Sunday, August 24, 2014
13.7 Carlissa and Italo
This story was imagined in its incomplete movie form. If written as a short story, it would take the form of the Snapshots structure. Key events in this story are when Carlissa, a thirty-year-old woman, looks lustfully at Italo, a young man with a brawny figure who she is determined to marry. A possible problem in writing this story would be its scenes. The story's scenes would have to be more relatable to common viewers, without having to remove heated bits. For that to happen, the characters of Carlissa and Italo would have to be given more importance to.
Saturday, August 23, 2014
13.6 Darren and Paolum
I would rather tell this story in the Snapshots structure if the focus were to be on important events. These events will highlight the character of Darren who, because of his lack of motivation to study and of his twin brother Paolum's successes, becomes jealous and thinks of messing up with Paolum's life and work. The moment everything comes together is when Paolum catches Darren ruining his project. The story ends here, but the readers are left to decide what happens next.
Friday, August 22, 2014
13.5 Stauren and Kimberly
If to be written in the Snapshots structure, the distinction between the characters of Stauren and Kimberly would have to be made clear. As all key events lead to the final scene, these events should be meaningful enough to tell the story in an interesting manner. The violin scene is a big scene that leads to the coffee shop scene, another big scene. The other little scenes in between those two big scenes will add to the depth of the story.
Thursday, August 21, 2014
13.4 Laureen and Sid
An "A Day in the Life" story. Laureen and Sid run together every afternoon, but this particular run was entirely different from the rest. One curious afternoon, while both of them were running, an unknown gift-giver threw presents at them three times. All three presents were meant for Laureen, who already had Sid as her guy. However, as it turns out, the third present was an invitation to a social dance. The gift-giver would presumably be a guy, but readers would not know this until they reach the part when Laureen and Sid see a peculiar man in dark shades run past them. There is no telling that the strange man is the gift-giver, but the story only gives that clue to leave readers guessing.
Wednesday, August 20, 2014
13.3 Mostreth and Bridget
Conceived in its movie form, this story about two geniuses in love could be best told in the story form of the Last Lap. The scene when Bridget's physics experiment won an award through Mostreth's help is closest to the climactic scene--the actual awarding ceremony--as it serves as a placeholder for that scene. The actual awarding ceremony was to take place two weeks after the initial announcement of the award. The two-week gap allows them enough time to develop romantic feelings for each other. Bridget, who is nine years old, tells Mostreth that she is nineteen in order that they could be of the same age and that he could accept her. When she tells him this, he would already have liked her first. Mostreth believed so because it goes without saying that Bridget appeared much older for her age. Mostreth finds out about her real age during the awarding ceremony when the host announces it on stage. Thus, the awarding ceremony becomes both an exciting and a paralyzing event for Bridget.
This story carries themes of maturity, coming-of-age love, a romance between two geniuses, and friendship.
This story carries themes of maturity, coming-of-age love, a romance between two geniuses, and friendship.
Tuesday, August 19, 2014
13.2 Keelom, Harp, and Exxot
Writing the story outline, what I had in mind was the character of a wealthy, charming new husband whose joy is in making his new wife happy. Harp, a young, intelligent Greek woman had always dreamed of visiting the Louvre in France. Because she often worried about costs, that dream was not fulfilled until she and Keelom went to France for their honeymoon. The son of a wealthy Singapore-based mining corporation owner, Keelom had no worries about spending that much money for the two of them. As they roamed the museum, they were spotted by Harp's ex-boyfriend, Exxot, who is an art critic. Jealous upon seeing that Harp was already married, Exxot followed them around without their knowledge, and when circumstance had made it possible for him to play his trick on the newlyweds, he did what he could do by trapping her inside the restroom. After an hour of waiting, Keelom grew worried, but because of his inability to speak French, looking for Harp would be a hard thing to do.
This story would be difficult to tell from either of the newlyweds' or Exxot's point of view. A third person omniscient narrator could be more efficient, but even then, to have no key event would render the story without meaning. The Specimen form would be most fitting to this type of story because that would help narrow the story down to only one significant character and one key event. The story could then focus on important details of that character's life alongside the key event.
This story would be difficult to tell from either of the newlyweds' or Exxot's point of view. A third person omniscient narrator could be more efficient, but even then, to have no key event would render the story without meaning. The Specimen form would be most fitting to this type of story because that would help narrow the story down to only one significant character and one key event. The story could then focus on important details of that character's life alongside the key event.
Monday, August 18, 2014
13.1 Barrie, Katlen, and Fabian
Writing this story outline, I imagined it in movie form. The first scene would open with Barrie and Katlen complaining about the earliness of the scheduled book launch they were expected to attend. Later on, they would learn that there was no book launch at all. The mysteries of the building-like house would be unknown to them or the readers, but the readers would be drawing their own clues as they follow the two women around the house.
The story would continue with suspenseful scenes that lead to the near-end scene about the housemaster, Fabian, locking the two spying women inside a hidden room inside a room. This big scene is where everything comes together, as it reveals most of the mysteries of previous scenes. For example, a previous scene would concentrate on the peculiarity of the salon-like room Fabian leads the two women to, when at the start all they knew was that they going to attend a book launch at 5:30 in the morning. A book launch at 5:30 in the morning is odd enough, but I intended to add more peculiarities as the story progresses to add to the suspense in the last scene. The last scene would center on bioterrorism. Evidence would be enough for a reader to draw the idea that a mass murder was about to take place. The question of whether the two locked women would escape or remain inside (to be killed afterwards) will not be answered in the story, but that in itself could be a problem.
The Specimen form might be appropriate for this story, but using this I might have to focus on the character of Fabian instead of the two women. Telling the story from Fabian's point of view would greatly alter the plot of the story. Hence, the Gathering form might be a better structure to use. Telling the story might be more effective by putting all important characters together and by telling the story from the point of view of either of the two women (preferably Barrie).
The story would continue with suspenseful scenes that lead to the near-end scene about the housemaster, Fabian, locking the two spying women inside a hidden room inside a room. This big scene is where everything comes together, as it reveals most of the mysteries of previous scenes. For example, a previous scene would concentrate on the peculiarity of the salon-like room Fabian leads the two women to, when at the start all they knew was that they going to attend a book launch at 5:30 in the morning. A book launch at 5:30 in the morning is odd enough, but I intended to add more peculiarities as the story progresses to add to the suspense in the last scene. The last scene would center on bioterrorism. Evidence would be enough for a reader to draw the idea that a mass murder was about to take place. The question of whether the two locked women would escape or remain inside (to be killed afterwards) will not be answered in the story, but that in itself could be a problem.
The Specimen form might be appropriate for this story, but using this I might have to focus on the character of Fabian instead of the two women. Telling the story from Fabian's point of view would greatly alter the plot of the story. Hence, the Gathering form might be a better structure to use. Telling the story might be more effective by putting all important characters together and by telling the story from the point of view of either of the two women (preferably Barrie).
Sunday, August 17, 2014
12.7 Seed Story
Seeds: 6.7, 7.5, 9.6, 10.7
-Italo looked into Carlissa's eyes with much fear. She was touching every part of his smooth, toned body. Just then, they heard footsteps approaching the room. Knowing that she had to leave right away, Carlissa put her hand on Italo's face for one last time and said, "I wanna marry you." Italo shook his head right after she left.
Story:
-Thirty-year-old Carlissa did not like her job at the office. She worked as a bookkeeper and she found this boring. Needing more excitement in her life, she decided to try her luck in performing arts. She thus joined a theater workshop where she met Italo, a brawny, handsome, dark-skinned young actor whose face had every fine feature similar to those of the statue of David. The moment she saw him, she knew that she was going to marry him, even if he was so much younger—she wanted to, and she wanted him to want to.
-Italo, on the other hand, was pretty dense and could not pick up whenever she tried to make advances. An actor who perceived every event in his real life as a stage scene, he found it hard to take things seriously, let alone realistically. That was Carlissa’s problem. She wanted to show the young man how much she adored him, but to no avail, the responses she got were always friendly and non-romantic, and this made her think that he was only playing hard-to-get.
-One late afternoon, Italo was by himself dressing up after rehearsals. Carlissa walked in, locked the dressing room, stood in front of him at a close angle, and said "I just need to talk to you." Semi-naked, Italo was about to shout, but she cupped his mouth and told him not to. Carlissa could see it from his eyes that he was afraid, and that even with all the youthful energy and spirit that was inside of him, he did not know what was going on.
Saturday, August 16, 2014
12.6 Seed Story
Seeds: 6.1, 6.5, 10.1, 9.7
Story:
-Darren is a law student in his early twenties who had just lost all his drive and motivation to study. His twin brother Paolum was studying to become a doctor, and his main area of focus is in clinical biology. As opposed to Darren, Paolum really enjoyed his studies. He often did extra work so that he would be recognized. For his thesis paper requirement, he submitted two thesis papers instead of just one.
-Seeing that his brother was excelling far more than he is, Darren grew jealous. He wanted to somehow see his brother’s world fall apart because it annoyed him to see it so perfect. What annoyed him more is that he had just drunken up a tall cup of sugar-infused coconut water. The flavor was too sweet that he felt like vomiting everything out but he couldn’t. These events had made him feel altogether remorseful about life.
-Because of his jealousy, he was committed to making his brother feel miserable without him knowing. One night, he secretly took Paolum’s school ID and threw it out to sea. Paolum was not able to enter school premises the next day. Another time, he put sleeping medicine into Paolum’s food so that he slept instead of study. Yet another time, he would intentionally hide his important things and destroy them.
-One morning, while Darren was ruining Paolum’s project, Darren was caught in the act.
Friday, August 15, 2014
12.5 Seed Story
Seeds: 6.7, 3.4, 7.7, 10.6
Story:
-Nineteen-year-old Stauren knows that Kimberly, a sixteen-year-old freshman in college, is quick to get herself infatuated over handsome and smart men. He knows this because she's told him about every guy she's ever liked in the past. Although they aren't siblings or relatives by blood, they are as close as close siblings. He treats her like his little princess, and she considers him her older brother. One day, sitting on a soft yellow chair, Kimberly heard a faint sound of violin music. She stood up and looked around to check who was playing it. She found Stauren.
-Kimberly gave the violin back, and she wanted him to play more. Stauren suddenly blushed and felt nervous; his forehead turned sweaty and his hands, clammy. What she didn't know is that he was beginning to like her a lot.
-After he played a piece, he invited her to tea at SM Aura. Kimberly was under no illusion to how close they were to becoming a couple; she knew this at once when she noticed his awkward glances at her and horrible conversation starters. She then asked randomly, "Are you in love with me?" Stauren shrugged, and then stuttered, "Uhh...no! No, of course not. You're my sister." Kimberly nodded her head and said okay.
Thursday, August 14, 2014
12.4 Seed Story
Seeds: 7.1, 4.4, 8.3, 10.3
Story:
-Laureen and Sid, a new couple (not married), run together every afternoon at 6 p.m. They met each other in a city marathon and became sweet friends ever since. Laureen is a triathlete while Sid is a long-distance runner. One afternoon, they went out for a run on the streets. Neither of them knew a thing about writing or poetry, but they had those short, choppy conversations about poets just because they felt like talking.
-Just then, the skies grew dark. 1.5 miles into their run, the rain began to pour. Because neither of them brought an umbrella, they were soaked immediately, but they still continued to run.
-After a while, the skies cleared. Someone threw a neatly-wrapped parcel in front of them, but when they tried looking around, they saw no one. The parcel was addressed to Laureen. She picked it up and opened it. It was a box of post cards, which she liked a lot. They both got back to running.
-In the middle of their run, another parcel was thrown at them. Laureen began to wonder where all those parcels were coming from and who was throwing them. She picked the second one up; it was a pack of Japanese paper and red cut-out hearts.
-At 2.8 kilometers, they both sat down on a sidewalk to rest and cool off. Another parcel was thrown to them. This time, Laureen caught a glimpse of a peculiar-looking man with dark shades. He ran past them and then sped away. She opened the third parcel; it was an invitation to a social dance.
Story:
-Laureen and Sid, a new couple (not married), run together every afternoon at 6 p.m. They met each other in a city marathon and became sweet friends ever since. Laureen is a triathlete while Sid is a long-distance runner. One afternoon, they went out for a run on the streets. Neither of them knew a thing about writing or poetry, but they had those short, choppy conversations about poets just because they felt like talking.
-Just then, the skies grew dark. 1.5 miles into their run, the rain began to pour. Because neither of them brought an umbrella, they were soaked immediately, but they still continued to run.
-After a while, the skies cleared. Someone threw a neatly-wrapped parcel in front of them, but when they tried looking around, they saw no one. The parcel was addressed to Laureen. She picked it up and opened it. It was a box of post cards, which she liked a lot. They both got back to running.
-In the middle of their run, another parcel was thrown at them. Laureen began to wonder where all those parcels were coming from and who was throwing them. She picked the second one up; it was a pack of Japanese paper and red cut-out hearts.
-At 2.8 kilometers, they both sat down on a sidewalk to rest and cool off. Another parcel was thrown to them. This time, Laureen caught a glimpse of a peculiar-looking man with dark shades. He ran past them and then sped away. She opened the third parcel; it was an invitation to a social dance.
Wednesday, August 13, 2014
12.3 Seed Story
Seeds: 6.4, 3.5, 7.6, 9.1
Story:
-Mostreth is a nineteen-year-old musician and lecturer at a university in Piedmont, Italy. He is a genius and a child prodigy. One day, he met a nine-year-old female physicist named Bridget, who looked so much older for her age. She had bushy eyebrows and thick glasses; also, she was tall. When he met her, she was crouched down on a corner of the laboratory and crying because of a failed experiment.
-Mostreth and Bridget talked for a long time about the experiment. Soon after, Mostreth's genius was able to help Bridget solve her problem. The experiment became successful and it won an award. The awarding ceremony was not yet until two weeks after in a science symposium. Bridget could not thank him enough.
-One week before the awarding ceremony, Bridget began to have feelings for Mostreth. She visited him every day to listen to his music, and listening to his music gave her mixed feelings of excitement and awe. She wanted so much of him, even to be married to him, but she was just nine. She wondered to herself how it was possible for a nine-year-old girl to think such thoughts of marriage when it was not yet even proper for most people her age. But the fact is that her mind has wired her to be that way. She is a prodigy after all.
-Mostreth also happened to like her. He found her pretty and youthful, although her age was something he was not completely sure about. They were 10 years apart, but he did not know this, and she never revealed this. Incidentally, Bridget had lied to him about her age just on the same week. She told him that she was 19, and he believed so. Not long after, they would be dating and talking about their future together. They both agreed to settle down together in the coming months.
-Come award ceremony, the hosts revealed her real age on stage, during the awarding. "Nine-year-old physicist." The whole crowd was amazed and they cheered, but Mostreth was greatly astonished. This made Bridget want to run away and hide from the rest of the crowd, but she couldn't, because she was the awardee.
Story:
-Mostreth is a nineteen-year-old musician and lecturer at a university in Piedmont, Italy. He is a genius and a child prodigy. One day, he met a nine-year-old female physicist named Bridget, who looked so much older for her age. She had bushy eyebrows and thick glasses; also, she was tall. When he met her, she was crouched down on a corner of the laboratory and crying because of a failed experiment.
-Mostreth and Bridget talked for a long time about the experiment. Soon after, Mostreth's genius was able to help Bridget solve her problem. The experiment became successful and it won an award. The awarding ceremony was not yet until two weeks after in a science symposium. Bridget could not thank him enough.
-One week before the awarding ceremony, Bridget began to have feelings for Mostreth. She visited him every day to listen to his music, and listening to his music gave her mixed feelings of excitement and awe. She wanted so much of him, even to be married to him, but she was just nine. She wondered to herself how it was possible for a nine-year-old girl to think such thoughts of marriage when it was not yet even proper for most people her age. But the fact is that her mind has wired her to be that way. She is a prodigy after all.
-Mostreth also happened to like her. He found her pretty and youthful, although her age was something he was not completely sure about. They were 10 years apart, but he did not know this, and she never revealed this. Incidentally, Bridget had lied to him about her age just on the same week. She told him that she was 19, and he believed so. Not long after, they would be dating and talking about their future together. They both agreed to settle down together in the coming months.
-Come award ceremony, the hosts revealed her real age on stage, during the awarding. "Nine-year-old physicist." The whole crowd was amazed and they cheered, but Mostreth was greatly astonished. This made Bridget want to run away and hide from the rest of the crowd, but she couldn't, because she was the awardee.
Tuesday, August 12, 2014
12.2 Seed Story
Seeds: 3.2, 8.1, 9.3, 11.6
Story:
-Keelom, 27, based in Singapore, is the son of a wealthy mining corporation owner. He had just gotten married to a young, intelligent Greek woman named Harp. They got married in Versailles where they first met. On their first day together as a married couple, Keelom took Harp to Paris to see the Louvre.
-Harp did not like the idea as she was worried about the cost, but Keelom assured her that there was nothing to worry about. He knew that she had always wanted to see inside the Louvre; he was wealthy enough to bring the both of them inside.
-When the two were walking inside, they were seen but not met by Harp's ex-boyfriend, Exxot, an art critic. Exxot was furious seeing Harp already married, and he was determined to break them apart no matter what. He followed them everywhere without them knowing.
-Keelom and Harp settled at a small fine-dining restaurant at the peak of the triangle. When already seated, Harp excused herself from the table to go to the restroom. Meanwhile, Exxot followed her inside, did something to the cubicle door so that Harp would not be able to go out, and locked the restroom's main door. He placed an "out of order" sign on the door when he went out.
-After one hour of waiting, Keelom began to worry about Harp. Because he did not know French, the plan of looking for Harp became difficult.
Story:
-Keelom, 27, based in Singapore, is the son of a wealthy mining corporation owner. He had just gotten married to a young, intelligent Greek woman named Harp. They got married in Versailles where they first met. On their first day together as a married couple, Keelom took Harp to Paris to see the Louvre.
-Harp did not like the idea as she was worried about the cost, but Keelom assured her that there was nothing to worry about. He knew that she had always wanted to see inside the Louvre; he was wealthy enough to bring the both of them inside.
-When the two were walking inside, they were seen but not met by Harp's ex-boyfriend, Exxot, an art critic. Exxot was furious seeing Harp already married, and he was determined to break them apart no matter what. He followed them everywhere without them knowing.
-Keelom and Harp settled at a small fine-dining restaurant at the peak of the triangle. When already seated, Harp excused herself from the table to go to the restroom. Meanwhile, Exxot followed her inside, did something to the cubicle door so that Harp would not be able to go out, and locked the restroom's main door. He placed an "out of order" sign on the door when he went out.
-After one hour of waiting, Keelom began to worry about Harp. Because he did not know French, the plan of looking for Harp became difficult.
Monday, August 11, 2014
12.1 Seed Story
Seeds: 3.6, 7.4, 9.4, and 10.2
Story:
-Barrie and Katlen, 30 and 34, both female, were on their way to attending a book launch party on a rainy Saturday early morning. Because the hosts requested everyone to arrive at 5:30 a.m., Barrie complained about the schedule while Katlen drove; "they should have considered our time, too... 5:30 a.m. is just way too early..."
-They arrived at 5. At the main door of a tall building, they met a tall, handsome, bearded man with a shiny head and a huge nose. His name is Fabian, 56. Fabian led them to a room that looked like a salon with mirror tables and high seats on two rows. Each row had eight. They questioned the place and wondered "What about the book launch?"
-More people came in and asked the same question, but none bothered to leave the room. People began to wonder and feel funny about the whole thing. Out of the corner of her eye, Barrie saw that Fabian went out. She followed. Katlen followed Barrie out.
-"They wanna kill us. I don't trust Fabian. We have to protect ourselves." Barrie said to Katlen. Katlen replied "Okay, how?" "Let's keep Fabian busy. Follow him." They followed Fabian without him knowing. They overheard him talk to someone else about needles and a liquid concoction. He sat down in front of a supercomputer that looked like a drums set. He pressed buttons that lit up with colors of blue, red, and white.
-Barrie could not control her mouth. She shouted, "Fabian!" Startled, Fabian slouched his back and used his sleeved arms to cover his supercomputer. He immediately rose from his seat and pulled the two women mercilessly into the workplace and then into a smaller, darker room inside, muffling their mouths with his bare hands so that they could not shout. He singlehandedly blindfolded them and threw them inside the smaller room, locking it afterwards.
Story:
-Barrie and Katlen, 30 and 34, both female, were on their way to attending a book launch party on a rainy Saturday early morning. Because the hosts requested everyone to arrive at 5:30 a.m., Barrie complained about the schedule while Katlen drove; "they should have considered our time, too... 5:30 a.m. is just way too early..."
-They arrived at 5. At the main door of a tall building, they met a tall, handsome, bearded man with a shiny head and a huge nose. His name is Fabian, 56. Fabian led them to a room that looked like a salon with mirror tables and high seats on two rows. Each row had eight. They questioned the place and wondered "What about the book launch?"
-More people came in and asked the same question, but none bothered to leave the room. People began to wonder and feel funny about the whole thing. Out of the corner of her eye, Barrie saw that Fabian went out. She followed. Katlen followed Barrie out.
-"They wanna kill us. I don't trust Fabian. We have to protect ourselves." Barrie said to Katlen. Katlen replied "Okay, how?" "Let's keep Fabian busy. Follow him." They followed Fabian without him knowing. They overheard him talk to someone else about needles and a liquid concoction. He sat down in front of a supercomputer that looked like a drums set. He pressed buttons that lit up with colors of blue, red, and white.
-Barrie could not control her mouth. She shouted, "Fabian!" Startled, Fabian slouched his back and used his sleeved arms to cover his supercomputer. He immediately rose from his seat and pulled the two women mercilessly into the workplace and then into a smaller, darker room inside, muffling their mouths with his bare hands so that they could not shout. He singlehandedly blindfolded them and threw them inside the smaller room, locking it afterwards.
Sunday, August 10, 2014
11.7 Serina Alonzo fixes plot outlines with a broken heart
Serina Alonzo hoped for inspiration to improve story's plot -- But after the Saturday incident, all idealized romantic endings did not seem workable anymore.
What started out as a very unrealistic, dreamy young adult fiction plot continued in a story-come-true romantic encounter. However, the plot's ending with the girl reciprocating the guy's love was not how Serina's actual romantic encounter came to be.
She told him not yet, wait, and think.
Now that her romantic reveries have just died, she struggles pulling off a good love story ending (no inspiration). She needs help.
To give help or support of any kind, please contact 09198762345.
What started out as a very unrealistic, dreamy young adult fiction plot continued in a story-come-true romantic encounter. However, the plot's ending with the girl reciprocating the guy's love was not how Serina's actual romantic encounter came to be.
She told him not yet, wait, and think.
Now that her romantic reveries have just died, she struggles pulling off a good love story ending (no inspiration). She needs help.
To give help or support of any kind, please contact 09198762345.
Saturday, August 9, 2014
11.6 WRIFICT young adult plot comes to life: oh-no
Story's character-sake, a real person, takes on fictional character's profile and changes Serina's life drastically.
Never did it once occur to her in the whole duration of creating an idealized "boy meets girl/boy gets girl" plot outline that it would materialize. Now that it had, Serina knew that she needed much of her thinking head to decide whether to go for it or not.
She does not.
After scribbling her thoughts on a piece of paper, these are the words the journalists found: "This guy is very smart, talented, deep, mature, handsome, disciplined, principled, good-natured, etc. etc. etc. and I like the way he is. Now--I've met better guys before. This guy, clearly, is no match for those other guys--but I still like the way he is. If I say 'okay' today, then today would mark the happiest day of our lives, and business partners we will be from now on. Sadly, I don't know how he works. But I know how I work--I always have to be certain, and I bet he still does not know that I break down easily when work is not excellent. No, I can't do this. No, not yet. Or better yet, he has to wait."
Serina felt unusually empowered that night. A chat conversation was obtained from her archives folder.
She messaged the guy and said, "You're still not Carmine!!!"
The guy then replied, "Say what?"
"Don't jump the gun; it won't be proper."
From a distance, it was observed that the guy was silent. Because of that, Serina was given the license to explain her part: "Don't flatter yourself. Tell me what you know about me."
The man gives a list of basic things about her.
Serina answers with "That's not enough, and this is why 'we' can't happen yet. We've only ever met once, we've only ever spoken via social network, and I do not even know what your talking voice sounds like. You have to wait. We can wait for each other."
The man replied, "Sounds great. I can wait all life long for you."
Serina retorted, "What? That's unrealistic. No, be specific. Until when? How long?"
"When we're twenty and graduated," he said.
"Ah but I'll be taking my masters by then. How about middle to late twenties?"
"Sure."
"By the way, do you remember how my WRIFICT plot ends?"
"Yeah, Carmine gives back the diary and proposes."
"WHEN they meet in person. They have to meet in person, and so do we."
Never did it once occur to her in the whole duration of creating an idealized "boy meets girl/boy gets girl" plot outline that it would materialize. Now that it had, Serina knew that she needed much of her thinking head to decide whether to go for it or not.
She does not.
After scribbling her thoughts on a piece of paper, these are the words the journalists found: "This guy is very smart, talented, deep, mature, handsome, disciplined, principled, good-natured, etc. etc. etc. and I like the way he is. Now--I've met better guys before. This guy, clearly, is no match for those other guys--but I still like the way he is. If I say 'okay' today, then today would mark the happiest day of our lives, and business partners we will be from now on. Sadly, I don't know how he works. But I know how I work--I always have to be certain, and I bet he still does not know that I break down easily when work is not excellent. No, I can't do this. No, not yet. Or better yet, he has to wait."
Serina felt unusually empowered that night. A chat conversation was obtained from her archives folder.
She messaged the guy and said, "You're still not Carmine!!!"
The guy then replied, "Say what?"
"Don't jump the gun; it won't be proper."
From a distance, it was observed that the guy was silent. Because of that, Serina was given the license to explain her part: "Don't flatter yourself. Tell me what you know about me."
The man gives a list of basic things about her.
Serina answers with "That's not enough, and this is why 'we' can't happen yet. We've only ever met once, we've only ever spoken via social network, and I do not even know what your talking voice sounds like. You have to wait. We can wait for each other."
The man replied, "Sounds great. I can wait all life long for you."
Serina retorted, "What? That's unrealistic. No, be specific. Until when? How long?"
"When we're twenty and graduated," he said.
"Ah but I'll be taking my masters by then. How about middle to late twenties?"
"Sure."
"By the way, do you remember how my WRIFICT plot ends?"
"Yeah, Carmine gives back the diary and proposes."
"WHEN they meet in person. They have to meet in person, and so do we."
Friday, August 8, 2014
11.5 A meets K at coffee shop to talk about insanity, etc.
Bipolarity, self-diagnosed -- After having read two madwoman novels, Serina Alonzo decides that she might be bipolar or almost insane as she matches every symptom found on disorder websites. She tells a good friend, Ho Jae, who offers timely help. They meet at a coffee shop where he makes her feel dumb for believing in such things. On the other hand, she is under no illusion to the fact that it might be true.
Ho Jae, a man she admires for being so disciplined and righteous, prefers reason over emotions. He is quick at analyzing problems which Serina, being highly overemotional, cannot do efficiently by herself. She breaks down easily and often imagines what life would be like in a rehabilitation center. At one point during a conversation, Ho Jae even suggests that she needs professional help.
After writing some essays at the AG library, Serina met Ho Jae at a nearby coffee shop at 3 p.m. where he asked about the note she tossed him a few days ago, which read something like "God's too cruel, I think He has left me." He bought a tall cup of coffee using his coffee name, Kim. Ho Jae corrected her wrong by saying that she should not equate weakness and fear to problems, but instead think that being weak or afraid is normal as everyone experiences these. He also explained that being "left by God" means going to hell and that calling God "cruel" is blasphemous. That segment of the conversation was an emotional one.
Serina then admitted that she is deathly afraid of ghosts and of being alone in the dark. She exaggerated by saying that if she is without anyone in a dark place and she sees a ghost, she might faint. She would need at least just one person to be there with her in the event that there might be a ghost, so that she would have someone to hug. Ho Jae corrected this notion by telling her that she should not be dependent on people--"lean on God, not men."
Serina recalled how many times last week she cried and blamed God for all problems. She asked him, "How do you do it? How do you manage to keep a relationship with God despite all you've been through?"
"God; not me."
Ho Jae, a man she admires for being so disciplined and righteous, prefers reason over emotions. He is quick at analyzing problems which Serina, being highly overemotional, cannot do efficiently by herself. She breaks down easily and often imagines what life would be like in a rehabilitation center. At one point during a conversation, Ho Jae even suggests that she needs professional help.
After writing some essays at the AG library, Serina met Ho Jae at a nearby coffee shop at 3 p.m. where he asked about the note she tossed him a few days ago, which read something like "God's too cruel, I think He has left me." He bought a tall cup of coffee using his coffee name, Kim. Ho Jae corrected her wrong by saying that she should not equate weakness and fear to problems, but instead think that being weak or afraid is normal as everyone experiences these. He also explained that being "left by God" means going to hell and that calling God "cruel" is blasphemous. That segment of the conversation was an emotional one.
Serina then admitted that she is deathly afraid of ghosts and of being alone in the dark. She exaggerated by saying that if she is without anyone in a dark place and she sees a ghost, she might faint. She would need at least just one person to be there with her in the event that there might be a ghost, so that she would have someone to hug. Ho Jae corrected this notion by telling her that she should not be dependent on people--"lean on God, not men."
Serina recalled how many times last week she cried and blamed God for all problems. She asked him, "How do you do it? How do you manage to keep a relationship with God despite all you've been through?"
"God; not me."
Thursday, August 7, 2014
11.4 Serina Alonzo gives love advice, quotes Soren Kierkegaard
At the lunch table, Serina talks love advice to a heartbroken friend -- quoting Soren Kierkegaard to help the friend get back on track, she locates specific instances wherein the friend should have turned toward a more principled way of living.
What happened that afternoon ended that afternoon. To bring it back, as in to put into writing, would be to dig up a grave of someone already dead and buried. Serina was enjoying a delectable dessert at Bon Chon when her friend started to complain about a guy who forgets--or pretends to forget--to text her. The friend brings more of these problems to the table.
A more rational overseer, Serina knew how said petty problems could be fixed. She began by saying that she had made similar or even worse mistakes. "You're leading your life in entirely different categories," she tells her friend. "You put on all-black clothing to make yourself look good for him; and then you keep seeking for his approval in almost everything you do. So what if he likes you? So what if he doesn't? You're lowering yourself to the level of people who live materialistically."
She continues by sharing some of her knowledge on chakras: "I don't wear black because black absorbs the negative energy of places. You'll notice that your day will keep getting worse if you do. Also, focus on things above, if you know what I mean."
The friend says "No, not really."
What happened that afternoon ended that afternoon. To bring it back, as in to put into writing, would be to dig up a grave of someone already dead and buried. Serina was enjoying a delectable dessert at Bon Chon when her friend started to complain about a guy who forgets--or pretends to forget--to text her. The friend brings more of these problems to the table.
A more rational overseer, Serina knew how said petty problems could be fixed. She began by saying that she had made similar or even worse mistakes. "You're leading your life in entirely different categories," she tells her friend. "You put on all-black clothing to make yourself look good for him; and then you keep seeking for his approval in almost everything you do. So what if he likes you? So what if he doesn't? You're lowering yourself to the level of people who live materialistically."
She continues by sharing some of her knowledge on chakras: "I don't wear black because black absorbs the negative energy of places. You'll notice that your day will keep getting worse if you do. Also, focus on things above, if you know what I mean."
The friend says "No, not really."
Wednesday, August 6, 2014
11.3 "God too cruel"
A pre-WORLDS2 nervous breakdown -- Serina Alonzo took out a piece of sticky paper and scribbled on it with the words "God's so cruel. I think He has left me...." She tossed the piece of paper to Ho Jae and then ran out the door.
After many long days and hours of toil, at 5 A.M. that day, Serina Alonzo finally tasted what it was like to sleep. She woke up thirty minutes after to get ready for school--and thirty minutes of sleep did not matter for as long as work was finished well. Finally satisfied with the book critique, she squeezed the USB in her hand and said, "This has got to be the best book critique I've ever written!" Upon arriving at school early that day, she went up the library at Andrew Gonzalez Hall to quadruple-check both papers before having them printed--both the WRIFICT book critique and the WORLDS2 Nietzsche paper.
But then this happened. First, the librarians did not allow USBs for the library computers, not even when really needed. Frustrated, Serina darted out the door and walked all the way to the piso print at One Archer's Place, only to find out that both files were not in the USB--either something deleted them or they were not saved at all. Outside the piso print, Serina literally fell on her knees and grieved as if someone important had just died--replace "someone" with "hopes and dreams of rising victoriously in major subjects." She found herself finally using those "swear words" that were once just untouched vocabulary inside her word bank. She then decided to type everything from both papers down from memory, beginning with the book critique, the more crucial one.
When the bell rang for the 9:15 A.M. WORLDS2 class, she quickly dropped everything and headed to class--strangely, Serina could not bear to cut class, not even for important papers. A few classmates like Riddick and Kevin noticed her wiping away tears and sniffling as she entered the classroom. She did not mind them or anyone. Instead, the plan of action was to proactively continue to rewrite whatever she could remember from the initial document. She spent those hours trying to come up with a similar document. Meanwhile, she also blamed God for the mishap. Finally, at the peak of her anger, she wrote "God's so cruel. I think He has left me." Slipping the note under Ho Jae's hand on the desk, she stood up and ran out the door in complete anguish, saying words like "What of 'I'll never leave you nor forsake you,' God? I believed in You..."
She spent the span of her only break time cramming the papers, feeling altogether happy that she finally had opportunity to self-torture by skipping lunch. Lunch happens to be her favorite meal of the day--skipping it would equate to deprivation of happiness. After one paper was done, she proceeded to writing the next paper. In less than an hour, she managed to chock up three unsatisfactory, half-baked papers.
Later that afternoon, she received a text message of concern from Ho Jae. Serina confided that she thinks she is turning crazy.
After many long days and hours of toil, at 5 A.M. that day, Serina Alonzo finally tasted what it was like to sleep. She woke up thirty minutes after to get ready for school--and thirty minutes of sleep did not matter for as long as work was finished well. Finally satisfied with the book critique, she squeezed the USB in her hand and said, "This has got to be the best book critique I've ever written!" Upon arriving at school early that day, she went up the library at Andrew Gonzalez Hall to quadruple-check both papers before having them printed--both the WRIFICT book critique and the WORLDS2 Nietzsche paper.
But then this happened. First, the librarians did not allow USBs for the library computers, not even when really needed. Frustrated, Serina darted out the door and walked all the way to the piso print at One Archer's Place, only to find out that both files were not in the USB--either something deleted them or they were not saved at all. Outside the piso print, Serina literally fell on her knees and grieved as if someone important had just died--replace "someone" with "hopes and dreams of rising victoriously in major subjects." She found herself finally using those "swear words" that were once just untouched vocabulary inside her word bank. She then decided to type everything from both papers down from memory, beginning with the book critique, the more crucial one.
When the bell rang for the 9:15 A.M. WORLDS2 class, she quickly dropped everything and headed to class--strangely, Serina could not bear to cut class, not even for important papers. A few classmates like Riddick and Kevin noticed her wiping away tears and sniffling as she entered the classroom. She did not mind them or anyone. Instead, the plan of action was to proactively continue to rewrite whatever she could remember from the initial document. She spent those hours trying to come up with a similar document. Meanwhile, she also blamed God for the mishap. Finally, at the peak of her anger, she wrote "God's so cruel. I think He has left me." Slipping the note under Ho Jae's hand on the desk, she stood up and ran out the door in complete anguish, saying words like "What of 'I'll never leave you nor forsake you,' God? I believed in You..."
She spent the span of her only break time cramming the papers, feeling altogether happy that she finally had opportunity to self-torture by skipping lunch. Lunch happens to be her favorite meal of the day--skipping it would equate to deprivation of happiness. After one paper was done, she proceeded to writing the next paper. In less than an hour, she managed to chock up three unsatisfactory, half-baked papers.
Later that afternoon, she received a text message of concern from Ho Jae. Serina confided that she thinks she is turning crazy.
Tuesday, August 5, 2014
11.2 Serina Alonzo cancels coffee date; eats frozen yogurt instead
After canceling a coffee date with someone due to studies, Serina Alonzo decides to spend some quality time alone at Golden Spoon (the yogurt place).
Upon reaching the street of her house, Serina takes a side turn and heads to a plaza and goes to Golden Spoon, bringing with her a "buy one get one free" coupon. She finishes two full cups of yogurt by herself, telling herself that "hey, this is so much better than that coffee date..."
Upon reaching the street of her house, Serina takes a side turn and heads to a plaza and goes to Golden Spoon, bringing with her a "buy one get one free" coupon. She finishes two full cups of yogurt by herself, telling herself that "hey, this is so much better than that coffee date..."
Monday, August 4, 2014
11.1 Philosophy department helps hopeless case
Monday post-WORLDS2 nervous breakdown -- After delivering a badly-analyzed class report on Nietzsche, Serina Alonzo runs to the girls' restroom and weeps. She sits at the hallway for thirty minutes, thinks of skipping lunch to punish herself, and then reads more Nietzsche in attempt to improve her crappy paper. She does, with help from great people.
A self-criticizing perfectionist, Serina Alonzo wept for long when things did not work out as planned that morning. It was likely that the professor, disappointed, gave her a nightmarish score of 0.0 or lower. The student was soon found walking out of the restroom door, blubbering with a messy bunch of tissues. After a few minutes of moping around, she went straight to her next class all fixed, as if nothing disastrous had just happened.
With Trish Gan and Leann Guatno at lunch, Serina's plan of punishing herself by skipping lunch did not push through--she couldn't with the company of friends. While eating, they ranted to each other about stress, the trimestral system, and slacker-off group mates--ultimately wishing that the hell weeks would be over sooner. To cheer up, Serina thought of telling them about her WRIFICT cheesy love-story plot. As they proceeded to the campus through Agno gate, Serina saw a band of Lasallian brothers and felt embarrassed right after unintentionally squeeing in public and exclaiming "BROTHERS!!!" with googly eyes.
The three friends spent the rest of their only common break at the gazebo exchanging comments on the plot. A fan of love stories, Trish said that she liked it and that it reminded her of some Korean dramas. Leann, on the other hand, was able to predict its autobiographical suggestion. Serina then revealed how each part of the plot was drawn from real life experiences. The critique session eventually metamorphosed into a conversation about Serina's male friends.
Heading to class, Serina took the back-door route to the faculty building and was blocked by the Groyon at the door. Pondering whether to ram herself through the obstacle or to just stare at it, she found herself babbling about stuff until he eventually unblocked the way.
After WRIFICT, now with two papers--Nietzsche and book critique--to worry about, she was glassyeyed and so decided to go up to the Philosophy department for help--what she realized she should have done weeks ago. Having been a member of DLSU Pilosopo since freshman year, the people in that department were very familiar people. Serina went to the really friendly department secretary, Ate Tin, and ranted all about her Nietzsche struggles, after which Ate Tin approached a professor and asked him to help the sorry student. The professor lent her two books.
Serina and the professor talked for more than an hour until the rain poured, preventing her from heading to the SDA building. In that event, she went down to the Literature department and stayed there for aircon, and also to write a note to her WORLDS2 professor and to do some homework. She was then met by one other professor who asked "How was the comprehensive exams?"
Realizing that she also had the comprehensive exams to worry about in addition to the two crappy papers and three other exams, she pulled out her checklist and placed an X mark beside "coffee date with ---." Clearly, studies have to be prioritized. What's not to love?
A self-criticizing perfectionist, Serina Alonzo wept for long when things did not work out as planned that morning. It was likely that the professor, disappointed, gave her a nightmarish score of 0.0 or lower. The student was soon found walking out of the restroom door, blubbering with a messy bunch of tissues. After a few minutes of moping around, she went straight to her next class all fixed, as if nothing disastrous had just happened.
With Trish Gan and Leann Guatno at lunch, Serina's plan of punishing herself by skipping lunch did not push through--she couldn't with the company of friends. While eating, they ranted to each other about stress, the trimestral system, and slacker-off group mates--ultimately wishing that the hell weeks would be over sooner. To cheer up, Serina thought of telling them about her WRIFICT cheesy love-story plot. As they proceeded to the campus through Agno gate, Serina saw a band of Lasallian brothers and felt embarrassed right after unintentionally squeeing in public and exclaiming "BROTHERS!!!" with googly eyes.
The three friends spent the rest of their only common break at the gazebo exchanging comments on the plot. A fan of love stories, Trish said that she liked it and that it reminded her of some Korean dramas. Leann, on the other hand, was able to predict its autobiographical suggestion. Serina then revealed how each part of the plot was drawn from real life experiences. The critique session eventually metamorphosed into a conversation about Serina's male friends.
Heading to class, Serina took the back-door route to the faculty building and was blocked by the Groyon at the door. Pondering whether to ram herself through the obstacle or to just stare at it, she found herself babbling about stuff until he eventually unblocked the way.
After WRIFICT, now with two papers--Nietzsche and book critique--to worry about, she was glassyeyed and so decided to go up to the Philosophy department for help--what she realized she should have done weeks ago. Having been a member of DLSU Pilosopo since freshman year, the people in that department were very familiar people. Serina went to the really friendly department secretary, Ate Tin, and ranted all about her Nietzsche struggles, after which Ate Tin approached a professor and asked him to help the sorry student. The professor lent her two books.
Serina and the professor talked for more than an hour until the rain poured, preventing her from heading to the SDA building. In that event, she went down to the Literature department and stayed there for aircon, and also to write a note to her WORLDS2 professor and to do some homework. She was then met by one other professor who asked "How was the comprehensive exams?"
Realizing that she also had the comprehensive exams to worry about in addition to the two crappy papers and three other exams, she pulled out her checklist and placed an X mark beside "coffee date with ---." Clearly, studies have to be prioritized. What's not to love?
Sunday, August 3, 2014
10.7
The thick, cottony blanket is so big that it can cover ten humans side by side together in one bed--except it only covers one in reality. Its intricate design makes it look like a gigantic masterpiece, and its colors of chocolate brown, orange, beige, and wood brown make it look so nice to hug and squeeze, especially when cold. Because of its size, it can be folded and crumpled into different origami shapes.
Saturday, August 2, 2014
10.6
The book called Sharp Teeth has been lying on the corner of the table for three years. Its edges are dirtied, and its cover has a velvety red texture. Its sides are yellowish and a little bit dusty, but its leaves are still as clean as always. Its spine has marks of ink on some places, and it has a marker line down its lower side. Its front cover has the silhouette of a wild wolf-like creature with sharp teeth. The prints on the cover are a shiny black.
Friday, August 1, 2014
10.5
When kept inside an air-conditioned
room, the book’s ridged cover becomes colder than usual. Its small size makes
it fit easily inside bags and big pockets. Its dark-reddish cover has a picture
of a man holding up a white rose for a woman, and its title is scribbled in
white across the lower part of the cover. The upper right part of its cover has the words "New Adult Pop Fiction" on it. Its edges are curved so that it looks
friendly and pleasing to look at. Its smooth, cream-colored pages are nicely printed on with a font type that is easy to read. It has the smell of a newly unwrapped magazine.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)