A Valentine's Day Eve Memory

In 1993, approximately a year after the release of my book Cubao 1980 At Iba Pang Mga Katha, I received a letter from a Chinese man named W. who said he'd read my book from cover to cover and wanted very much, in so many words, to meet me. No one had ever written to me like that before, and so I agreed. As it turned out, he took me to restaurants and to movies and showered me with all kinds of gifts. The whole thing, however, was a mess. I never liked romantic commitments, and it eventually became clear that his image of me in his mind was that of Tom, the protagonist of my novella who was some kind of male prostitute. I felt so sorry to end our friendship, and, wherever W. is now, I hope that he is happy and well and has found the love of his life. He had no idea at the time that he was actually up against a well-read intellectual whose interests were quite esoteric and far from Tom's. This episode in my life may have made me feel subconsciously guilty, and that may be why I am extra kind and generous to my Chinese friends.

I am sharing this with you because you will inevitably come across people who think that they love you--you as a person--and only because they love your work, and therefore you must always be wary of your falling into awkward situations.

Many readers think that they know their favorite writers so well. They cannot conceive that writers' works span the entire heights and depths and breadths of life, and sometimes cannot believe that, while we are indeed writing from The Heart, we are also creating worlds populated by entirely fictional characters with fictional lives.

All art has historicity. Yet, while literature cannot be hung on a museum wall like a painting, it infuses itself on all of the walls and corridors of readers' minds.

Every writer who fears being misconstrued ends up writing nothing.

After a writer cracks the mystery of a character, he tends to move on to another.

Caution: Do not apply this pattern to your personal relationships.

Phenomenology Exercise 1: Somewhat Unplugged

Live through a day off the Internet, TV, and your mobile. Be aware of the passage of time, your feelings, your attitude to breaking habits, your relationships with people, and what you choose to do in the absence of electronics.

Write your reflections in your journal.

An article by Ime Morales, a former student in creative writing:

https://moralesime.wordpress.com/2016/02/01/do-writers-lie/

Literature is the transcription of thoughts and emotions, as the authors experienced and felt them, in words. So should their translations be.

Literal translations are devoid of the original authors' thoughts and emotions.

If you can practice sleeping without silence, you will eventually be able to write without silence.

It is your duty as a writer to be unstoppable with your writing.

Never write while consciously eluding revelations about yourself. Writing is truth. If you must disguise yourself from your readers, edit and tweak your work much later--after your creative process is complete.

As a writer, keep yourself steady in the background. Do not desire pomp and publicity--they are bad for your mind.

Writers and artists download all sorts of references for everything. Go ahead and do so, taking care to delete stuff and clean up your reference storage from time to time.

Many writers make the mistake of thinking up a great title and then proceeding to write the work. This is a glossy-magazine, non-literary, method, and is the very sequence that leads to writer's block and Procrustean thinking.

Write the work first. You will discover that the work will give itself the right title after you are done.

The same is true of painting.

Dramaturging for TheatreWorks Singapore: Beverly

Hello Beverly!

It was a great pleasure to go over your play once again. From beginning to end, I felt that I was reading the work of a modern Singaporean reincarnation of August Strindberg.

You worked so hard on this play, and all of it was worth it. Your characters have more depth, and your lines are crisp. I see that most of your major changes are in the second half of the play, and, this time around, the ending is upbeat and uplifting. It is also very clear that you have actually been visualizing the staging of the play because of the new movement of characters and your indications of lighting.

One of the issues we discussed was whether to include the other woman or not. You deliberated writing two versions--one with three characters, the other with four--and opted to give me this three-character version as your final manuscript. You were right: this is the better and the most sensible version.

The last time I met you, you were tormented about how much you desired this play to be a masterpiece, and you couldn't pinpoint why it was such an important work to you. You could not understand why this felt to you like an epic work--this story inspired by a real-life, relationship situation.

I think I should already tell you why, now that you have completed writing the play and it has finally taken shape.

This play is not just about a woman and two men. This play is about your country, Singapore. GIRL is every Singaporean who looks like she is torn between two men and cannot understand why she cannot be allowed to be devoted to both. As to what the two men represent, I leave it up to your imagination and interpretation. Well done--I hope that students study the definitive, post-production version of this play in every classroom.

A few minor details for improvement:

Scour the play and see where you can exercise economy and realism in dialogue. For example, in Act 1, Scene 1, Lines 8-9, the line goes "We can have your favorite chocolate cake I bought from Blossom Bakery" can really just be "I bought your favorite". Between husband and wife, that the favorite is chocolate cake should be understood and unspoken, also that they usually buy this at Blossom Bakery and nowhere else.

Also, Last Line on Page 2, "Don't call me Tinkerbell!" should actually be just "Don't call me that!" since she should not articulate the name and hear it all over again. DAN's reply, "What? But you love it when I call you that..." could also just be "You love it when I call you that."

On the other hand there are vague lines that should be more specific, such as on Page 29, in the 3rd to the Last Line, "I was hurt when you went home". Give it more impact by rewriting it into "I was hurt when you went BACK home TO HER."

Act 1, Scene 2 contains too much exposition. I know that it is for the benefit of the audience, but you need to figure out how to introduce and sustain dramatic tension in an otherwise dreamy, romantic scene.

Opening of Act 2, Scene 3: Why is the miming necessary? It doesn't go with the rest of the form. Just proceed to GIRL's first line. Otherwise this is a case of double exposition.

All of these will be clarified by a reading, which will open your ears, and so go ahead and set up a reading with blocking. Since it seems that I will be in Singapore again this year, I want to sit in on the reading, if possible.

My warmest regards to all.

Never squeeze your mind. Just relax, keep still, and wait for ideas to flow.

Never squeeze your heart. Love is either there or not there. It comes, it goes.

The mind and the heart are like tributaries with a higher source. They have seasons. Sometimes the sun blazes, sometimes it rains.

Many thanks to Meeko Marasigan for the design and execution of the new banner for this blog!

Write not to be famous but to touch the lives, minds, and hearts of people in the farthest parts of the world.

In-Depth Writing Exercise 6: Gender Change

The reason we are able to write from the multiple points of view of men, women, children, the aged, the disabled, the disadvantaged, the advantaged, and persons of different races, religions, and lifestyles is that we have been all of those in previous lifetimes. Creative writing is a state in which, by drawing from the Unconscious and the Collective Unconscious, a writer is capable of extreme memory recall and able to draw from experiences beyond his/her childhood and further back in time.

During the creative writing process, a writer is "possessed" by a particular character not because he/she is actually "possessed" by an alien spirit but because that character and its personality already comprise a facet in the writer's subconscious--because he/she has already been that character in the past.

Do this exercise for two hours when you are completely alone and nothing can possibly disturb you, whether physically or electronically.

Focus on a real or fictional character of the opposite sex and, in your mind, allow that character to gradually take over you. The best way to do this is to step into the bathroom as that person would and take a shower, allowing the water to shape your body as that character's body. Just feel it. Go through the movements that character would while taking a bath.

You need not dress up as a transvestite after that. Simply walk around the room--either wrapped in a towel or naked--and look around you through the eyes of that character. Contemplate issues your character would contemplate. Note that, at this point, you are taking your identification with that character from the level of physicality to the level of your mind and your heart.

Move about the room as that character would. Speak out aloud as that character would.

Now sit down and write something--anything--keeping that character's mindset and heartset within you, in order to immediately apply the exercise to creative writing. If you can't think of anything to write, here are a few suggestions:

--a love letter
--a day in the life of your character
--your character's favorite things
--your character's history (The easiest way is to begin with "My name is X. I am Y years old. I am a Z..."
--a brief curriculum vitae.

After everything, don't forget to go back to yourself and ground yourself!

No one can tell you to write or to not write.

No one but yourself.

Principal Discipline

We love to write, but we prevent ourselves from writing.

All too often we have exciting ideas for short stories, novels, and plays. Yet, we subconsciously command ourselves, "I'll start this:"

--"when I'm good and ready"

--"when I'm in a completely relaxed state"

--"after all the chores are done"

--"after I get myself a new desktop"

--"as soon as I am able to help my brother overcome his problem"

--"as soon as the weather clears and I am able to repair the house"

and so on.

Discipline yourself to write two hours each day, as schoolchildren study two hours each day, NO MATTER WHAT. Choose a time when you are able to drop everything. Just write--with or without an objective in mind.

Even when I am not working on a painting, for example, I sketch two hours, whether on a professional grade pad and with an art pencil or on the backs of discarded receipts with a salvaged pencil stub.  

Don't wait for the circumstances to get right. Just write.

Everything is a book that is waiting to be read: a face, a palm, a spread of cards, a piece of jewelry, an antique, a potted plant, a grove of trees, the sky, a crack in the floor, and more, for Nature is the most prolific storyteller of all.

There is nothing like a simple notebook or a sheet of paper. They do not need to be recharged, can be used without electricity, and do not have to be upgraded.

Never compare your career with a pop singer's.

While an old pop singer's voice deteriorates, an old writer's mind matures.

When undergoing a crisis or when something upsets you, write something immediately. Channel your feeling into your creative work. This is the best way to experience and create that elusive type of Greek love, pathos. (The other types of love being eros, philia, and agape).

The feeling is the wind, your writing is the sail, the boat you are in is your writing career, and the water is literature.

In Your Writer's Notebook

Write at least one paragraph a day in your writer's notebook.

And don't stop there. Draw, paint, collage, or stitch something a day in the same notebook.

You will soon find that your visual art improves your writing, and vice-versa.

If the way to walk a mile is to take the first step, the way to write a novel is to pick up your pen.

Picking up your pen is the moment of Creation, the moment of the Big Bang, the moment of conception.

A writer always wakes up in the morning to a new day and a new life.

Never wake up to the past, to losses, to bereavements, to broken relationships. That would be equivalent to reading the same chapter in a book over and over again.

Always turn the page and move on.

Each day of your existence is a spiritual reincarnation. Face the blank canvas and the blank sheet of paper every morning with love and with hope, for there will be time enough to enjoy the gifts of the universe as well as make up for your shortcomings before the sun sets once again.

In-Depth Writing Exercise 5: Train Stations

This exercise does not have a time limit. It cannot be completed in one hour or at one sitting, and it requires your honesty and your introspection.

Take a box of crayons and a sheet of clean manila paper. Pin or tape the sheet on a board.

Draw a train line with several stations marking your journey and your accomplishments, big or small, as a writer. The track can be as long and as straight or as winding as you like, and you may locate as many stations as you like.

Which parts of the tracks are on level ground, in tunnels, spanning rivers, and going up and down gradated slopes? What do they represent in your writing career?

Name the stations and add on to them as necessary. Which stations were pleasant, which unpleasant? Who were the significant people you met on the train, who at the station?

What were the important lessons you learned at every trip and at every station?

Did your train ever get delayed or break down? If so, why?

Very soon you will see that you've come a long way, and that every success and every failure was well worth it.

The pen is mightier than the sword provided that you use the pen.

The pen is mightier than the sword provided that you are adept at both, for you must know how to fight for your body as well as for your spirit.

The pen is mightier than the sword provided than someone else's sword does not get to you first.

It is always the book rather than its movie version that changes your life, for it is the words, not the visuals, that wrench the hearts of readers within personal frames of reference beyond any producer's imagination.

A picture may be worth more than a thousand words, but those words in the proper combination are far more eloquent and far more lethal.

Perfecting penmanship is easy. Like any other skill, all it takes are passion and exercise.

A clean, empty desk is like a Word document from which everything has been deleted.

Most people fear solitude because, in solitude, they are haunted by their shortcomings and their past offenses.

Writers and artists, on the other hand, gaze into the pool of solitude and see not scenes from their tortured past but a treasure trove of ideas that fuel creativity.

In-Depth Writing Exercise 4

When writing about a character, are you capable of thinking, talking, and behaving like that character in real life? If your answer is no, then you are incapable of fully developing that character for your work.

Go through a day in the life of your character and think, talk, and behave like him or her: from the time you rise from bed through the time you go back to bed. You will find that your preferences in food, in clothing, in colors, and in items for personal use will conform to those of that character. So will your vocabulary and your speech pattern. Explore the interests and activities of that character.

Needless to say, I hope, you do not go over the edge if your character is a psychopath, a sociopath, a serial killer, a rapist, a drug addict, a nudist, a prostitute, or anything that will bring yourself or others to ridicule or to harm.

After you have successfully performed this exercise--using a hopefully normal, wholesome character--you will find that you have acquired more empathy with and a better ability to connect and relate to others, not to mention a deeper understanding of yourself, for every character you create is really a facet of your Self.

Keep a shelf or an etagere to contain all of the objects that stimulate your writing.

Writer's block does not exist. Whenever you feel stymied, simply switch from computer to paper (or vice-versa), switch pens, or temporarily move to another room in your house.

Collect magnifying lenses and learn how to use them and discover wonderful thngs with them. They are not exclusive to the artist and the antique collector.

Tin cans of different shapes and sizes serve both the artist and the writer well. For the writer, they function as containers for nibs, monolith erasers, spare parts of pens, staple wires, binder clips, and such.

A monolith eraser has a soft, white half and a rough, gray half. The latter is used to gently erase ink marks, instead of using a pen knife.

When working on multiple projects, do not put everything in one notebook. Devote one specific notebook to each project.

Some types of paper, such as newsprint, are highly absorbent and will cause your ink to feather. Do not dispose of this type of paper. Use a fine-point sign pen on it, and you will find the sensation to be quite enjoyable.

Night persons are active at night because they actually fear the night, which pronounces everything that makes them sad.

The worst ever scenes in wuxia are those that showcase petty flirtations, which seem to have been written and directed for the low-IQ sector of the audience.

Public clamor is a form of disrespect.

The Real Message of Pygmalion

When I was working at ________________________________, I had a young staff member named Noel who once confessed to me, in a semi-drunken stupor, that he cannot stand any kind of imperfection in a woman, be it a skin blemish, a slight deformity, or a habit, and that, once he notes such an imperfection in any woman he is dating, he abandons her completely and for good. That was in 1978. I wonder if he has found his perfect woman, and if he is married now. The irony is, he is not unique. Many men are like that.

Despite all the deconstructions the story of Pygmalion has gone through, the real message is not that a creator can raise an inanimate statue to the level of humanity. Sadly, the real message is that the creator of a perfect work of art expects humans to be as perfect as his work of art, and nothing less.

Doctors who continue to believe that their penmanship should be illegible are victims of writing superstition. That is why only a few doctors are creative writers.

At this day and age, anyone who insists on using illegible penmanship has a great fear of transparency.

It is all right to judge a book by its cover if the writer himself designed and executed the cover.

Never let other people touch your pens. Two years ago I was in an office staff meeting, and the co-worker beside me idly picked up one of my dragon pens. Instead of carefully unscrewing the cap she pulled it off as though it were a cheap ballpoint pen.

Ultimately, it is how you judge your own work that really counts.

If you are an incorrigible pencil user, collect all of your sharpened, one-inch, pencil stubs and place them in a clear, glass, demijohn. It will make an interesting conversation piece.

Use only one side of a sheet of paper when writing notes for a novel or play. That way you can lay all of your notes side by side without having to flip sheets over.

You can always use the reverse sides later.

Old notebooks normally have unused pages within them, and so, do not throw them away. You can use them to write notes and draw sketches on. If the notebook covers are soiled, simply cut off the unused pages and put them in a sheaf inside a leather folder.

Just In Case You Still Don't Know

We can all go back to text-messaging in ANY CORRECTLY SPELLED LANGUAGE again, and there should be no more excuses not to do so. Years ago our mobile services charged us PER LETTER AND PER SPACE, forcing everyone to abbreviate and truncate their words. All of that is now a thing of the past--you could text entire chunks of War and Peace if you wanted to.

So, laugh out loud. Don't LOL--it makes you a low-budget relic.

Let's communicate with correct grammar and spelling again. It maintains our dignity as writers.

Try writing in different parts of your house: in bed, on the floor, at your study desk, in the kitchen, in the dining room, on the front porch overlooking the street, in the garden, even on your toilet seat. Explore the physicality of actual writing. Identify for yourself which condition is most conducive to writing.

What works for you will work for you alone, and not for other writers.

The effect of any piece of creative writing on any reader is irreversible.

Your Vowels Propel Power

Did you know that the usual vowels A-E-I-O-U are the fuel that propels your words forward?

Though seemingly unrelated to creative writing, this is one of the principles in modern Philippine magic. Vowels taken in different combinations are expressions of the 72 Hebrew Names of God, and are worked into spells.

Take I-A-O-U-E, which, when enunciated, translates to Yahweh. Or I-E-O-U-A, which, when enunciated, translates to Jehovah. Can you then see how "A-E-I-O-U" is really "Yahweh-Jehovah" if you connect the string of vowels in a circle?

Can you think of other combinations of vowels that secretly contain words of power?

Depth Writing Exercises 1 - 3

Write the entire alphabet on a sheet of paper in upper case and in lower case using your normal, cursive style.

1. Which letters do you enjoy forming most? What do you visually associate with those letters?

2. Which letters do you enjoy forming least? What do you visually associate with those letters?

3. Reflect on the letters you like least. Are any of these in YOUR NAME? If so, how do they affect your self-esteem?

3. Take the letters you enjoy forming least and make an effort to improve them. Be subtle, be drastic. Be whimsical, exaggerate. Continue doing so until you form the letter shapes that please you most.

Then write words, phrases, and sentences using those letters.

4. For a complete change in your life, write the entire alphabet differently. You don't have to consult calligraphy books to do so, just use your associative memory and your imagination.

Use your new penmanship for a few days. Write down your reflections in a journal. How does the change affect you? Do you feel like a different person?

You can always switch back to your old penmanship whenever you want to.

To apply #4 to actual, creative writing, use a different style of penmanship for every character in your novel or play. You will find that it affects each character's vocabulary, tone, and speech pattern. That is because penmanship is a direct extension of the mind. Unbeknownst to you, it literally spells out all of your failures and successes.

Never write to give readers what they want.

Write to give them something so different and unexpected that they will never be the same again.

Writing is the art of revealing to your readers not what is illumined by the arc of a lighted lamp but everything that is beyond the circular periphery of the lamplight.

Writing is never a form of escape. It, on the other hand, puts in black and white concrete realities about your innermost fears, and everything you ever wish to escape from.

Writing, then, is a form of confrontation of the self.

Write to relish life, not to survive. All you need is a paying job for the latter.

While it may seem unacceptable to struggling young writers, my advice to every writer is to write for oneself and one's readers, and never for a publisher. Publishers will handle writers' works like commodities, pretty much like pancakes for movies and TV.

This, however, is a realization that comes to every writer only upon maturity--the maturity of himself and the maturity of his works.

The worst thing I have known editors to do is try to change writers' lifestyles and values.

It is the duty of the writer, not the editor, to shape the world.

Even crime is a writer, for policemen and detectives arrive upon a scene to read what it has written.

Whenever you read another writer's work, first open your mind and appreciate it as the writer wrote it, not as you would have written it or as how you wish he had written it.

A playwright's first play will always be autobiographical, no matter how hard he tries to disguise it.

A novelist's first novel, on the other hand, will always be about everything he wishes he ever had but does not have.

Any piece of paper is worth saving as long as you can still write on it.

It is good practice to sit in front of a blank sheet of paper and a pen in your hand or in front of a blank Word document and wait for something to come through. The more you do it, the more your subconscious will become facile writing for you.

Rain writes, as does everything in Nature, for Nature records her history and her thoughts more prolifically than human beings do. You can read Rain's writing on the barks of trees, on stones, on wet earth, and in scribbles that she leaves on every dusty surface.

Learn from the intelligence of Rain, for she reads your writing too.

A writer's note pad is an accurate reflection of his/her mind.

Always base your writing career not on what other writers have done, but on what you can do that others cannot even if they tried.

From the TheatreWorks Singapore Writing & Community blog:

In conversation with the playwrights from Writings from The Heart: Part 2

Our Engagement Intern, Shifaa Jonoh spoke to the two different playwrights who are part ofWritings from The Heart. They are: Helmi Yusof and Gabriel Lim, playwrights of My Mother Buys Condoms/ My Father Wears Bras and We Fell In A Marathon respectively.

Just as the plays in this weekend’s Writing from The Heart are diverse in its subject matter and explorations, so are the playwrights who wrote them. Gabriel Lim is an avid theatregoer who occasionally indulges in painting, photography and writing and is currently exploring archived material in the 90s regarding Forum Theatre and Postmodernism. Likewise, Helmi Yusof is a journalist at The Business Times, covering arts and culture and has written on the arts and entertainment scene for various publications, including The Straits Times and Arena men’s magazine.

Drawing on their personal biographies and histories, each of their plays reflect a strong unique voice. When asked whether the characters in their plays were an extension of themselves, Gabriel shared how fragments of his characters represented certain personal moments in his life. His characters then allows him to revisit those moments and the choices he made, and rationalize the issues on a larger, universal scale through his play. On the other hand, Helmi’s was a personal response to the controversy of the National Library’s withdrawal of childrens’ books containing LGBT characters and single mothers as it was deemed unfit reading material for children. In the interview, he lets on a little fun fact as well: “I’ve only cross-dressed once in an all-boys school play. But I’m guessing somewhere in the recesses of my psyche there’s a sexually-frustrated 60-year-old woman and man in drag.”

When asked about how attending the Writing from The Heart programme mentored by Tony Perez helped them develop their scripts, both shared similar sentiments about him, saying that he was a wonderful mentor, with Helmi adding how he was thoroughly unconventional and intuitive. He described the workshops as “talking about everything from chakra points and meditation to Freud and Jung” and how one needed to have an open mind during these explorations. For Gabriel, he never expected a workshop to introduce such topics, but those avenues formed the basis for him to get really creative in his writing. It also served as a reminder for him to write with his gut feeling and see where it took him.

They also felt that such programmes were important because from Gabriel’s perspective, it provides a creative space to develop artists as well involving the community in its process. He adds on, “Theatre came from the people, the community. And we can all agree that the theatre as an art form is a great way of expression and to facilitate discussions.” Helmi agrees but highlights how a longer-term engagement – one that lasts over 5 to 10 years- may be necessary for a writer to find their voice. He goes on to say however, “Unfortunately, few theatre companies have those kind of resources.”

With their plays ready for this weekend, I asked if they would continue writing after the end of their programme, to which I received enthusiastic yeses. For Gabriel, he intends to find his eventual style of writing a play and Helmi, “If Tony Perez returns for another week-long engagement, I’ll definitely sign up.”

From the TheatreWorks Singapore Writing & Community blog:

In conversation with the playwrights from Writings from The Heart: Part 1

Our Engagement Intern, Shifaa Jonoh spoke to the three different playwrights who are part ofWritings from The Heart. They are: Chan Lishan, Samantha Chia and Serene Tan, playwrights of Conversations with My Father, No Regrets and  Hazy Pre- Nuptials respectively.

Between the three of them, it would seem as though they would have nothing in common- Lishan is an administrator working in mental health services planning and development, Samantha is freelancing as a stage/events manager and Serene, is an accountant. Yet, they share a strong passion for expressing their creative sides through writing and hold on to the belief that writing is a means to explore,  understand, reflect and reconcile issues within oneself and society.

Tapping into their personal biographies and histories, each of their plays reflect a strong sense of individual identity. When asked whether the characters in their plays were an extension of themselves, Serene shares how she has a habit of people watching and develops her characters based on her observations of their speech, behaviour and idiosyncrasies. Likewise, for Samantha, her characters are based on a mish mash of people’s experiences and shared stories.

With writing comes its challenges, and both Lishan and Serene experienced difficulties during their time of developing their script. Despite Lishan’s experience in writing a book titled “A Philosopher’s Madness” as well as publishing non- fiction articles in the opinion sections of The Straits Times and The Business Times, she shared how writing dialogue was personally challenging for her because it does not come as easily. On the other hand, Serene found that writing her second draft of the play was more challenging than the first because she grew attached to her first draft and found it difficult to trim lines.

When asked about how attending the Writing from The Heart programme mentored by Tony Perez helped them develop their scripts, both Serene and Samantha agreed that it provided a platform for them to write from a more honest and “real” point of view. A memorable moment for Serene was the “Emotional Truths” session during the workshop where it allowed them to be in touch with their raw emotions, giving way to a better understanding of characters and developing dialogues. As she elaborates, “As long as our characters speak words true to their emotions, the dialogue delivered to the audience will come across as genuine and believable. The emotional truths breathe life into the characters. I guess this is what writing from the heart is all about.” Scripts aside, Lishan mentioned that the workshop also made way for a better understanding of herself.

They also felt that such programmes were important because it provides a platform for playwrights to have a taster to the process of writing and developing plays and stressed the importance of receiving feedback as a means to improve and make progress in their scripts. Or as simply put by Lishan, “Important, because, sometimes, we just need a kick in order to get writing!”

With their plays done and dusted for this weekend, I asked if they would continue writing after the end of their programme, to which I received three resounding yeses. Serene left with a parting word of advice for all the aspiring playwrights out there: “I would encourage anybody interested in playwriting to participate in such programmes.”

From the TheatreWorks Singapore Writing & Community blog:

It’s A Wrap! Writings from The Heart

On 10- 11 July, I had the opportunity to film Writings from The Heart. Writings from The Heart  first began as a workshop by Tony Perez, an internationally renowned Filipino playwright and artist. Following the workshop, between June 2014 to March 2015, he then provided dramaturgical mentorship to the eight playwrights where these scripts were developed. Prior the the public readings of these plays, there was a closed door reading in May that gave the opportunity for the playwrights to hear their works and subsequently edit them. It was undoubtedly an enjoyable experience attending the premiere of these new plays. After sitting in the rehearsal for My Mother Buys Condoms earlier that week, I was curious to see the rest.

These were not your usual “polished” looking plays. There was no complicated lighting design, no elaborate set, no intricate costume- it was pared down to the essentials. After all, the focus of the weekend was providing a platform for playwrights to receive audience feedback as a means to improve and make progress in their scripts.

Writings from The Heart was a platform for the writers to experiment with no holds barred on their writing. Tony Perez’s workshops were highly unconventional- covering chakra points to meditation. With such atypical avenues to approach writing, there was still an emphasis placed in creating honest dialogues and characters. This, I felt, made the plays more accessible for the audience, even if they could not relate to what was being presented onstage. I also found that each play showcased their personal voice and allowed them to rationalise their experiences and thoughts on a larger scale through writing.

For our audience members and playwrights that attended Writings from The Heart over the weekend, they felt that this was an important platform to showcase the playwrights, their works and develop the arts and social scene in Singapore.

Our audience shared,

“It fulfils its role of unearthing budding writers where some of the voices hope to be heard but do not know how to.”

Liow De Jun, playwright, 10 July

“Through developing a pool of emerging playwrights, it is a very important platform for developing Singapore’s art scene. We can have more local plays to celebrate with!”

Michelle Kee, 10 July

“This allows certain hopes that are out of bounds in Singapore’s mainstream media to be explored.”

Cheong Poh Kwan, 11 July

“It gives a safe non-judgemental space for budding playwrights to explore, fail, and explore again. Kudos to the playwrights for stepping up and stepping out.”

Dawn Lau, 11 July

“It provides a platform- that is the most essential thing. The presentation (in the form of a read), the promotion of new work- all help!”

Hemang Yadav, 11 July

Across the two days, the diversity of the plays presented issues ranging from the personal to the public- the expectation of women in the family and work, the dynamics of intergenerational relationships, the stigma faced by foreign and domestic workers- just to name a few. The plays were not merely an expression of the playwright’s personal voice but contained underlying messages resonating with immediate society. Through Writings from The Heart, it allowed for these distinct individuals to share their perspective of how they perceived their community.

Our audience members also had a chance to reflect on how the plays resonated with them and in the context of larger Singaporean society.

Our audience shared,

“My Father Wears Bras touches on the topic of cross dressing acceptance in Singapore which are questions/ themes I have been pondering about.”

Ayaka Ajiki, 10 July

“The themes of stereotypes and social expectations was relatable.”

Siu Tong Wong, 10 July

“I liked how Helmi’s play showed an attempt to normalise the transcommunity.”

Khai Khalid, 10 July

“I thought the theme of stereotypes, sexuality is something that can really invoke some meaningful, diverse interpretation and emotions. I see that as an entry point to read a person’s principles and belief he has. Seeing those come together in a safe space creates content and something to use.”

Liow De Jun, playwright, 10 July

“Current issues in Singapore were brought out in the plays.”

Faizal Masjudi, 10 July

“I liked the idea of exploring societal expectations and materialism in a Singaporean context.”

Kamil Ghazali, 11 July

“The plays had a strong local flavour that is usually not so present.”

Alex Huang, 11 July

“Interesting vignettes and perspectives that are a commentary on society.”

Arula, 11 July

Concluding the experience at Writings from The Heart, it was an engaging two days that presented experiences, perspectives and issues which opened up avenues for discussion and engagement between the writers, the audience and the community we live in.

Stay tuned for more updates from the Writing & Community Blog, with the Post Show Discussions coming your way!

From the TheatreWorks Singapore Writing & Community blog:

We Discuss Writings from The Heart

The post show discussion of Writings from The Heart shed light on the playwrights experience and the content of their plays which highlighted existing social issues through the characters. For them, the post show discussion was vital in aiding the development of their scripts as the comments and thoughts from the audience allowed them to reflect, edit and question sections of their work and the portrayal of their characters.

During the post show discussion, the playwrights were asked about their Writings from The Heartexperience. The playwrights agreed how the entire experience had been interesting and useful for them to develop their plays as well as find their own voice and perspective on the issues they wanted to write about. The playwrights shared with us how the entire process was like.

“It was rather refreshing, considering I usually indulge in writing poetry. I gave myself ample time alone and I drew out different permutations to approach my script, before considering how I can piece the different scenes together. You could say it was rather sporadic too.”

Gabriel Lim, playwright of We Fell in A Marathon

“Tony Perez is a wonderful, thoroughly unconventional and intuitive teacher. He talks about everything from chakra points and meditation to Freud and Jung, and you’re asked to try them out in class, so you have to have a very, very open mind.”

Helmi Yusof, playwright of My Father Wears Bras and My Mother Buys Condoms

“It has been quite exciting. We’ve had closed door readings before this which is very useful. For me this has been a great experience for me to see actors mouth the lines that I wrote and see some choices that I did not imagine. That has been very interesting as a process. Writing on stage can be quite challenging.”

Mayura Baweja, playwright of Paper Thin

“The process was both enjoyable and challenging.  As my play is a comedy- drama, I had a lot of fun introducing humour into my writing. The second draft was more challenging to write than the first. I grew  attached to what I wrote in the first draft and found it difficult to trim lines while retaining the essence of my play. However, one of the participants from the workshop offered me some words of encouragement. I eventually completed my second draft and felt a great sense of accomplishment at the end of it.”

Serene Tan, playwright of Hazy Prenuptials

“I don’t know how to write dialogue and it is extremely challenging for me. The workshop actually did not touch so much on writing or the craft of playwriting but a kind of understanding yourself, finding your voice kind of workshop.”

Chan Lishan, playwright of Conversations with My Father

“What’s more important for me is getting more opinions, getting some friends to comment a little and hear their true voices and I think that process of bouncing ideas, getting feedback, building on from there is what I really like about this whole process”

Liow De Jun, playwright of My Promise to My Animal Tamer

“It was a slow process. So it was helpful throughout the process some playwrighters got together to share after the closed reading session and it helps to share ideas.”

Samantha Chia, playwright of No Regrets

The post show discussion was also an avenue for societal issues to be raised up. In all the plays, the characters were a reflection of actual individuals in society and became a point of commentary. For Helmi, he wrote his plays in response to the controversy of the National Library’s withdrawal of books containing LGBT characters and single mothers. He expressed his concern over the violence (physical or otherwise) faced by the transcommunity and how they are an easy target. This is represented through the two characters in My Father Wears Braswhere a transgender character named Jac is the target of violence from Ba’s homophobic son, Danny. Discussions were raised about the portrayal of Danny as the audience felt he was too one- sided, with his only violent and rash nature. Other comments included how the portrayal of the characters in the play were binary- the male encapsulating alpha male traits and the woman being feminine and emotional- because personalities are not always black and white.

Helmi’s other play, My Mother Buys Condoms, highlighted the lack of respect for individual rights and decisions. Maggie is a Chinese retiree in her 60s who decides to have a sex life again- her decision to have a relationship and companion then leads to her being ostracised. In the post show discussion, he highlights how her leaving home is symbolic of the LGBTI emotional experience-  they feel that they do not belong and hence leave the home. The reactions from the neighbours also highlight how Helmi feels that the country has low tolerance for people who are different.

The discussion of whether the characters such as Wilfred, Maggie’s son, and Madam Nora, her close friend are one dimensional was brought up. The two characters have and hold on to strong religious beliefs which creates a rough patch amongst the characters. This conflict is shown through how these individuals are not merely one sided but have their own struggles and beliefs they want to stand by. We are shown how they have not come to terms with Maggie’s decision, and attempt to voice their opinions to convince her otherwise, highlighting how there is a difficulty to reconcile these differences and the inability to respect the decisions of another, much like the conversations surrounding Pink Dot.

Likewise, the characters also are a point of commentary for societal issues. Serene’s play, Hazy Prenuptials is about how soon to be bride Grace is trying to plan the perfect wedding and documents it on social media to incite the envy of others, highlighting the materialism and sometimes excessive consumption present in Singaporeans. Serene uses her to illustrate how technology brings people together and provides a channel of communication. Yet, it creates a disjuncture and feeds into the intergenerational disconnect she has with her parents. Grace is too caught up with appearances and uses social media to engage with the wrong audience when such efforts should be invested in her relationships. This is an issue in our society nowadays where engagement with social media and being in connection borders on obsession.

On a more domestic note, Liow De Jun’s My Promise to My Animal Tamer highlights the relationship between a single mother and child- and later on loses her son and her grandson. During the post show discussion, director Irfan and actor Daphne highlighted how the mother should also be given attention, especially since she too experienced big losses in her life and her character can be a point of discussion for single mothers in Singapore and the hardships they face.

To wrap up, the weekend from the Writings from The Heart was an important platform for finding, developing and nurturing new writers from the community. From the plays shown in the weekend and through the post show discussions, it  became a catalyst for the audience to reflect and discuss important issues related to living in Singapore.

Staged Readings at TheatreWorks Singapore of Plays by Emerging Writers

Congratulations to the first group of playwrights of the "Writing from The Heart" workshops sponsored by TheatreWorks Singapore! We are all honored to have their readings staged within the 50th Year Celebration of Singapore!


From the TheatreWorks Writing & Community blog:

"We Discuss Writings from The Heart"
https://writingandcommunity2015.wordpress.com/2015/07/30/we-discuss-writings-from-the-heart/

"It's A Wrap! Writings from The Heart"
https://writingandcommunity2015.wordpress.com/2015/07/28/its-a-wrap-writings-from-the-heart/

"In Conversation with the Playwrights from Writing from The Heart, Part 1"
https://writingandcommunity2015.wordpress.com/2015/07/16/in-conversation-with-the-playwrights-from-writings-from-the-heart-part-1/

"In Conversation with the Playwrights from Writing from The Heart, Part 2"
https://writingandcommunity2015.wordpress.com/2015/07/16/in-conversation-with-the-playwrights-from-writings-from-the-heart-part-2/

Write against all odds, especially those that are merely created by other people.

Write, no matter what.

It can be most satisfactory to write only for oneself. That way it really wouldn't matter to you whether others read your works or not and, should they do so, whether they like your works or not.

"A writer takes his pen/
To write the words again/
That all in love is fair/"

--Stevie Wonder

The secret to blogging is in writing not for audiences in the present time but writing for audiences in the future, including audiences that will open your blog long after you have gone from this lifetime. Otherwise your blog becomes mere ephemera.

Anything written follows conventions and patterns, both of which its writer was unconscious of, and can therefore be subjected to analysis.

Write what you want to write, not what others want you to write, and write as much as you want to.

No individual, group, institution, community, society, or nation can ever succeed in tearing down a true artist.

It is difficult to respect literary critics who are heavily in debt, have vices, live in destitute homes, and have dysfunctional relationships.

Why don't they fix their lives and situations first before anything else?

A fountain pen is a writer's jewel. That is why many writers keep more than one fountain pen in their treasury.

Write, and keep on writing.

Do not allow critics to tell the world what literature should be.

It is the writers who should be doing that.

It is not so much what a writer really writes but what he really means that counts, because everything is within a particular context.

Using a fountain pen is the ultimate reflection of a writer's sophistication.

Devote most of your time primarily to your family and only secondarily to your art.

You can create as much art as you want for yourself, but God creates for you only one family.

There are art academies and creative writing centers, but all these teach theory, history, materials, and techniques. Graduating from these institutions means nothing if the graduate's art does not come from his heart, for only when it comes from his heart is it authentic and original.

An artist draws his personal truth only from his heart, and his social truth from his firsthand experiences. He otherwise becomes a collective carbon copy of all the teachers he ever had.

Many of my contemporaries believe that to be published, to be awarded, and to have one's plays produced are the hallmarks of a successful writer.

Having been there and done that, a successful writer, to me, is someone who writes whatever he wants no matter what and whether his works will be published, produced, or not, AND, AT THE SAME TIME, not be a starving artist but one who enjoys life, has a good house and home, has a good family, buys whatever he wants, and is able to STOP WRITING AND DO SOMETHING ELSE at any time.

Why write AT THE EXPENSE OF ALL THOSE THINGS I MENTIONED? It doesn't make sense.

When someone criticizes your work, write ten more works.

Never let criticism stop you from writing, even if it means writing what other people hate. That would be like having a car mishap and never driving again.

Writing is everyone's final duty, for it is writing that records history.

Your e-mail message:

"Hello sir here I am again  full of questions. Your suggestion sir about sublimating helped me a lot. I chose sir to write stories. Fictional stories. 

"I love stories sir for they helped me live in this world more , to keep me more in tune with my surroundings; fiction they may be but  believe that fiction consists of lies that tell the truth. Fiction released from me my animal desires. It feels like I am purging my darkness. 

"But sir I have been suffering these anxieties and ocd  and I have tried sports as a sort of relaxation  but still stories are the best for me. 

" Suddenly sir I have had this thought: why do I care about my characters if they are not real? They are nothing but the products of my imagination and that line of thinking has caused me to fall into a sort of pseudo metanoia  . I know deep down that these thoughts are valid but I still choose fiction or stories as the outlets for my confessions. 

"Could you recommend sir anything? Any methods?  or maybe  I am just over thinking.

"thanks sir."

My reply:

Hello _________________!

A writer is a god who creates a world and populates it with his characters, all of whom are extensions of his Inner Self. It is natural for a writer, therefore, to care a lot not only for that world but for the characters he designated to live in that world.

Always alternate writing with reading or some other activity, such as sports. Sometimes you need to rest from what you like doing best.

Paint, and paint as well as you can, but do not get fixated on it. Your next obligation is to write.

Ordinarily, everyone needs to undergo secondary reflection in order to remember, backtrack, or retrace something.

Creative writers, however, need to undergo tertiary reflection in order to produce their works.

Every writer is chastised by poetic justice.

Be a good father and grandfather before you even begin dreaming of being a good writer.

Many of my co-writers are frustrated with their attempts to use dip pens, because they use the pens straight from the box out of ignorance.

Before dip pen nibs are delivered from the factory, they are brushed with linseed oil to prevent corrosion while they are in transit, in storage, or in shop window displays. The film of oil dries and hardens to a fine gel.

Before using a dip pen nib, therefore, first wipe it thoroughly with lighter fluid or turpentine. And then use it--the ink will then flow smoothly.

Art changes because values change.

Values change because art changes.

There is nothing quite as precious as a clean sheet of paper and a pen in your hand, waiting for the reality of your thoughts to become the reality of your words.