Nothing Else Matters
Faith on 
Elise Estrella on 
I don’t believe in writer’s block. I don’t believe I’ve ever had one. I may be shy in real life, but when I write, I’m quite the chatterbox… like Donkey in Shrek. So when I don’t write it’s because I’m lazy :p not because I don’t know what to write.
I was stuck on chapter four for three months when I was writing Crescent Heart. It was because Noah (yes, I blame the characters) thought chapter four of my original manuscript was all wrong and all of them were too OOC (out-of-character) for the story to continue. So I re-wrote the pivotal chapter four and finished the rest of the MS in eleven hours.
With that book, it was a matter of logistics. With this book that I’m working on right now (Working Title: Enchanted by You), I’m stuck… well, not really stuck, but I haven’t added a word to it in three days. I started it on Tuesday and it’s still at 50% (based on a 23K word count). I know what would happen next. I know what would happen to the lead characters three other brothers, for crying out loud. I’m just too dang lazy! I remember that my first book had to become my second book because it took me a year to finish it *sigh*
So I’m kinda curious. Do you get writer’s block? What do you do about it? How long does it take you to write an MS?
Anyway, someone said that the only way to become a writer is to write… so, yeah. I’m writing… let me just post a few Tweets first 
ako ang unang magko-comment. yey!
at first, i was like you. i thought writer’s block did not exist. yun din kasi ang sabi ng dad ko, who is also a writer by profession. and i really believed it. i thought, excuse lang ang writer’s block, ng mga writer’s na may tamaditis. hehe.
BUT when my mom died, ang tagaaaaaaal talaga bago ako nakasulat ulit. to illustrate, in 2007, i wrote about 16 books (inspired much? hehe). nung jan of 2008, my grandmother and mom died in a span of 30 days from each other. so in 2008, 6 lang ang naisulat ko. a paltry 6.
when my mom died, nawalan talaga ako ng inspiration. as in sobra. she was the reason why i fell into writing in the 1st place (she was the one that showed me the invitation to romance in the fly-leaf). i always told her the gist of the stories i wanted to write. and when i had finished it,she’s be the first person to read, and then edit it for me.
so hindi ko pinilit ang sarili ko magsulat. i felt like it was a futile endeavor. because i’d be staring in my monitor for so long, and i’d only type a paltry sentence. i lost my muse, my inspiration. so i just didn’t force it.
finally, when i really missed the creative thought process, the words just flowed. now, i realize that writers block can be due to many reasons. and for myself, i know the trigger is emotional. when i get too sad or disappointed, di ako makasulat.
there are times too, that i am like you. i just get too lazy. hehehe. but i keep telling myself that writing is like a muscle. if you don’t flex it, it will atrophy. so natatakot naman akong mangyari iyon, so i really writer.
but i’m not back in the groove yet (like in 07). now, it’s 2009, and the half-year mark is almost up, pero konti pa lang nasusulat ko. shame on me. but meeting you guys has really helped a lot. like what you said in your other post, it’s a gift to have met fellow writers. because at least now, we are not isolated and we can inspire one another.
o siya, hanggang dito na lang at naging nobela ang sagot ko. babuuu!
naku, i just realized my mga typo ako….hindi ko na na-edit…but i trust you guys know what i mean.
Wow, lolcat speak! Haha.
Guilty as charged. I have tons of ideas floating around my head, and if the characters are lucky, they make it to my notebook as outlines and such. But stories? Alam mo na outcome haha.
As for other writings, articles and blog related stuff, or ever academic ones, I can write with no problem. Yung creative… mas mahirap pakawalan para sa akin.
uhmmm,
in my own opinion(tama ito at walang tututol, remember walang mali na opinion, wahaha).
Writer’s block is just a term, it happens, when a writer is running out of inspiration, motivation,(e.g problem, stress etc) it’s really hard to write, and writer gets lazy because of that.
in my own experience, it took me 3 months before i finished Sieg’s story, i wasn’t that inspired, and then, i waited for the result, i started browsing Liana’s blog, i got inspired with her entry “gusto kong maging writer” also ate Elise’s entry “May kwento ako”. after reading those, i started typing Brent’s story, geez, i finished that in 5 days, to think everynight lang ako nagsusulat kasi i go to school sa umaga at busy sa thesis. for me sobrang bilis ko na noon, haha.
so, asan na ko? eto pa rin nakaupo. haha
so iyon, kapag hindi makasulat ang writer, dahil iyon sa kakulangan ng inspirasyon, kung me problema nagkukulang sa motibasyon(?? eto ba tagalog ng motivation?). at ang tawag sa ganoong state ay writer’s block.(hindi ko lang masyado naelaborate, wahaha) I know, nainindihan nyo ko. hihi
at eto pa pala, for me it’s the writer’s block that makes us lazy, for me lang ah. kasi sabi nga ni ate Elise ko, we, writers write because we cant not write. lagi natin gusto magsulat, kung pwede lang kahit nasa cr eh nagsusulat pa din, ngayon dahil sa writer’s block, hindi tayo makasulat, at iyon ang dahilan kaya tinatamad tayo. gets?
waaaaaa. ang gulo ko. yahaha..
pasensya na.
sana, naintindihan nyo. ako kasi hindi (joke)
<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<
Ate Elise ko?
miss you na. ahihi
salamat salamat.
luv yah, tc ha lagi? i care
Writer’s block? For me it’s simply “emotional sickness” ako ang pioneer ng word na itetch, hehe. May mga times talaga na kahit nasa highest level ang adrenaline ko, hindi gumagana ang mind ko (that’s when my emotion is affected by the outside environment) Can’t say na tamaditis, kasi tamad ako sa maraming bagay pero hindi sa writing…it’s one of my fave torture (torture kasi gumagana lahat ng brain cells at ang sakit sa mata, esp. the editing process, nah! Pinakaayaw kong part! My eyes hurts as in, kaya most of the time, give up ako. Salamat sa mga editor natin, naaayos ang mga typos at wrong grammar, yep! after re-reading, na usually ginagawa ko pag bored, saka ko lang nakikita na wrong grammar ako at na-submit na ang ms! Hahaha! Wrong grammar na writer? Guilty sometimes.Minsan kasi, nilalamon na lang ako ng story at nawawala na ako sa subject-verb agreement, nyahay!
Kaya for me, pag sick ang emotion, there’s writer’s block. At ang block-buster? Isang kanta lang ‘yan ng ‘luha’ ahaha!
Agree ako sa inyong lahat. Writer’s block really goes with our emotions talaga. when we are inspired, then makakapagsulat tayo ng mabilis. take it from me coz until now hindi ko pa rin matapos ang huling MS na ginagawa ko. november last year ko pa sinimulan yon but until now, i’m still on chapter 7. gosh. kaya nga nakikichika na muna ako sa inyo para ma-inspire naman ako. hahaha
@ Hannah: Sixteen books? Wow! Parang sixteen books ang masusulat ko sa buong career ko na yun!
I guess I understand kung bakit ka talaga magkaka-writer’s block kapag mawala naman ang mga special na tao sa buhay mo. If that happened to me, baka pati gana ko sa pagkain eh mawala din. One of my favorite writers experienced the same thing when her brother died. I think she didn’t write for more than a year!
I guess I understand writer’s block na din. Ngayon ko lang naisip na there are times when I know what I need/want to write but can’t do it. And when I do, iba yung tunog ‘pag binasa ko ulit. Hmmm… napaisip ako dun ah.
Anong lolcat? Ehehe sorry, slow day
Oo, alam ko na ang outc- hahaha ilang beses na ako nabiktima ng mga bitin na linya sa mga kwento mo eh haha kamusta na pala yun? Nadadagdagan ba? *hint, hint*
Five days is good… di lang good, fast yun! Haha swerte na ako kapag makatapos ako ng kwento in one month. Tapos nag-aaral ka pa nun ha! Galing ng bunsoy ko!
Ako naman pag nasa CR.. nag-babasa… pero TMI (too much information) na iyun hehe
Gets ko naman ang sinasabi mo kahit pa’n. Ganyan yata talaga pag writer ka haha you can read the lines behind the lines in between hehe Ayun ang magulo…
Miss you na din bunsoy! Di tayo mag-abot sa Google Talk eh
“Emotional sickness”! Wow parang scientific name ba yan ng writer’s block? haha Pero I agree na torture nga ang pag-sulat. Hindi mo pwedeng hindi gawin pero ubod naman ng hirap. At ayoko ding mag-edit! Kaya napapa-ngiwi na lang ako pag binasa ko na yung libro at may mali pala akong nasulat ehehe kasi ang editing, ginagawa bago ipasa ang MS, hindi pag-ka-print nung libro di ba?
“Kaya for me, pag sick ang emotion, there’s writer’s block. At ang block-buster? Isang kanta lang ‘yan ng ‘luha’ ahaha!” <<< eto ang pinakapanalong linya, Aira! LOL kanina ko pa to nabasa pero tawa pa din ako ng tawa
Ang saya no? Bakit kasi nahihiya pa ako dati na makipag-chikahan sa inyong lahat! Kasi ang feeling ko eh, sino lang naman ba ako? Haha baka isagot lang sa’kin ay “hu u?” wehehe pero sobrang nakakatuwa kasi madami akong natututunan. Hindi lang yung style ko, pero pati yung writing process nung ibang writers nakikita ko. Nakaka-inspire talaga.
Good luck sa MS! Matatapos din yan *showers inspiration and good will on your MS*
buti pa nga noon ate, 5 days lang natapos ko na ngayun eh, kaya di ako makausad, nyari may scene, pag binsa ko ulit iyon, “teka, bakit ganito, bakit ganoon,” you know pinipilit ko na majustify ung scene na idinagdag ko dun, “ahh reasonable naman toh, ay teka, panu ko ba ipapaliwanag to”. usad pagong ako sa ms ko, to think inspired naman ako ngayun, ayayyyzzz sobrang conscious na ko ngayun kaysa before. “you know my reason ate Elise” ahaha wink
minsan natatawa nalang ako. uhmfff uhmfff,but i do hope na matapos ko to by the of the month. teka anung petsa na ba ngayun. ahaha
ateeeee elise “hugs tight” miss you soooo much, magpupuyat ako to finish ian’s story. finally, me direction na ko na susundin while writing, at nagagree na mga characs ko. wala ng away at violent reaction from them. hihi
)
ate, naging forum na ito. ahaha pero ang saya kasi we’re able to hear each opinion. at nakakapagmingle-mingle na tayo. wahaha
ate kaw yung ms mo? kamusta si oliver? teka, check ko sa “works-in-progress” page.
Haha di pa updated yung WIP page eh although nakasulat ako kagabi. Kaso eto, balik work ako, gumagawa pa ako ng bagong website at tambayan ng mga writers hehe
Buti umuusad ang MS mo haha kahit pagong pa. Saka may pagong kami… in fairness, mabilis siya manakbo.
Miss you too bunsoy. Sorry hindi ako nag-oonline ha! Pag hindi na ko uber busy, chikahan ulit tayo magdamag
Mararating mo rin ‘yan. Sigurado, makaka more than 20 ka pa. And when you do, remember me, ok?
Mahirap talaga magsulat when you’re emotionally exhausted. Eh di ba, as writers we also draw on our own emotions and personal experience. So after an upsetting tragedy, our “emotional bank” gets somewhat drained. So in effect, we don’t have anything to draw on. Kaya siguro mas mahirap magsulat. Ako, pinilit ko lang talaga to do it again after my Mom’s death. I still feel like I haven’t gotten back my writing mojo. I was actually surprised when I finished the wedding fever series. Pinaplano ko pa lang yun nung namatay yung Mom ko. Kaya medyo natagalan, bago nakalabas.
And I totally get what you mean na “iba yung tunog ‘pag binasa mo ulit”. Di ko siya ma-explain eloquently. But that’s kind of how I feel right now about my work. Not like when I was doing things back in 07. Parang bigla ulit akong nangangapa ngayon. It takes me longer to finish a book now too.
Pero ok lang. Wala namang karera, hindi ba?
I just hope that I eventually get my groove back. And honestly, being in touch with all of you has helped me tremendously.
Ako din, Elise, napatigagal ako sa lolcat. Hindi ko alam ang ibig sabihin. Hehe. Am glad to know it’s just not me.
ako rin, i hate editing. my mom used to do the minor editing for me (like spelling, typo, etc). and she’d give me feedback on the flow and such. that’s why it’s harder for me now kasi i lost that, when i lost her. kaya ngayon, i have to take 2 weeks off, before i attack a finished MS. kasi if i do it shortly after finishing, hindi ko talaga magawa objectively. i think, in the writing process, i dislike editing most.
remember walang karera. pagong kung pagong, pero at least may movement.
uu nga, ang mahalaga umuusad.
haha
AMEN!
Ewan ko ba kung bakit kinakatamaran ang editing. Pati yung dating boss ko yan ang sinasabi sa’kin eh. Mag-edit daw ako haha Although pag MS ang pinag-uusapan, excited ako lagi mag-pass kay Miss Apple pag natapos. Para bang ayoko nang makita pa ulit pag nasulat ko na yung “The End” sa dulo. Wala pa naman akong beta reader (kasi nahihiya ako hehe) kaya ang unang nakakabasa ng MS ko ay ang evaluator at editor na ng Bookware.
Hehe ano nga ba yun?
Pag makalampas ako ng 20 na MS, baka magpa-misa ako! Achievement yun grabe! Siguro nga pag-naka-sampu ako eh magpapa-kain na ako! Malilimutan ba kita? Naman! LOL And considering may “writer’s block” ka pa nung sinulat mo yung wedding fever ha! Idol talaga. Babalik din naman yung writing mojo. I guess it’s just a matter of time. I’m sure you’re mom’s editing your work in heaven din
Sabi mo nga, wala naman karera. We’re not competing with anyone here. We’re here to support each other. Kaya nga laking tuwa ko talaga nung mag-simula na makausap ko kayo eh. Sobrang laking tulong
Awww… gusto ko kayo lahat bigyan ng MWAHUGS ala Aira hehe
writer’s block ba kamo?…
sa akin, siguro nga minsan, inaatake ako nu’n. sa akin kasi, depende sa mood, sa atmosphere, etc. etc. kumplikado kasi ang buhay ko. kung puwede nga lang magsulat na lang ang gawin ko habangbuhay, kaya ko ‘yun kaso madaming ibang priorities, eh.
nu’ng nag-stop ako nu’n sa writing, i was in a government job. as in very demanding ‘yung job and i practically do the works of 3 people! so i made a choice, sa job ko na lang ako nag-concentrate.
but i remember finishing an MS before in typewriter in only 5 days.
pero pag ayaw talagang gumana ang utak ko, di ko na pinipilit. parang sa kanta yan, eh. pag pinilit mo, mawawala ka sa tono.
ngayon na namatayan ako, parang mas lalo yata akong na-inspire magsulat. ganoon kasi ako, sa writing ako nagbubukas ng sama ng loob.
speaking of writing, i was on the LAST chapter of my latest MS, at ayun! nasira ang pc! huhu! bukas pa siguro ipapagawa. i hope ma-retrieve mga files doon. tamad kasi akong magtransfer lagi sa external hardrive o USB stick.
sa editing naman, nakow! diyan na dumadanak ang dugo! may pagka-OC kasi kaya natatagalan sa editing, eh!
have a good day everyone!
Haha! I love the *mwahugs* Wish ko maging yumi ako sa editing paglaki ko, hehehe. Ayoko talaga ang part na ‘yan and yes, correct, dapat ang editing hindi sa book kundi sa ms palang. Kaso, wala eh, though must siya,pinapalampas ko pa rin. Kaya naman, isang bagsak para sa editorial staff ng bookware! Humihingi po ako ng pang-unawa sa mga typos,
Mabuhay tayo!
nakow! believe it or not, sa editing ako mas nagtatagal kesa sa actual writing ng MS. hehe! OC talaga, eh!
@ Yumi: pahingi naman ng ka-OC-han mo sa editing!
yay! gawa na pc at na-retrieve mga books ko. tapusin ko na story ni papa froilan. at nakow, dadanak na naman ang pawis at dugo ko sa pag-eedit. matutuliro’t mawiwindang na naman ako sa pagbabasa nang paulit-ulit! hehe!
hay naku, perfectionist kasi ako masyado. lalo na sa trabaho. wehehe! compulsive workaholic ang drama. ewan kung bakit.
Yay!!! Congrats sa PC at good luck sa editing LOL Sino ba yung susunod na lalabas daw? Sana next month meron na! Gusto ko makabasa ng book mo!
hay naku! am still waiting for that Love 101 na sabi ni ms apple dear ay malapit na. maybe next month, kasabay ng book ni alets. believe it or not, first book ko pa yun noon. hekhek! story of zach and mandy.
and sa series naman na tina-try kong gawin. well, ‘yun nga, accepted na ‘yung first MS (kahit di mo sabihin,) story ni vann. patapos na rin ako sa story ni pareng froilan, na pinsan ni vann (working title: white lace and promises). wehehe!
di ako magaling umimbento ng titles eh. gusto ko sana sa series na ito (kung matatanggap) e ‘yung mga first names na lang nila ang gawing title.
Ano ka ba? Ang gaganda ng ang titles mo eh! Gusto ko yung may pancakes ba yun? haha I suck at titles, sobra. Kaya namimihasa akong kumuha ng titles sa songs eh. Hindi kasi talaga ako magaling dun.
I
nakow! ilang titles ko na kaya ang pinapalitan nila. wehehe!
example:
working titles: final titles:
trial and error trial romance
hearts at stake surrender to me, my love
this guy’s in love in love with mr. wrong
with you, mare
this thing called love love 101
hahaha!!! kaya ‘yung MS kong ‘old songs, pancakes and you’ e baka gawin nilang ‘lovesongs for you’ ang final title. hekhekhek!
ay nawala ‘yung gap in between sa working titles and final titles. ba’t ganoon? hehe!
re-write ko:
working titles:…….. final titles:
trial and error…….. trial romance
hearts at stake……. surrender to me, my love
this guy’s in love……. in love with mr. wrong
with you, mare
this thing called love……. love 101
hayan! hekhek!
I love yumi’s titles, lahat naiba? hehehe. Speaking of title, may ayaw akong alalahanin diyan, “My own Love Story” honestly, gusto kong mag collapse no’ng sinabi sa akin na yun ang final title, ‘Her Wish, My Love Story’ ang working title niya…para akong nagsulat ng love story ko, waaaah! Sabi nga ni Ms tarra, binasa niya talaga teaser ng book sa site dahil love story ko talaga ang naisip niya, gosh to the max! Ahaha!
wahehehee! parang nilaglag mo sarili mo sa title na yun, ‘no, mare? :p
ako, muntik na-collapse sa ‘surrender to me, my love’. hekhek!
so far, 1 book lang ang hindi iniba’ng title, ‘yung ‘foolish hearts’.
eto ang mga approved kong MS at eto ang mga iniisip kong ita-title nila…
old songs, pancakes and you……. lovesongs for my love
wtf! bakit na-post na? :p
anyway, heto uli…
old songs, pancakes and you…. lovesongs for my love
lost in love…….. my love found me
kahit di mo sabihin…… sabihin mong mahal mo ako
hayan, nanghuhula na ako. weheheheheee!!!
ate yumi ano yung WTF??
what the F&*%????
hahaha
oo, ‘yun na ‘yun!
‘Di ba ang gaganda ng mga titles ni Yumi? Kung bakit kasi pinapalitan eh haha bentang benta na sakin, titles pa lang.
My gas! My Own Love Story hahaha uu nga, Aira! Parang ipinagsigawan mo na “kwento ko to! autobiography!” haha mapapabasa talaga kami nun.
Bunso! Bawal sa bata mong pandinig ang WTF LOL
Yung isa kong title na Waiting to Fall, WTF din ang abbrev haha kaya ginagamit ko na lang W2F para di naman pag-isipan ng masama.
Ano bang napalitang title sa’kin? Yung ‘Inosenteng Puso’, inglis yun nung pinasa ko eh. ‘Innocent Heart’. Ayan nawala tuloy sa series kasi english na yung mga title nung sumunod. Saka yung ‘Kahit Pangalawa sa Puso Mo’. Wala siyang ‘Kahit’ nung working title hehe yun pa lang naman
Pero ang gaganda talaga ng titles ni Yumi ha.
aha aha ahi
WTF,,,what the f,,, nyayyy,, lagot ako kay mudra pag nadinig ako,, ayaw na , ayaw na,, iling iling..
haha, bigla ganun eh, nyahee
musta ate ko??
sayang nga’t napalitan eh. dumugo pa naman ilong ko sa pag-iisip ng titles.
nakow! sorry napamura ako! hehe! ‘tong pc ko kasi, mula nang ma-repair e bumilis. konting pindot lang, umaarangkada na. di pa ako sanay. wehehe!
bunso, wag mo na pasinin ‘yan,. slip of the tongue lang ‘yan. este slip of the ink pala. haha!
naaliw ako sa pagbabasa.. naku, hindi ako makarelate masyado. haha.. i mean dun palit titles issue. Isa pa lang napa-publish sakin eh at hindi binago yung title. Ganun pa rin siya kaya nung dumaan akong NBS noon nagulat ako. talagang napa- wah! Lumabas na siya. gulat tuloy pati katabi kong babae. haha..
yung 2nd approved MS ko na di ko alam kung kelan ipa-publish, di ko din alam kung papalitan un. Bsta ang title nun, “Heart Trekking”. di ko lang alam kung papalitan o hindi.
at sa writer’s block issue na yan. nakow! lagi ako.. lalo na kapag nawiwindang ang lola sa dami ng reports sa office, sa complicated love life at kung anu-anong chuva. Pero kapag depress ako or galit, mas na-eexpress ko sarili ko sa pagsusulat. pero kung minsan, kapag nagsusulat ako habang galit, masyadong kawawa yung character ko. haha!
@ Yumi: Ang galing ng PC! hahaha mas marunong pa sa’yo hehehe makikipag-away ka pa eh no? “HINDI KO PA GUSTO I-SUBMIT, ANO KA BAH!!!”
@ JeanMae: Ganun din ako nung una kong makita yung libro ko! hahaha iba kasi talaga yung pakiramdam na makita mo siyang lumabas na. Hindi ako masanay-sanay pag nakikita ko na libro na sila.
Ganun naman, iba iba. May taong kapag depressed hindi ka makasulat, minsan naman doon lang nakakasulat. Pero naawa ako sa characters mo ha! LOL Hinay hinay lang sa torture!