bethgstories

I do not believe that writer’s block exists… at least until I attended a writing workshop where the respectable speakers said there is no such thing and it all comes down to self-discipline… and maybe a couple of routines. But for the sake of this post, and of those who’ve been asking how to deal with writer’s block, let’s pretend it exists. And if it really does, how do we overcome it. As I write this, I am on a break from editing a fifty-thousand word draft I finished writing in three months. This is the second book I’ve written this year (and a first in this genre so that’s saying a lot), proof that writer’s block can indeed be combatted. A change in environment Sometimes, a change in environment is necessary. Not just in writing but I guess in other life aspects that give us insurmountable (insurmountable???) amount of stress. For example, I went to this cafe in the nearby mountains just to be in the mood to write the final battle scene in my book. It wasn’t spectacular by any

Isang ordinaryong araw lang iyon. Walang bago, walang kakaiba. Tulad ng dati, naupo ako sa sa sulok ng paborito kong kapihan. Ang amoy ng bagong giling na kape ay parang yakap sa gitna ng araw na abala. Isang cup ng americano, lofi music sa background, at ang paborito kong libro—para sa akin ay hindi espesyal at karaniwang eksena. Hanggang sa pumasok ka na naman sa pinto. At sa unang pagkakataon, nagkatinginan tayo. Noong isang araw, isang sulyap lang, tapos na. Pero ngayon, napansin kong ngumingiti ka na. May kaunting laro na sa iyong mga mata, na para bang naisip mong hinihintay kita. Pagkakuha mo sa order mo, doon ka naupo sa mesang katapat ng akin. Pareho lang naman ang kwento ng mga araw natin. Ordinaryo at walang bagong hain. Pero sa pagtatagpo ng ating mga paningin, parang may nabago sa ihip ng hangin. Humigop ako ng kape, sa pag-asang masapawan ang kabang hindi ko alam kung saan galing. Marahil ay hatid ng bawat galaw mo at bawat pagkuha ng tasa. At nang mapatingin tayo sa

I discovered Joi Barrios'  works when Kim showed me Muli, sa Tag-Araw. It was a little poetry book, almost looking like the prayer books my mom stashed at home. I am not a fan of poetry book—girl knew this and showed me the book anyway. I randomly opened the pages, a couple of lines caught me eyes, and then I was sold! Poetry is sacred to me, not in the religious kind of way, but figures of speech should be there. I want it to play with my thoughts. I want it to show me to discover the secret it holds. There are many poetry books out there, but only a few made me feel something. Joi Barrios’ poetry was one of them. A dive to the novels The novels were short—I finished them in one sitting. They carefully reminded me of the 2 PMs when I was way younger, when my auntie would play the AM radio and Tiya Dely would read mails about life experiences of her listeners and voice actors would dramaticize it. The smoke of her unfiltered cigarettes packed in a printed paper, like the way it

It has been six days and the feeling of being in the whirlwind of excitement hasn’t left me. The Manila International Book Fair has been a part of my yearly tradition ever since I joined the literary scene as an author. I just can’t imagine missing the chance to fangirl with the artists I look up to, as their works continue to inspire and fuel my passion for writing. Last year’s fair was lit—it could have been easily my favorite MIBF year—but who would have thought that MIBF 2024 would surpass the excitement and exhilarating experience that 2023 fair brought me? Like, I was there for two days! Obviously, not even me! 🤩 Day 1 (Fair’s Day 3): Reconnecting and discovering Overspending has always been an issue in these events (god, I even posted reminders on my social media page to don’t overspend!) but who overspends when it came to books? But I tried not to—I really did. Believe me when I say I even had a List of Books to Buy from MIBF 2024. I also took note of the booths to visi

I long ago stopped watching dramas for escapism - most of the time, I binge-watch to remind myself that there is more to life than articles and ads and endless social media scrolling. But I am in constant search of light, toe-curling romance because this spicy piece of property hasn’t been cuffed yet and maybe it’s gonna be that way for a very long time. That’s how I discovered this jdrama - Momoiro Anzurio Sakurairo (Colors of Romance) is only six episodes and it quenched my thirst for romance. Most comments would say that the premise is good but it lacks in execution. I would say maybe I enjoyed this drama because its execution is unusual and something I haven’t seen in the romance stories I encountered in the past.  Kuroda Tetsuya (Kizu Takami) looks like a dream - and maybe that’s one of the reasons why Kawakami Anzu (Okunaka Makoto) felt an instant connection to him when they saw each other the first time. That and the fact that he saw her in her raw, unfiltered version. It happ