Sunday, March 31, 2013

Three powerful tips to write well


Three powerful tips to write well



Ever sit down on your table, facing your lappy, Microsoft Word is on, and then you stare at your work…

Guess what?
from http://www.singleblackmale.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/blank-sheet-of-paper.gif

It’s an empty page.

Yep, we all get through that moment. That feeling of you want to write  but you seem to be lacking something, somehow you cant transfer your thoughts to your pen, you can’t get that rush you get when your excited to write about something.

Believe it or not, I was once like you. Glad I took journalism class for three years, it didn’t go to waste. I learned a lot about writing.


Read, read, read, read and read some more

My journalism teacher, Mrs. Adora Delgado, keeps on reminding us to read all the time. Yes, reading is an important factor in writing. Through reading different materials like magazines and newspapers, we read not just content, but, STYLE. We learn how to write our thoughts in a way that is both entertaining, and easy to understand. And what better way to learn style, than to read somebody else’s. We read and see for ourselves, how this writer, who is sure to be a professional, deliver his ideas, and how he/she merges with his story, making us part of it, being part of the story.


And in the words of my mentor in journalism, Kuya Kim Valdez:
“Read to read, not  just to read”
from http://msbsclassblog.files.wordpress.com

 The ultimate reward of reading?  Is developing your own writing style.


And one more thing, have you ever experienced writing a composition but somehow you stop dead, you seemed to hit a writer’s block, why?

You can’t find the right words.
It’s like you want to say something, you move your mouth, but the words won’t come out. You suddenly become mute.

Another thing we can gain from reading different materials?
A wide vocabulary.
A wide vocabulary does not necessarily mean using deep, intelligent, and unheard of words that only people with dictionaries can understand. A wide vocabulary means you have the right words, for the right situation, for the right time, and for the right ideas.

Imagine your vocabulary as sort of a bank, let’s call it the Word Bank. A bank offers deposit and saving transactions, right?
So for a writer that keeps on reading, he deposits words into the bank, and then withdraws them later when he writes, the more he reads, the more he can write.

And then there is another writer, much like the first, but he doesn’t read that often, he doesn’t deposit words into his word account.

The end result? The latter writer, can’t write anything. Since he doesn’t have the words to do so.  It’s impossible to withdraw from an ATM if  your savings is empty!

Mastery of a language is a prerequisite for any writer. You have to be able to write in a variety of styles of languages has, whether it’s slang or formal.

Practice, practice, practice, and even more practice


Yes, practice makes perfect. "Perfect" meaning, you are the best you can be.
A while ago I mentioned that developing your own writing style is the ultimate reward of reading.
from http://oregonchristianwriters.org

Well, you can’t develop your writing style without practicing it.
There are millions of writing styles, but there will always be one, and only ONE, for you, and to find that, we have to keep on honing our skills.
By practicing we get comfortable with our styles.


"Write all the time, when you have the time. "
Writing when you have spare time can do wonders for a writer, especially if that happens often. You'll be surprised how good you'll get, without you even noticing. 

Sure it would take some time before you even see progress, but take my word, it would be worth it. 



Be inspired, if not? Get a reason to be

The last secret ingredient to write well is to be inspired. All of the efforts you put into writing will be in vain without inspiration. Remember that every work you make is a part of you, and doing something without heart, without soul, will result to substandard pieces of work. 
from http://courtneysking.files.wordpress.com/2013/03/inspiration.jpg


Getting inspired means you have a PURPOSE.Every writer should write with a purpose, a mission, an aim.

 Being inspired also means that you enjoy what you do. Inspiration also gives us determination to finish what we started. 

But admit it, sometimes we say to ourselves:


"I'm not in the mood."
Then what you lack is inspiration. If you are not inspired? Get a reason to be inspired. Having trouble writing about something? LOOK AROUND, as a writer, as an artist, you are free to write about everything.

Maybe you can write about the bee getting pollen as a sign of spring. Or maybe a reminiscence of your childhood, The sky is the limit.

To be a great writer, one does not have to write about extraordinary things, but rather a great writer is one who writes about simple things, extraordinarily well. 



Final message? 

Read to extend your knowledge in writing style and vocabulary.
Practice to apply what you learn from reading.
Get inspired to enjoy writing.

So what are you waiting for? Get writing! 

Please do follow me on twitter  @adrianastorga26
And like my facebook page : Adrian James Astorga
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Friday, March 29, 2013

One last Prom

A Prom Like No Other
JS Prom 2013: ONE LAST TIME

The JS Prom Cotillion

Three words to describe the Juniors’ and Seniors’ Promenade of Florentino Torres High School:
Magic. Elegance. Memories.

After two weeks of delay due to bad weather, finally, we celebrate prom.


Prom, the most awaited and most romantic event of the year, where couples dance the night away, and when kings and queens are crowned. Where love is in the air, and friendships are made even stronger.

 This is my last prom. I’ll miss my friends, everyone I hold so dear. My classmates all looked forward to this event. Our last hurrah. Being the emcee of this event was hard work, but being part of the magic that happened that night makes it even more worth it. So this is it, our last prom.


JS Prom Magic


Yes, there was magic when hundreds of Juniors and Seniors of F. Torres High School entered the oval to celebrate Prom. Magic indeed.

You might ask what kind of magic there was that night. It was LOVE. And guess what? The theme for the JS was: When Young Hearts Beat as One.


Shin Maca with his girlfriend Bie Duenas
as they hold each others' hearts.

I can bet that a lot of hearts came in sync and all came together to one slow rhythm.

Nothing beats two people, slow dancing to that oldies love song. It was sweet and romantic.


In the midst of the chaos, the noise, and the glaring lights, there were worlds that were created. Lots of them. I saw a lot of couples, dancing with each other, simply enjoying themselves. Time seemed to slow down between them, this was their moment, just the two of them, not minding anyone else. I felt so happy for those people.

People watched out for the famous couples, some even screamed out of pure delight as they watched.
My very close friend Vin with
Kio Ozawa.
JS magic <3 p="">

And me? Well, my tradition during prom? It was confessing to every crush I had that I like them, making up with old enemies, and dancing the night away with my special friends.

And one more thing, I didn't had a date. I'm not ashamed of it though, since I danced with a lot of women ;) In fact, I cant count how many I danced that night.

Have you heard of JS Prom Magic? Its when you fall in love with someone you dance with during prom, and that person ends up as your boyfriend or girlfriend.

That happened to me last year it became a summer romance, and I saw a lot of people going through the same thing that night. JS Magic, a great thing to see unfolding in front of you.


Elegance


Everyone went to prom in their best suits and dresses. Even if the outfits were simple, everyone  looked amazing.


Who knew that the wallflowers of the class ended up to be a stunning vixen. Or maybe that nerd came out as the guy of your dreams.
As for me? Well, see for yourself. ;)


A quick sidenote, our prom was postponed for days and because of this delay, the people who rented clothes ended up spending even more T_T but nonetheless it was worth it. Everyone looked great.
The Prom King And Queen

Of course, the main event of the night was crowning the Prom King and Prom Queen. After weeks of screening and intense deliberation, we were left with ten, yes TEN candidates. (A quick FYI, my mom used to be prom queen, during her JS prom, and one more thing? My mom also graduated from Torres HS.) These ten are the epitome of people with not just irresistible looks, and appeal, but also talent. You have to admit, entering a pageant is hard, I've been there and I've donethat, and I will tell you, that it is HARD.  So congrats to our Prom King and Queen. They really deserved it.    

Kate Naomi Doroja, Prom Queen '13
Photo credited to Mr. Anjoy Galope
of Anjoy Galope Photography

Memories



In the end, even if you had a date, even if you danced with a lot of people, even if you received that coveted crown, all of that would be in vain if you didn't make memories .

Seniors from Rizal and Bonifacio
photo credited to Mr. Anjoy Galope

With my bestfriend Rod Malaca
with my Partner Vee Velasco
And to make good memories, you need to have great people, people that made high school the best four years of your life. I'm so happy to spend prom with guys that really became a part of my life, no matter how long, or how short, our times were. Making prom possible was a journey indeed, and working with the people that made it happened was an honor. One of the memories I will cherish was being the Emcee of the event. The work was tiring, but definitely worth it. Prom is about having a good time, making memories, memories that will last a lifetime. 

Dancing the night away with my classmates made this JS prom, special. 
Thank you Por-Wan Rizal for that. 

IV-Rizal


As the night ends, so does the JS Prom end, (and this blog post too!) 
IV-Rizal

The JS prom was a truly memorable experience.
It was a night where everyone was beautiful, 

a night when love was in the air

a night when YOUNG HEARTS BEAT AS ONE. 



A big thank you to Anjoy Galope Photography for his very impressive shots during the JS Prom.


Please do follow me on twitter  @adrianastorga26
And like my facebook page : Adrian James Astorga
Also please do subscribe to my blog, and add me on your google plus circles. 
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