The home of writing: Journalism Workshop

Elizabeth Gilbert, author of the best-selling "Eat, Pray, Love" gave us a hint on where our home is: that something you love more than you love yourself. Just like Elizabeth, writing has always been my home, and I am more than willing to share my writing to anyone who's willing to learn. I have been requested to conduct a five-day workshop on Journalism writing to both teachers and students in my alma mater Mercedarian School, which started last Friday. I was honored to give something back to my elementary school and was more than willing to teach the teachers and students there.

I was informed that the writing skills of both the teachers and students should be honed better for them to develop critical thinking and apt writing and comprehension skills, and so I started with the basics of writing and composition and paragraph writing. It was good enough that the teachers were very inquisitive and proved that they want to improve their writing skills by volunteering their answers every time I gave them an activity on writing. The school's guidance counselor, Mr. Ted asked very good questions that went beyond critical thinking. Other teachers raised questions and gave good answers whenever I asked them to prove their answers to my questions. 

The third leg of the workshop will be on letter writing which is very essential for the students for they shall write request letters, business letters and the like all through out high school and college. Finally for the Journalism club, the fourth and fifth lectures will be on Article writing which includes news, features, sports and editorial writing, and lay-outing and designing of a mini newspaper or newsletter.

I would not have shared this knowledge to my alma mater and to the teachers and students if not for my good foundation and training under Ms. Josephine Bonsol, school paper adviser of LHS Courier in Lagro High School who also graduated at UP Diliman and continues to write in her blog www.jobonsol.net. She has been my mentor since second year high school and I keep coming back to sit in her classes in Journalism every now and then.

Book Review: Utterly Yours, Booker Jones

I do believe in writer's block. But then I also do believe that sometimes writer's block is a product of our own inner problems, of radical changes in our lives that we can't seem to solve.

Mom was scavenging for old albums and books in their room and piled a number of old reads in the table when I found the book "Utterly Yours, Booker Jones" by Betsy Duffey, which I have read since I was in high school. The story revolves around a frustrated but hopeful at the same time writer Walter "Booker" Jones, who wants his fictional novels like Space Cows and Worms from the Planet Spaghetti to get published one day. Just like bestselling author of Eat, Pray, Love Elizabeth Gilbert, the 12-year-old boy frequently annoys different publishing companies with his very bad stories and novels by sending each chapter of his book. But every time a reply goes 'We're very sorry but your story do not meet the demands of our list.' In other words, he gets rejected every time.

But the story does not only revolve around Booker's passion in writing and his failures to publish his novels, but also revolves around how he has changed when his favorite grandfather, who is also a published author and columnist, got sick and fell and moved in to their house. This meant giving up Booker's room, living and doing long division problems under the dining table with drapes and a sleeping bag, and a virtually messed up family of a hopeless mother, a busy father and a bitch 'sistoid'.

The conflict started when Booker was trapped by his best friend Germ to write a speech about the rally because the PTA wanted to change the name of the school mascot Wolf Pack into the Fighting Pickles. Booker was currently writing his book on Space Cows and he didn't seem to get the hang of writing a speech. It entailed a deadline, an anxiety, another problem that can't be solved. A writer's block.

On the day of the rally, Booker was empty-handed. However, he began to realize the importance of writing with his grandfather's clippings of columns and realized that his Pop deserves being just a nuisance and a problem in the house. He began to rearrange his room and transferred all his grandfather's things to his room, while he moved his things to the dining room where he currently lives and sleeps.

"This is your room now, Pop," he had said. The rally was looming, but he felt peace, and for the first time in a long time, an idea popped into his mind about his speech for the rally. With nothing but a pen and a rally rag, the words flowed like a river from his hands. During the rally, he was able to pull off his speech and a lot of people especially the parents were moved. It was his first successful speech, and what's more, the newspaper reporter asked him if they could publish his essay to the daily newspaper the next day. It became his first ever huge break. He was not Booker Jones, person anymore; but Booker Jones, author.

I can really relate to the book because I also love to write and I've been breathing it since elementary; I wrote fan fictions about my favorite series Dragon Ball Z when I was ten, tried to make a novel about me and my crush at 12 and joined the journalism club in high school for three years. I started to blog four years ago and I still keep writing. During high school my mentor Ms. Josephine Bonsol always gambled me to schools press conferences but I always lost. I had my huge break in 2011 when my essay was published in The Philippine Star. I joined the same essay writing contest four times and got published twice. I felt I was invincible.

But I also experienced my writer's block in third year college when I was writing a linguistics paper. Something happened and I could not seem to add anything better for my paper and ended up submitting a really terrible paper to my professors. This was a radical part of my life that I could not seem to comprehend and so my writing was also affected.

But then I regained in the rainy season of July 2014 when I was 'reset' and I realized that I love writing more than anything else--it is not just a distraction, a way to pass the time, but a passion that I will always look for because it is my home.

SOMETIMES WHEN YOU LOSE, YOU WIN.

I finally got my big break.

My mentor Ms. Josephine Bonsol simply told me to write. Every day. And I did.

The way I see it, my article published in the Philippine STAR was mostly about making my parents proud. My article, entitled "The Woman I Never Understood" was also supposed to be a surprise Mothers' Day gift to my mom, as I wrote and sent it online three days before the event.

But the one thing I'm proudest about this feat is the fact that, I suddenly realized, I can already help my parents financially, after I also won P5 000 worth of gift certificates from National Bookstore. It was an overwhelming feeling when I made my siblings happy because I helped them buy all the books they want and the school supplies we need.

My big sister Ate Nadine bought her favorite books by Jessica Zafra and Bob Ong. My twin sister Jillian finally got her dream come true with a complete set of art materials, from oil pastels to colored pens and watercolor. My brother Norman, on the other hand, finally got his set of school supplies. I also helped mom buy her office materials at work.

Ms. Josephine Bonsol was right: writing is the one thing I can enjoy and even make money from. My writing then made me realize I could even help my parents save money and allot it to other needs.

Sometimes when you lose, you win. Once I thought I'm simply a hopeless, frustrated writer every time I lose a writing competition. But then Ms. Josephine Bonsol told me to not linger on the past, analyze my mistakes and keep moving forward. She told me a lot of writers and media people became famous and rich even though they didn't win such writing contests.

Most of all, she reminded me that everything has a reason. Maybe it wasn't my time yet back then, she said, but I believe it is now.

Thank you very much to Philippine STAR, National Book Store and Globe! Nanay Bonsol, mom, dad, Ate Nadine, Jill and Jigs, this is all for you! I love you!

2010 Journalism Summer Training at Ciudad Christhia from June 4-6: A Refresher Course

I have to deeply thank Ms. Josephine Bonsol (now a famous food and lifestyle blogger) for letting me experience and join the summer training for campus journalists at the Ciudad Christhia 9 Waves Resort last June 4-6. I did learn a lot of new things and boost my confidence in my writing skills.

June 4

My mom accompanied me to San Francisco High School, where the delegates would be fetched by the vans and school yellow cabs to Ciudad Christhia. At around 4pm, we were all gathered at the Eucalyptus session hall for registration. At the opening ceremonies, Mrs. Ligaya A. Regis, Education Supervisor I in Journalism for Public and Prviate high schools, welcomed the 71 campus journalists and shared reflections about the training.

"You get what you expect," started Mrs. Regis, and told the young journalists to have open minds to learn more. She also stressed the reflection that "life asks of every individual a contribution and it is up to that individual what it should be."

"Affirmation of success." Mrs. Ligaya specially inspired the campus journalists to keep on repeating a positive thought, "because what one thinks will always be a reality."

At 6pm after the students were given their respetive rooms, they had dinner, and Ms. Josephine Bonsol and Ms. Christina Feliciano distributed night tickets for those who wanted to swim at the 9 Waves Resort from 7pm-8:30pm.

June 5
Ms.Josephine Bonsol earlier reminded us that breakfast would be from 6-7am, then the seminar would start at 8am.

Bagong Silangan school paper adviser Mrs. Marissa Ruca first taught Pagwawasto at Pag-uulo ng Balita. She reminded us that copyreading seriously needs a lot of concentration and carefulness. She practiced us with a few articles and later gave us copies to copyread in one hour. I definitely learned a lot from Filipino copyreading especially about the symbols to be used.

After a snack at about 10am, Mr. Moises L. Tarrobal, E. Rodriguez Jr. High School paper adviser, taught us Pagsulat ng Lathalain. He gave us a start by teaching the basics in feature writing , and introduced the different lead styles to start a good article. He made the journalists write a lathalain about the new president of the Philippines.

After lunch, Mrs. Ligaya Regis trained the young writers in editorial writing (also her principal field in journalism). She taught the step-by-step process of drafting, starting and ending a good editorial, with the kinds of lead styles. She also instructed the journalists to write an editorial about sex education.

At around 4:30pm after another snack, Mr. Moises Tarrobal returned to discuss Pagsulat ng Editoryal. He introduced the different kind of editorials (persuasuve, criticism, and argumentative), and cited articles of each kind, identifying their differences in structure and style.

June 6
Ms. Josephine Bonsol shook the journalists' cranky bones and muscles first thing in the morning by teaching them basic yoga exercises.

Mrs. Marissa Ruca first gave her evaluation in our work in Pagwawasto at Pag-uulo ng balita and also gave oral exercises. A North Fairview High School journlalist got the highest score.

Mr. Moises Tarrobal also gave his evaluation, giving only three words: Sawimpalad, Bukaspalad, and Mapalad.

Dr. Elizabeth Meneses, DepEd NCR Supervisor, next gave her lesson in feature writing.She discussed the types of feature articles and stressed that emotion with vivid descriptions is the key to a good story.

She also shared the 2009 Pulitzer Prize for Feature Writing article: The Girl in the Window: The Feral Child, and let the journalists ask questions about it.

She also made them write a feature about the Pinoy Big Brother Teen Clash of Channel 2, and later, declared a Quezon City Science High School student to be the best.

After the 10am snack, Carlos P.Albert High School paper adviser Ms. Milet Alcala discussed Copyreading and Headline writing, and gave refresher exercises.. She mentioned facts, grammar and correct figures are the important factors in editing a copy.

Quezon City Superintendent Dr. Victoria Fuentes visited the seminar during lunch. Mr. Eulogio Pebres, school paper adviser of Balingasa HS then lectured about Pagsulat ng Balita. He reminded the journalists the importance of structure and objectivity. He also let the writers evaluate his student's winning articles in the 2010 National Schools Press Conference in Tagum City, Davao del Norte.

Mrs. Ligaya Regis first evaluated the writers' editorial articles, then food blogger and Lagro High School paper adviser Ms. Josephine Bonsol discussed Newswriting. She stressed the importance of gaining authority when reporting or writing a news article, and also knowing the latest events and current affairs through reading.

At around 4:30pm, Ms. Christina Feliciano called for the closing ceremonies, where Mrs. Ligaya Regis, Mr. Eulogio Pebres and Edbert of the School of Saint Anthony gave their final words of inspiration and evaluations on the training.

It was all worth it. The accomodation in Ciudad Christhia was amazing, especially their service of food and the food itself. I enjoyed swimming in the resort, and watching Travel and Living in their cable television all night made me learn new and more wonderful things.All the mentors in the training really gave inspiration and new lessons in my journalism class.

All thanks to Ms. Josephine Bonsol!