Writers need Technology too!

I recently encountered a thread on Linkedin wherein members where asking about backups. 

With the technological advances, backups have become easier to do and come at a lower cost, too, and could even be free up to a certain storage size. 

For starters, here are the top tools I would recommend: 

1. OneDrive - This is Microsoft's offering. Try to enroll in One Drive for Personal use and there will be free 15GB storage space. 

Download OneDrive installer here. 

2. Google Drive - This is a part of Google's offering and also offers 15GB free storage space. 

Download Google Drive installer here. 

3. Dropbox - There is a 2GB free storage.
Download Dropbox installer here.



4.  iCloud - If you are an iPhone or Mac User, chances are you already know about this.  This offers up to 5GB free storage.  The iCloud comes ready with your iTunes installation.  To get iTunes, click here.


These are all great tools and would help writers in ensuring that manuscripts are backed-up, and not only that, that these documents are available on any device.

Let's take a look at the benefits of these Cloud solutions:
1.  Accessibility from anywhere as long as there's Internet connection
Going on a trip and worried about the extra weight of your laptop? Worry no more because as long as you have the above installed, you will be able to access your files.  Personally, I like OneDrive because you can also download MS Word, and when you open your word document, you may edit on a tablet, or any device, save it, and sync it back to the cloud.  When you return from your trip, your manuscript is--voila--updated!

2. Backup - The Cloud applications mentioned above will create a folder on your laptop, and if you want files to be automatically synced on the Cloud, then make sure to save these documents on the said folder.
This is an example:  

Now, there will be no more headache of trying to recover files from a corrupted hard disk, or a bad sector from your hard disk.

3. Transfer of files - Are you one of those techy people who change laptops as often as there is a new processor available in the market?  If yes, then it is best to be on the Cloud.  This will ensure that when you boot up your new laptop, all you have to do is download the Cloud solution, install it, log in your credentials, and all your data on the Cloud will be synced back to your new laptop.  Cool, isn't it?

4. Access from Multiple devices - One device isn't enough for you?  Then make sure a Cloud solution is installed on all your devices.  I am a fan of this feature because I have a laptop (powered by Windows) and a tablet, an iPhone 6Plus, and an iPad 2.
If my working space can accommodate a laptop, sure, I open my laptop.  But if I'm in the beach, basking under the heat of the sun, then my iPad would do, and I wouldn't have any problem with accessing my updated files.

Our work takes a lot of time to finish, and there's a need for us to ensure that whatever we spent time on would not get lost that easily.

If you have questions, feel free to email me, or leave a comment.

Cheers to writing!

Word Count, is it important?

There are many different types of writer. Some sit in front of a computer and key in whenever inspiration strikes and finish a story or an essay in one sitting while others need to be more organized and delve into creating an outline before starting to push through with  Chapter One. 

But regardless of what type of writer one is, there are certain rules that has to be adhered to when writing a manuscript. 

Here are some guidelines that will help us stay focused on the word count. 

1. Short story - A short story usually ranges from 500 words to a thousand, and could go up to 8,000 words. It depends on the length that is required by your target publisher. Usually, publishers especially magazines require up to a thousand words only. For Writer's Digest submissions, it usually is up to 1,500. For the prestigious Palanca awards, it allows up to 8,000 words. Other word count requirement varies so before submitting your work, make sure that a research has been done so that the manuscript will not be automatically discarded. 

2. Novels - For novels, the word count ranges from 50,000 words up to 80,000 words. Most publishers would frown upon a longer submission, and why is that? It's because the longer the manuscript is, the more pages it would consume once it gets published. 

3. Epic - While typically, novels don't go beyond 80,000 words, the word count usually ranges from 100,000 words up to as long as you desire or your story calls for. But there are rules. If you're still beginning and you want to get traditionally published, going beyond these numbers may cause an automatic rejection of your manuscript since it would require a lot of investment when publication comes. There are other factors considered like the length of time it would take to review and edit, what the standard length is that is acceptable to the target market, etc. 

All in all, it is important to be conscious of the word count to manage the overall flow of the manuscript. 

Now, how will one know how many words have been written already?

For one, MS Office has that feature.  Just check this out:

And another powerful tool can be found here on this website: http://www.wordcounttool.com/
Copy and paste your manuscript and hit Submit.

And... here you go.

So, good luck writing, and keep that passion burning.

Why I like A Walk With Jane Austen

Six years ago, my mentor gave me “A Walk with Jane Austen” by Lori Smith as a birthday gift.  I read my mentor’s birthday message written on the inside of the book flap, flipped through the first few pages, and put the book in a shelf.  Having done that, I never thought that it would become a favorite, and it would leave a mark in my life.

When I went home to Batangas a month ago, I got bored, which led to my browsing the bookshelf inside my room and found, to my delight, the gift that I received from several years back.  I read the book jacket again, and I was surprised to learn that the storyteller was thirty-three years old when she wrote it—the same as me now; quit her job—likewise; and was busily exploring a writing life—me too!  Our lives couldn’t have been more alike.

With a freshly brewed coffee and steaming curiosity, I started to read Lori’s journey, wondering how it ended for her.  I believe I’d like to know because brave as I was when I resigned from my job, there are moments of uncertainties when I question myself and listen to the ramblings inside my head about what my future would become now that I have taken the leap of faith.  If Lori’s ended well, then maybe it could turn out great for me too.  Although drawing parallels between her story and mine, and believing there to be a similar direction for our fates is ridiculous, I still wondered.

Lori described her job as difficult, I would say that mine was challenging.  Although I welcomed the challenges but later on quit, I couldn’t, wouldn’t say that it was because I never liked what I did, but simply put, that I felt a greater passion calling out to me in the field of writing.

There are several points where Lori’s journey almost felt like I own them:

“I saved thousands of dollars and determined to leave my job and write for a year, to see if I could make it.”  A smile touched my lips as I read this passage because this was exactly what I did.  Three months ago, I was still in the corporate world handling project implementations.  One day though, I told myself that since I’m very passionate about writing, now’s a good time as any to quit and try to make it in this field.  If or should nothing come out of it, I could go back to gathering system requirements, testing, and staying up late nights while waiting for the new version of the application to be rolled-out to users.  The only difference, but a significant one, was that I saved thousands of pesos and not dollars.  So Lori was way better equipped than I in chasing after a dream.

“I started to date again…”  When I came to this line, I chuckled at first.  Then I started laughing really hard because I started dating too.  It wasn’t because I badly wanted to get into a committed relationship or rush into marriage, but rather because I had to know why I missed out on dating.  I contacted old flames and met with them.  And found out that the man I dated long ago still had not changed.  He’s a good man, but I still couldn’t figure out where we were.  Maybe I should date someone new because although some believe that love could be sweeter the second time around, there’s just about a number that would say that love previously unfound would bring immense joy when finally stumbled upon.  I don’t want to believe that all the stumbling I’m allowed to have in this lifetime is done for.  So I’ll traipse and stumble some more.

“I started going to an Anglican church that I love.” My cousin invited me to join a Christian Fellowship group and I have been attending for several weeks now.  My faith never wavered, but I wasn’t entirely religious.  Being back with a group helped me remember the words of God, and how He promised that He would never forsake me.  Each time I kneel now on the pew, bow own, clasp hands in front of my face and pray, I would feel warm because I have grown stronger in faith.  If I had been afraid before, I was able to rid myself of that feeling.

Fourth, while I have not succumbed to depression yet, with the piles of rejection letters I’m getting from agents I wrote to represent my book, if I do not keep on praying, going to church, and listening to my small Christian group’s constant encouragement, I just might find myself more than just disheartened too.

Nowadays, I also think that sleeping and being awake attained such close kinship; the difference for me though was that sleeping meant reaching farther and more beautiful places while the latter encompassed for me the four-wall confines of my car as I drove around familiar grounds.

Lori’s dream of a marriage didn’t materialize as the book wraps up, but maybe it is fated for there to be a book two, some sort of A Walk with another famous author, Madeleine L’engle perhaps, whom she also adores and who ended up married unlike Jane Austen.

I wasn’t hoping for marriage.  Adopting a baby and making the baby grow experiencing what could have been a rougher life is what I want.  Provided of course, that somewhere between the time that I wrote this and the time that I did adopt a baby, I wouldn’t develop some crazy, manic personality imbalance that would render me unfit for motherhood.

These points, aside from countless others I’m no longer able to enumerate, touched me with a tranquil fascination.  I wrote my mentor saying that I finished reading his gift. 

Embarrassed, I added in my note that maybe, there’s a reason I only put my hands on the book recently.  It wouldn’t have touched me immensely before the way it did me now that I’m probably experiencing a similar level of prolific confusion interspersed with utopia that Lori got when she was the same age as I.

Lori’s book ended with roughly seventy-five thousand words; mine was sixty-five thousand.  Needless to say, she got hers published while I still work on having mine out in the market.  Hers talked about the quiet, satisfying “step into a life of grace"; mine talked about miracles. My dream may be a far cry from happening, but I have started acting on it.  And that is what’s important.

The Gap between Forever

In 2012, after a breakup, I decided to pursue a different track--one that I knew was something I wanted, but did not have the time to attend to before.  Yes, that's writing.

It began with just the gist of how the story would unravel.  Supposedly, the story is to take place in just one day.  One day! Imagine that, and how it has transformed since then.

The Gap between Forever (I know, there should be an "and something" here, but the I didn't know what to add. LOL) is the story of a woman who was diagnosed with cancer, and her battle against it, and how she would reveal the sickness to her husband.  It gives the reader a look into the protagonists lives back when they (Emilia and David) met, how they ended up with each other, until that day when she had to tell him about the Big C.  

Okay.  So maybe it sounded like a typical love story--maybe.  But there's more to it.  I love twists and writing about significant revelations are what I aim for whenever I pen a short story or novel.

I rarely talk about this book because I am not a romantic. Duh!  But I simply enjoyed writing the twist.  So there.

I usually offer the book for free at Amazon for five days, so if you happen to be interested, just send me a message and I will forward you a copy.

Get a copy here.

And if you happen to like it, to support us Indie Writers, please don't forget to leave a comment and rate the book.

Since then, I pushed on to write more.  I ghost write at times, and focus on the fantasy series Breaking the Scroll. 


If you love writing, write.  That's how the journey should start.  Dream, and then act on it.

Cheers to everyone who are fascinated with words, whether in spawning them or reading them.

Top Five Things to Write About

Of all the topics in the world, what are the top five items that fiction writers should write about? 

5. Mystery - Everybody wants to read a mind-boggling story about someone who died and how the mystery was solved. Laying out the clues step by step and in a non anti-climactic way could be difficult, but start reading best-selling mystery writers and the techniques might just unfold for us writers. There's no need to reinvent the wheel. Learn from the masters. 

4. Dystopian - Is it true that Dystopian is dying? Too bad because this topic seemed to be what's sought for in movies. Why? Because a hero or heroine in a world where everything seemed to be failing is quite a good story to pass the time. 

3. Horror - Not everybody is into horror stories, but once you have found your niche in the market, horror fans are actually loyal to this segment. The more gory it is, the better. Just deviate from what has been written already. Bring something new. Let a ghost sit right at the shoulders of your main character all throughout the story and let the protagonist wonder why his shoulders are hurting all along. Ooops, that one had been written already. 

Try another twist. 

4. Fantasy - Everybody likes to see what a new world will unravel and this is why this genre is growing. The imagination does not stop on the sequence of events alone nor on the major twist, but dwells a lot on what a character can or cannot do. In some instances, if the writing is that good, it can even bring the characters to life in the minds of its avid readers. 

Last and definitely not the least, the top topic to write about is:

1. Romance - In all the topics discussed above, there is almost always a touch on romance. In fantasy, there's a reference to a love story. Even in horror stories, there are love angles that make the story blend beautifully. For a full blown love story, a writer can find himself or herself immersed in the oldest and most discussed topics of all time. Develop a relatable character for the protagonists, throw in a good setting, and just imagine the love story a writer would love to read about. A writer can't go wrong with that, hopefully. 

So to us writers, write on. The journey may be long, but each day is a step closer towards  our goal. Take your pen today, and pick a topic to write about. 

Let's chase the words out of our imagination and straight into the blank sheets of paper that we all have stowed away somewhere.