plus the fact that it’s only been the first twenty minutes and I’ve seen what, four song numbers already? I felt tired for the cast already.
The third one made me like the franchise again. HSM3: Senior Year deals with the cast’s senior year, as mentioned in the title. It dealt a lot with the changes that come with graduating, the choices and sacrifices that they have to make as they make their own way and…well, grow up. :) If this movie went out back in 2006 when I was about to graduate, I bet I would’ve cried like JM did, as I am a sap for things like this. But it did leave me with a bittersweet feeling, as in a way I can also relate with their growing up. It’s…life. :)
Oh, and the songs! One thing I didn’t like with the first two movies is that there’s always the “forgettable” solo in each movie — When There Was Me and You by Vanessa Hudgens in the first movie and Bet On It by Zac Efron in the second movie. It’s the solo numbers that I’d really rather not watch. But for this movie, all solos were lovable. From Vanessa’s Walk Away to Zac’s Scream — they weren’t corny, the acting wasn’t as OA as the ones in the first two movies, and the songs are way better. The fast songs make me want to dance, or at least, tap my foot with the beat (especially for The Boys are Back!) and the ballads are sweet and perfectly fits the mood. The waltz could’ve been done in a better way though, but it was still sweet, nonetheless. The dance numbers (one thing I really loved with all the movies because it makes it seem like such a fun movie) are great too — and did you see how thin Martha is now? I wonder if she used alli…or maybe it’s really with all the dancing. :)
High School Musical 3: Senior Year is a nice feel-good movie, the one you should watch to relax and enjoy as you bop your heads to the music. :) The last part that showed the six main characters before their final bow was just awww. :) They’ve graduated — what’s next? :)
It’s not often you find an author who blogs a lot, and it’s also not often you find an author who gives away tons of books and guests on ther blogs. Which is why I’m very, very honored to have one of my new favorite authors, Camy, over today to talk about one event that is coming up and we’re all very excited about. :D
Pounding Out a Manuscript, also known as NaNoWriMo
Hi there! Tina asked me to guest blog today about NaNoWriMo.
I LOVE NaNoWriMo. The original version of Only Uni, which at the time was titled “The Corinthian Rules,” was pounded out during a NaNoWriMo a few years ago.
Then, the published version of Only Uni (I kept only about 10% of the original “Corinthian Rules”) was pounded out at another NaNoWriMo a few years later.
Basically, NaNoWriMo rocks! Who knows how long it would have taken me to write those two manuscripts otherwise?
My biggest problem with my NaNo manuscript is plotting it before the month of November. I am NOT a pantser, I am an anal retentive plotter, and I need to know everything that happens before I start writing.
So the prep time for NaNo is pretty extensive for me. Which can be a drag, because often it takes longer than I think it will.
I usually rely on a few tools in my arsenal:
“The Snowflake Method” by Randy Ingermanson
This article gives a really great method for plotting a book by starting large scale and getting more detailed. I often use this to write a synopsis for a story I’m proposing to my editor, but I also use this to lay the groundwork for my story structure.
45 Master Characters by Victoria Lynn Schmidt
I use this book to help me figure out archetypes for my characters, then I turn the archetypes on their heads to make the characters interesting. I also use the Heroine’s Journey in this book when I’m writing a chick lit.
Psychology for Screenwriters by William Indick
I use this book primarily for the Hero’s Journey, but I also like his breakdown of psychology to help make characters resonate with readers. This is not an easy book to read, so I usually only list it in case someone is daring, but I found it fascinating and it really helped me to make believable, well-rounded characters.
Techniques of the Selling Writer by Dwight Swain
Most people find this book hard to read because he’s a bit wordy, but his advice is just dead on when helping writers to craft the most vivid story they can. His focus is on popular fiction, which I love, because not many books out there actually focus on popular fiction—they often try to cover more literary fiction or the stuff you read in your college English courses, as well as popular fiction, and they’re just different animals. I reread this book to refresh my mind on what to remember as I structure my story.
I’m not sure what I’m going to be doing for NaNoWriMo this year. The third book in my Sushi series, Single Sashimi, just released, and I have been planning on offering the fourth story in the series as a free novella ebook download for members of my newsletter YahooGroup.
But if that’s the case, I need to get cracking on it! Plus, a novella is typically only 25,000 words, while NaNo is 50,000. So I might be cheating a little and completing only a novella this year, but it’s still fun, whether I make it or not!
Thanks for letting me guest blog, Tina!
Camy
Camy Tang writes romance with a kick of wasabi. She used to be a biologist, but now she is a staff worker for her church youth group and leads a worship team for Sunday service. She also runs the Story Sensei fiction critique service. On her blog, she gives away Christian novels every Monday and Thursday, and she ponders frivolous things like dumb dogs (namely, hers), coffee-geek husbands (no resemblance to her own…), the writing journey, Asiana, and anything else that comes to mind. Visit her website at http://www.camytang.com/ for a huge website contest going on right now, giving away ten boxes of books and 30 copies of her latest release, SINGLE SASHIMI
Told you I’d fill this week with NaNoWriMo related posts. :P
I wanted so badly to start writing today, but of course I couldn’t. I managed to list down some names for the characters already, but I’ve yet to really characterize them. Gosh, who knew this could be so hard?
So I’ve decided on some plot points, which I think works better on me. Maybe it’s because my characters are sitll kind of based on other people? Probably. I’ve got the first flow of events already, although I have some questions to answer myself, like:
- Would it be better if Ruth actually attends a speed dating event or would she just sit and criticize the event from the start and then Mitchie would tell her to loosen up?
- Ruth may be “manang” but she’s not a robot. I’m thinking she’d have this little crush at work who she takes a bit seriously but it turns out the guy is gay, which prods her to finally agree to what her friends propose. Hm…okay, not a little crush. Maybe someone she just admires, because I don’t think Ruth would ever agree to call it a crush. She’s way too manang for that. ;)
So aside from the main characters I’ve listed in the previous post, I’m going to need another cast of characters that would act as Ruth’s series of dates within the novel. Aha, this should be fun. :) I’ve been following this thread at the boards about bad dates and I’ve got a ton of ideas already on what Ruth would go through. Hee. Here’s a tentative list of dates:
- The first I’ve planned is really a non-date, where Ruth is supposed to go out with Pia and Angelo with Angelo’s cousin who she thought was a girl but is actually a guy with a really ambiguous name. Mitchie would see them and think she’s on a date…where she then tells her that she’s unfair for agreeing with Pia and not with her.
- There’s going to be an old high school crush which turns out to be a jerk. I wonder who to base this on…hahaha KIDDING!
- There’s also this guy who seems nice but will turn out to have a jealous ex. And a controlling mother. Hm. This should be fun. :P
- Oh, and this is a new one that I just got yesterday! Carol’s fiancee would set Ruth up with a guy he knows from the insurance industry. Haha guess how this would turn out. :P
- There will also be a younger guy and an older guy, most definitely. :D And maybe a guy who sells unlocked cell phones, but I’m not so sure how to fit that in the story yet.
And that’s it so far. I think I need more. I’m pretty sure her friends would put up a personal ad for her, but does that even work here in the country? And what other date mishaps could Ruth get into?
Argh, I really need to set aside time to write these things. Any other suggestions? :)
I figured it’s about time for me to write a post about my NaNoWriMo project for this year, right? Especially now that the Kick-Off is over, I have time to plan my novel which I’ve been meaning to work on since this month started. Heh.
So the working title of this novel is I Am Single (And Everybody Knows), as suggested by Julie during our long discussions during Altar Boyz days. :P I’m going back to chick lit lane again, as it’s easier to write plus I’m sure the novel fits that genre perfectly. It’s about Ruth, a 27-year-old (insert her job here) who has never had a boyfriend since birth. Now that fact is really okay for her, but then her friends decide to take the matter into their own hands and throw Ruth (flailing) into the dating world.
Really, that’s pretty easy to work on and I have a lot of basis (oh you bet I do) to work on…it’s just that I’ve been so busy that I can’t sit down and plan it out. I’m thisclose to just winging it, but I also want to write down some plans, especially since I want this to be the first novel that I really finish within the month. I always end November with an unfinished novel, but this time I want to finish it and set it aside and then edit it and then have it printed (through this really awesome offer) so at least I have something with me. You know?
So here’s what I have so far:
After two weeks of being stuck at home with nothing to do but read, sleep, eat and watch FRIENDS, I finally went out of the house and got busy! Yay!
Yesterday was the Kick Off Party for NaNoWriMo Philippines. I was so overwhelmed by the attendance (although I was expecting it) that it was just so awesome. Haha, we managed to fill the back of CBTL in Galleria. I saw some old friends from last year too (Julie! Anne! Sarah! Kage! Mira! Kat!). Awesome afternoon, although I feel bad that I didn’t get to talk to the others since they were so far away. And no group photo too. Boo. But it was fun, and I hope everyone had fun and would find the loot bags useful. :)
One activity we did was to pass around a card with our plot and have people contribute to it and I love the contributions in my card. I haven’t really planned anything for my novel this year yet except for the basic idea and some of the characters are still not yet quite defined, but since the Kick Off is over, I can focus on planning this week. Now, should I install Scrivener already just so I can plan but then use up days in its trial version? I’m still undecided if I will buy that software since I also have StoryMill, which is licensed, but I feel like it’s too complicated for my liking.
Anyway I have a week.
After the kick off, I headed to another party for my friend back in Eastwood. It feels weird to be in he same place where I work on a Saturday night when I don’t have work. Jeez. But it was a fun party, with a few revelations and embarrassing moments. ;) Hah! I love the food too. I had to go home when my brother got there since I already had a headache for laughing so much but I promised to sleep over there next time…when is that next time? As soon as my schedule clears up. :P
Now I’m in the condo, using Captain Tal to go online. I’m going to mass later and then probably go around the mall to look for some funny t-shirts and shoes and hang out there…or watch HSM 3 and then go home. Let’s see where this day goes.
Ha, it’s so fun to go out after being stuck at home for the longest time. :) Happy Sunday everyone!
I just realized the lack of NaNoWriMo-related post in this blog, especially now, when it’s almost November. Nine days!
Anyway. This is my fifth year in NaNoWriMo, and my second year as Municipal Liaison for the Philippines, and I’ve always found Novembers magical (albeit stressful as choosing the perfect golf balls). NaNoWriMo has somehow helped me reach a bit of my dream of being a writer by forcing me to sit down and actually write, and I know how much this event means to other writers all over the world.
So this year, I want to give back to the community. As I write 50,000 words in the next month, it would really mean a lot to me too if you help me raise $100 (or more) for NaNoWriMo to help them with their costs this year. Every cent can help them maintain the community for the year, as well as funding the libraries they sponsor and their Young Writers Program. This would also mean NaNoWriMo would continue to exist for the next few years, bringing in more and more writers from all over the world and in the country as well.
I’ve set up my Firstgiving page here, and it would really mean a lot to me (and a whole lot of writers) if you can help me reach my goal. :) You can also choose to donate to NaNoWriMo directly, or better yet, join NaNoWriMo too! :P
You know how some people have annoying and extreme mood swings? You know, happy one time, sad the next? Not quite manic-depressive, but you know, just extreme mood swings?
I think I have something like it. Only in things I do, not work.
See, some time ago, I was all out in all the things I do — be it work, extra-curriculars or even non-work. I believe that I should throw myself fully in everything I committed myself to. If I said yes, I must follow my word and see it all through. 100% commitment, as I say. Plus there’s me not complaining if things get difficult. Heck, I said yes, who gave me the right to complain?
I think one of the things that I really suck at though, is saying no. I mean, I can say no to some things, but you know how some people always has to offer help, even if their plates are so full? I’m that kind of person. I feel like I should always help someone, even in the smallest way possible, as long as I try to.
And…I know it’s not bad. And I’m not saying this to say that I’m a good person, but it’s just something I feel like I should do.
Lately though, I just feel tired of everything. Like I want to take a break. It’s like I’ve gone all out on other things for the past few months, and now I felt…burned out. No more energy, no more fuel.
Which is annoying, really, especially seeing that there’s so many things I need to do for the next few weeks or so.
Only, I don’t feel like doing it. It’s like…I want a break. It’s like I wish I didn’t take so many responsibilities before that people expect me to continue stepping up, even if I don’t feel like it. It’s like I’m resisting. You know when you’ve been stressed so much over something, that when you finally get to rest from them, you don’t want to go back to them ever again? It’s that feeling.
Is this burn out? Bah. I don’t believe in burn out.
Or maybe I’m just stressed.
Ack.
Anyway. This too shall pass. I just need to take it easy, really. Or at least, do some major de-stressing. :P I can’t wait for November — time to lose myself in the novels for NaNoWriMo. That shouldn’t be stressful. I hope. ^^;
I have an annoying stomach ache from skipping lunch then eating a big dinner. I brought lunch from home today so I didn’t eat it…I want to at least eat it since I don’t want it to go to waste…but I can’t eat anything anymore, even if it’s French toast casserole (whatever that is). I think I’ll just read The Thirteenth Tale and go to bed in a while.
A little less than a month ago, I embarked on an adventure that I have never done before.
I went to a tree-planting activity.
Okay, so it was for the club at work, and since I’m part of the organizing committee, I had to join this activity. Plus I promised the project lead I’ll be there and I have nothing else to do that weekend…so off to the tree planting activity I go!
The tree planting activity at work has been a yearly tradition for the past three years, apparently. Employees have gone back to Ipo Dam to plant trees every year, and so far all the trees are still alive. We received good news during the ocular visit (which I was supposed to go to but didn’t because of WordCamp), so we were expecting to have a relatively easy time come tree planting day itself, provided that it didn’t rain. Although it rained Friday afternoon, it was clear by Saturday so we thought it would be an okay day.
Boy, were we wrong.
Okay, it wasn’t that it’s not okay. It’s just that we had totally, totally wrong expectations in the tree planting activity. I mean, I know we’ll be planting trees which means soil, so I brought gloves and wore rubber shoes. One of the participants who helped out last year told us the holes have been dug and all we need to do is to put the seedlings in. So all the while I thought we’d be planting trees in a level plain with holes dug up and we’d be done in an hour.
Boy, was I wrong.
Plain? What plain? We had to trek up a muddy route up the mountains where we have to plant trees around a slippery mountain side. And who was I to know I’d the the klutz of the day starting from the moment we disembarked from the boat?
On our way to the site after disembarking from the boat.
The planting site
Here’s the list of accidents I got into that day (cross posted from my Multiply album):
- As I was disembarking the boat, I accidentally submerged my right foot (in rubber shoes, socks and jeans) in water. O_O
- I was trying to get to solid land from the boat, so one of the guides in the place helped me cross over…and I accidentally pulled him into the water. >_>
- I was going around the mountains trying to get to seedlings and plant them when I slipped on my butt. Only one guy saw me though. :P
- And then I slipped again.
- On the way down, I had to have one of the guides help me around since my shoes are SO slippery. Oh and my backpack strap broke. :(
- On our way back, I was walking to solid ground but still had very very bad balance…when I submerged my left foot in a puddle of mud. T_T
You know those trips where there’s this one person — usually a girl — who ends up getting into all sorts of accidents and needs to be rescued almost at all points of the trip? That was me that day. I felt like the wimpiest and klutziest and noisiest employee that day. Oh and the dirtiest:
Bah. The clincher? These were my Mom’s shoes. :|
But it was fun. Like what my friend Rain kept on saying that day: charge it to experience. Well it’s an experience all right, one worth more than any Outer Banks rentals. I’ve never felt so beat up after (well the last time was during a GK build two years ago)! Oh, and I did plant trees…four. Ha. But still!
So will I join again next year? Most probably. But this time, I’ll make sure I have proper gear and a change of clothes so if ever I end up rolling in mud, I wouldn’t be that bothered. ;)
Rating:
John and Jenny were just beginning their life together. They were young and in love, with a perfect little house and not a care in the world. Then they brought home Marley, a wiggly yellow furball of a puppy. Life would never be the same.
Marley quickly grew into a barreling, 97-pound streamroller of a Labrador Retriever, a dog like no other. He crashed through screen doors, gouged into drywall, flung drool on guests, stole women’s undergarments, and ate nearly everything he could get his mouth around, including couches and fine jewelry. Obedience school did no good —Marley was expelled. Neither did the tranquilizers the veterinarian prescribed for him with the admonishment, “Don’t hesitate to use these.”
And yet, his heart was pure. Just as Marley joyfully refused any limits on his behavior, his love and loyalty were boundless, too. He shared the couple’s joy at first pregnancy, and their heartbreak over miscarriage. He was there when babies finally arrived and when the screams of a 17-year-old stabbing victim pierced the night. Marley shut down a public beach and managed to land a role in a feature-length movie, always winning hearts as he made a mess of things. Through it all, he remained steadfast, a model of devotion, even when his family was at wit’s end. Unconditional love, they would learn, comes in many forms.
I don’t really consider myself as an animal lover, much less of a dog lover. I find them cute and our dog is probably one of the sweetest pets I’ve ever had, but I’m not the one who’d go out of her way to own animals and be instant friends with them.
But when I saw this book looking at me at BestSellers (plus the fact that I’ve seen some reviews of this and I hear it’s a great book…I just had to pick it up.
And I was glad I did. This book is beautiful. It made me laugh (as in laugh out loud, not just in my head) and it made me cry, it touched me in more ways than one. I love how it’s not just about the dog, but also about the author’s family. I love how he described all of Marley’s escapades, how he has the capability to destroy their house with his rowdiness and his enthusiasm (good thing they have home insurance!). Most of all, I love how Marley was loyal to them and how loyal they were to Marley until the very end. I was crying hard by the last few chapters, and after reading this, I wanted to hug Batman, our dog. It touched me so deeply that I was affected about Marley for an entire day!
This book displays what unconditional love is. The couple could have easily given up on Marley after a few days of him being the rowdy dog he is, but they didn’t. And in return, Marley showed them what the true meaning of loyalty is. :) My personal favorite in the book would be when Marley proved to be a fierce dog when needed, during the stabbing incident of one of their neighbors. Truly, Marley is a great dog. :)
I hope the movie does justice to this book! If you haven’t read this one yet, go and get yourself a copy and read! You’ll want to hug your dog afterwards. :D
Rating:
Venus Chau is deermined to start her own game development company and launch the next Super Mario-sized phenomenon. However, she needs an investor to back her idea. When Drake Yu, an old nemesis, approaches Venus with a contracting opportunity at his sister’s startup, the offer tempts Venus to think the unthinkable.
Venus would rather throw away her PS3 than work for Drake again…ut then Grandma bribes Venus to do this favor for Drake’s wealthy family. With the encouragement of her three cousins, Lex, Trish and Jennifer, Venus discovers that even a wounded heart can undergo a beautiful transformation …
Right when I started reading the series and the blurb about this book and the excerpt, I knew I’d like this. Why? Because Venus is a game developer. In short, she’s a geek! I love it when the protagonist is a techie, or at least, works in a tech field because it is indeed a male-dominated industry indeed. Plus I love that I can somehow understand the industry terms that Camy used in this book. :DVenus is probably the strongest character among the four cousins in the series. Not only because she’s in a very demanding field of work, but also because of her experiences in the past — on how she used to be overweight and how she lost it because of a stomach virus and not because of any weight loss product, and when she was finally thin, the guys she work with suddenly view her as a sex object rather than a person. In that kind of world, you really have to be tough. But even in her toughness, I like that she’s very professional and she knows when to draw the line between work and her personal life.
Similar to Sushi for One?, the novel is kind of long, but it’s never without a dull moment. It feels like I was watching a movie, and there’s always something interesting ahead. The climax was fun — it made me want to stop reading because I didn’t want to read what would happen next because I just know that it’s not going to be good for Venus, but at the same time I couldn’t put down the book! The ending was very satisfying and romantic — it felt like Venus and Drake were just doing a dance during the story where they weren’t allowed to touch each other, and until finally, they do so at the end.
The faith aspect is neatly tied in too, and it’s not preachy at all. The message is delivered in a simple and straightforward way with a cute symbolism for the character. :)
This is the third book in the Sushi series by Camy Tang, and I feel bad for not having a copy of Only Uni yet. However, I’m glad to say that you don’t need to read the previous books to understand this one. It would just provide a better reading experience because you’d know some of the backstory mentioned when the cousins are together, but this book can stand alone. :D
Awesome work, Camy (and thanks for the book too!)! I promise to get a copy of Only Uni soon so I can complete my collection. She’s definitely someone to watch out for. :)
