Writer starts at nothing.
Ricky Lee is adopted.
- Naglalayas sa pagbabasa at nagsusulat.
- He felt he didn’t belong.
- Stories became his refuge.
May judgment yung self mo kaya dika makapagsulat kaagad.
If you want to write, just write.
- Hindi amount ng workshop ang magdidikta na magsulat tayo.
Leap of faith.
- You’ll either develop wings or get dirty so you learn.
You’ll only learn when you start writing now.
Chapter 1: Tatlong Klase ng Manunulat
Tatlong manunulat na gustong pumunta sa Quiapo.
Quiapo is the destination (represents what a good writing piece is.)
Writer 1:
- Learned all rules.
- Learned maps.
- Gagamitin ang formula ng ibang writers para safe.
Writer 2:
- Pinagaralan din ang rules.
- Pero umikot siya at naginterview ng mga tao.
- Nakipagkulitan sa mga tao.
- Savored the flowers.
- Nagtagal pero nakarating naman.
- He found a different way to Quiapo. He is better than Writer 1.
Iwasan ang formula.
Writer 3:
- Pinagaralan din ang rules.
- Umikot din at naglamyerda.
- Took risk to go to places that don’t usually arrived at, so got lost. Really lost.
- Nakarating siya sa tabi ng Quiapo hindi eksakto sa Quiapo. Pero na-convince niya tayo na Quiapo ang narating niya. He is the best writer.
- He made magic.
- The purpose of writing is to make something up and tell people that this is Quiapo and they’ll believe.
He believes the journey is better than the destination.
The acts of writing is more important than the script.
Chapter 2: Tao sa Loob Tao sa Labas
Empathy
- First lesson
Nasasakyan natin yung tao sa loob nung tao.
Ipakita rin ang tao sa loob.
Ang tao sa loob ang magsasabi ng gagawin ng tao na sa labas.
You can only be a writer if you see what’s inside.
Lahat hindi buo.
- Lahat tayo may pagkabroken.
Lahat ng characters hindi buo.
Kahit sabihin mong wala kang problema at buo ka, nakatira ka parin sa isang mundong hindi buo.
As long as hindi buo ang mga tao sa paligid mo, hindi ka rin buo.
Kung nakatira ka sa lipunang mapang-api, hindi ka rin buo. Wasak ka rin.
Lahat ng character ay may journey toward pagkabuo. Ang pagkabuo ay journey rin ng writer toward sarili niyang pagkabuo.
Sinusulat ka rin ng kuwento.
Stories heal. They help us heal ourselves and the world.
Pagkabuo = Alignment ng tao sa labas at loob
Saan kukuha ng kuwento?
Sources
- Bodega search - things have material (memory: return to the past, use objects)
- Mundo - go outside; interview people, stalk, immerse, neighbors; go to the newspaper (read)
- Imagination - invent (write but don’t think)
- Text - novel, etc. (mag-adapt)
Play: writing is more play than hard work.
Iwasan ang “bawal.”
Explore.
If you are doing creative work, you need to be open not boxed.
Chapter 4: Ang Pagbuo ng Bida
- Problem
- Solve the problem
- Problem solved
A writer writes 24/7
The moment you are obsessed and ideas keep coming in
You need triggers
Goal: Gusto ng bida
Obstacle
- Nature
- other people
- supernatural
- fate
- sarili
Goal + Obstacle = Conflict
If no problem, no story.
Chapter 6: Ang pagkakaiba ng Want at Need
Want
- physical, nahahawakan
- goal ng tao sa labas
Need
- Hindi nahahawakan.
- Hindi nakikita.
Needs are few and repeat themselves
- Social need (belong and loved)
- Self-esteem
- Identity (realization ng gusto niya)
These are all in a protagonist.
Want check but not need. Want not but got need.
Happy ending movies - want and need is got
While you get to know your protagonist, you are also transformed as a writer.
Your subconscious writes already.
- More honest.
- More authentic, inspired.
- When subconscious writers, it has its own needs.
Whatever you’re writing should matter to you.
Writing process is long that you might give up. For you to not give up, it has to matter to you (your tao sa loob).
If you know the character well, you can finish her story.