Saturday, June 27, 2009

Priceless quotes from Megan Fox:

"They're boys; they're easily toyed with. I tell stories and have them eating out of my hand."

"Hollywood is the most superficial thing you could possibly be a part of and if I weren't attractive I wouldn't be working at all."

"I don't trust male intentions, usually, because they don't approach me for intellectual conversation."

"Boys in their twenties are a waste of time. They have nothing to offer conversationally; they're immature. I feel like I have a better shot with someone in his thirties."

"[Director Michael Bay] doesn't like really skinny actresses. He's been traumatized by them for some reason in the past. So I always try to put on eight to ten pounds before [filming], and I'm always the fattest I've ever been when making a Transformers (2007) movie."

"I think one day I could be a very good actress. But so far, I haven't done anything."

"I played with Barbies but I used to decapitate them. I used to take their heads off then dye their hair and do weird things."

"When you think about it, we actors are kind of prostitutes. We get paid to feign attraction and love. Other people are paying to watch us kissing someone, touching someone, doing things people in a normal monogamous relationship would never do with anyone who's not their partner. It's really kind of gross."

"I do have a 22-inch waist, I will say that."

Friday, June 26, 2009

Something made me get out of bed this morning to turn on the radio. I had no idea what made me do it, but I just felt the need to all of a sudden. And then I heard it. Farrah Fawcett has died of cancer and Michael Jackson of a cardiac arrest. It's just so shocking. I didn't believe MJ was dead. He had such great plans for a comeback, all the entrance on elephants and the works, and suddenly there is just no more need for that.



I'm sad that he's dead, and I'm sad that such a legendary performer has passed, but I'm sadder because I don't think he enjoyed his life very much. He was thrown into the spotlight and, subsequently, phenomenal stardom at a young age. All the papparrazi, all the being poked fun of because of his cosmetic surgeries, all the instances of invasion of privacy, all the false allegations and reports and petty rumours about him and his child abusive tendencies, and then his money running out, which made him desperate for a comeback. He said once that as long as one enters this world knowing that he's loved - and leaves knowing the same thing - then whatever happens in between doesn't matter. But I wonder if he left knowing if he's loved.




My dad's really sad about MJ's passing. He told me he grew up with him, in a way. MJ was born in 1958, my dad in 1959, and my dad has all his records, and we used to watch the music videos together when I was young. I remember I was sick one day, and my dad was on leave for a day, so we watched it. 'Black or White' was my favourite MV - 'Billy Jean' my favourite MJ song - and I was impressed by how elaborate MJ's music videos were.




Rest in peace, King of Pop. Your legacy will live on. And also to Farrah Fawcett, one-third of the Charlie's Angels (original version), famous for her big, blowsy blonde hair.

Wednesday, June 24, 2009

I don't know if I should switch over to my other blog, words-unravelled.blogspot.com.

I like people to comment on my posts, but because of some lovely taggers, I had to tear down the tagboard. Besides, I prefer comments, not just random messages on the tagboard.

So should I? Then I'd have to transfer ALL my links over. And Blogger only allows me to do it one at a time. Jeez.

Plus, I like the picture on my blog. I still think it looks so chic, despite what Ger and Jerm say. And I don't think I can post my playlist on my other template, can I?

Oh, you know what. Forget it. I'll just stick to this one. Thanks for your help!

Wednesday, June 10, 2009






















This is how I imagine Wroughton to be like. The first three photos were taken around the pool near my house. The other three were taken last December, when dad and I went to Safra chalet at Tanah Merah. It was bliss. I woke up early everyday to write and jog. Good times. And Lilies is associated with that.
(By the way, the photos aren't actually that drained of colour. I think Blogger does that. So for better quality, click on the pictures themselves.)
Motivating blog post from writer, Allison Winn Scotch:


Tuesday, June 09, 2009

Are You Made of Win?

Question of the day: Although part of me gets inspired from reading all the "stories of success" of various authors, I can't help but feel totally defeated and discouraged at the thought of just how MANY people there are out there scrambling towards the same goal, where there's really only standing room for a few of us in the genre particularly, but in the market as a whole. How do you stay confident and inspired? Or more importanly, motivated?

Yes, well, this is the conundrum of being an aspiring writer. Not only that there are so many people out there trying to do the same thing, but also not knowing if a) you're good enough to rise to the top and b) whether or not being good enough really matters. Because let's face it: there are plenty of good authors out there whose work will never see the light of day. Not all of them, probably not even a ton of them, as I do believe that most truly talented writers get a break at some point, but yeah, not everyone, which is what makes this whole venture truly damn scary.

I've often said on this blog, and I can never repeat it often enough, that it takes a certain temperament to endure this career, and I stand by that. Years, YEARS can go by without success, and the rejection can diminish even the most confident among us. The only way that you will endure is to surround your ego and your confidence with steel armor, armor that might get occasionally nicked in the face of defeat but is basically impenetrable. I think you likely either have this disposition or you don't. But I also believe that you can at least learn to shrug it off, to get knocked down but stand up and face it all over again.

I was probably born overconfident. This has not always worked to my benefit (trust me - ending relationships was never my strong suit, as I always believed I could find a way to work things out), but in this career, yes, it has been. I simply never doubted that I could succeed. Which I know sounds ridiculous, but that is truly how my brain functions. I remember once, many years ago, when I was still finding my freelancing sea legs, my husband gently suggested that if I didn't start to get more work, I should perhaps start looking for a JOB job. I scoffed, literally scoffed at him, because I couldn't believe that he didn't KNOW, as I did, that I'd get 'er done. To paraphrase Captain Kirk: I don't believe in no-win situations.

And surely, when defeaning silences amassed from freelance editors or when my first agent and I agreed to part ways (UGH!), this way of thinking buffered me from what might have been an impulse to spin on my heels and bolt the other direction. Look, this is a tough, tough, tough business. Other than acting, I can't think of one that might be as difficult. So you either have to resolve that you're going to do your best and stick with it, or you get out. Because if you take rejection to heart and let it diminish you, your confidence will suffer, your writing will weaken, you'll present yourself as less of a package than you are.

And what should you do if you're not born with natural armor? I'd remind you to not take any of this personally. Ever. Rejection of your idea or your novel often has nothing to do with you. Agents, for example, are looking for whatever fits their specific criteria; magazine editors aren't dwelling on whether or not they think your query was poorly written. They have a product to push and sell, and they're looking at whether or not you add (or don't) to their business. This is a business. Period. Don't ever forget that. Another tip? While you're waiting to get published, keep writing. In my opinion, writing is the best way that you are going to get better. My first manuscript wasn't published and looking back, it didn't deserve to be. My second one was better, and resulted in my debut novel. My third was even better (IMO), and it's a New York Times Best Seller. There's no shame in putting something aside and recognizing that it was a learning experience, the end.

I hope this post doesn't come off as making me sound like I'm some narcissistic ego-maniac. :) I'm actually not! LOL. But, just to give you some perspective as to why I promise that I'm not, when I was a kid, whenever I had some sort of competitive activity, my dad used to sit me down and say, "What's your last name?" I'd roll my eyes about a dozen times, and finally, after much prodding, would say, "Winn." (Get the play on words?) Looking back on it now, I'm grateful that he did this. It wasn't that he turned me into a competitive freak, it's that he let me know that I always held that win inside of myself, that I was always capable of coming out on top. Even if your last name is Brown, Smith or Weinberg, the same theory can hold true for you...and I think it's a critical one for success as a writer.

Just played Runaway World, and experienced a bout of nostalgia for the days when I was working on Lilies. I know you've heard this many times, but it never gets old for me.

It's just, I tried so hard for Lilies, you know? I truly believe I did the best I could for my first proper novel. I actually love my characters. And yeah, I know, it's melodramatic, but I don't know, that's how I like it. Don't writers write the stories that they would want to read? But of course, I would want my readers to like the stories I like too. Too bad they don't.

But you know, in my life, I'd always gotten what I wanted if I tried hard enough for it. I guess this is the first instance where I tried so hard but reaped nothing. I guess I'm just not used to it.

In Mint, the setting is different from Moonlight. Mostly because Moonlight takes place, well, at night. But Mint is sort of like Lilies, in terms of setting. It takes place in a butterfly farm, a herb garden, and of course, Wroughton. I've never been so in love with a place I've created (did that come out sounding conceited?). It's just all light and open, bright and colourful, vivid and passionate and full of life. Okay, I'm gushing. Maybe that's why I prefer Lilies more to Moonlight. The setting. Also, Moonlight isn't half as funny as Lilies, if I do say so myself.

In Mint, I'm going to make Reynold (the male lead) a funny, laidback guy who drives Leigh (yes, Jerm, I know it sounds like the name of a reindeer - sleighbell, sleigh, Leigh - but it's growing on me), the protagonist, nuts.

The only problem is, what is at stake for them? What are their character motivations? Leigh is strong-minded, independent and is trying really hard to prove herself and be the responsible one in the family. Reynold, well, isn't. The only thing or person he remotely cares about is his trouble-seeking younger brother, Kyle. So I guess Kyle is the one at stake. I decided last night that Leigh, being goal-driven and everything, shall have her achievements at stake. And what better than her job at the herb garden and her volunteer work at the butterfly farm? If her job were at stake (not to mention her credits for community service), would she trade Reynold's brother for what she wants?

Now, there's your story. Anyone who is nice enough to read the first few pages I've come up with can contact me at jcxw2590@yahoo.com.sg and request for the pages. Tell me if it's working so far, okay, before I go any further? (Ie, too much backstory, too much rambling, too much dialogue, too light-hearted, etc?)

Now I just have to, in the words of Tim Gunn, make it work.
Just received another nice rejection letter (sounds oxymoronic, doesn't it?) yesterday, by Eleanor Jackson:

Dear Joyce,

Thank you for letting me consider WHEN THE LILIES TURN ORANGE. You are clearly a talented writer, there’s much to be admired here. Raven is a great protagonist, intensely likeable despite her few flaws, and her relationship with Connell is both sweet and complicated in all the right ways. You deal with the angst and drama that comes hand-in-hand with a girls teenage years with subtlety and grace, and it was nice to read a young adult book about a romantic relationship where both characters felt like real people with real problems, for a change.

That said, I just can’t see a way to market this successfully to a general trade publisher, nor can I see a way to revise it that wouldn’t compromise some of the elements I liked here. My instincts tell me this is something that’s better suited to a smaller/ independent publisher, and I’m afraid those circles are just lesser known to me.

I’m sorry to disappoint you, and to pass on work by a writer who is clearly gifted. Others will surely feel differently, and I certainly wish you every success in finding the right agent and publisher for your work.

Best,

Eleanor.

Eleanor Jackson
Elaine Markson Agency
44 Greenwich Avenue
New York, NY 10011
t 212 243 8480 x304
f 212 691 9014


Oh, well. You know, after a while, you just get used to the crushing sense of disappointment in your chest. At least she gave me feedback, and was really nice about it. I just wish I can find someone who believes in my story enough to want to see it published.

Monday, June 08, 2009

Okay, Bedful of Moonlight's completed. I actually finished the last page last Thursday, and was late for my meeting with the gang because I was still trawling for quotes to stick on every chapter. It's really difficult looking for them. They have to go with what the chapter is about, and I wanted them to be quotes from writers, because, you know, the characters are voracious readers and all.

So, yes, I'm done. Well, with the first draft, that is. But I've been working on editing it since then. I'm on page 165 now. Hopefully, I can finish editing it by the end of this week (even more hopefully, today or tomorrow), so I can query Michelle. Omg, please don't let her reject me again. I can't take it.

Oh, and I've come up with a semblance of a plot for my next story! Yupp. I spent my weekend scribbling furiously in my notebook ("Why do you write everywhere you go?" cried my exasperated dad, who, thankfully, did not demand to see what I was writing) and delving into the characters I've just created. She someone really different from all the others I've come up with. She's not really a loner, or someone with fantasy romantic ideals; she's not reeling from someone's death, or falling for someone with a dark secret. She is, in fact, quite self-sufficient and assertive. I can already see how tough it'll be to write in her POV, because goodness knows I'm nothing like her, but it'll be interesting, I'll bet.

And, of course, there is a boy (more on him in a bit). There always is, like what Sarah Dessen said. I think all writers write books that they would like to read. I mean, I like dark dramatic romance stories and flowers and books and quiet nights and a quiet little estate with trees and winding lanes, so I write about them. Writers, I suppose, live out their fantasies through their writing.

And you know what? I just realised something, on my way to help my grandmother with the groceries on Saturday. My neighbourhood actually reminds me a lot of Wroughton. It's true! Every day when I walk back from the swimming complex near my house, I see this pavement that runs along a quiet narrow road lined with matured trees and a row of low houses. The sky is always blue (okay, at least for these past couple of months) and there are butterflies flitting about and birds calling. It's just so peaceful and pretty. Also, on my way to the market, there's a grass patch near the community centre where several bicycles are parked to a few short stumpy trees. And you know in Wroughton, hardly anybody drives around. They walk or cycle (my ideal estate), and that just reminded me so much of it.

So, how about that, huh? Who knew I'd drawn so much inspiration for Wroughton estate from my own neighbourhood. By the way, for those of you who don't know, Wroughton estate is a quiet little private estate where my stories take place. It's quite an isolated but close-knit community where everyone knows everything about everyone (that's the downside).

Okay, so the boy. Wait, you know what? I'm not going to talk about it here. Not when it's not really all that developed yet. I do know the title of the new story will be Mint, though. Yes, just Mint. I know, hard to believe, that for someone as long-winded as me, I actually came up with a one-word title. But I do have my reasons for coming up with that title.

But I do need, once again, some help with names. In Lilies, the characters were Connell and Raven. In Moonlight, it was Kristen and Caleb (and it took us all a long time to come up with those two names; blame it on my pickiness). So, in Mint? Any suggestions? No Marthas, or Emilys, or Davids, or Joshuas, or Jasons, or Christinas. I want something memorable and nice-sounding, but not too outlandish. Like Raven. Or Caleb. You know?