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This is the blog of Ian Rosales Casocot. Filipino writer. Sometime academic. Former backpacker. Twink bait. Hamster lover.

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Monday, July 04, 2005

entry arrow9:56 PM | Putting the Last Period to the Rocking Horse Violin Man


I just finished my entry for the Canvas Storywriting Contest, which aims to generate a winning children's story using this painting by Elmer Borlongan. I don't care if my story wins or loses, but I like the fact that I was able to write something I'm satisfied with at a virtual drop of the hat, and with a very challenging prompt, too. (How do you write a good children's story about a violin man on a rocking horse?) As Dean once said, joining writing contests keeps you on your toes, and helps make you become less complacent about writing. It may be the crudest form of motivation, but it's better than merely pontificating about the writing life, but not writing anything at all. (Dean once posted in his blog about Palanca naysayers, whom, in so many words, he calls sour losers who don't know what they are saying. I agree, Dean, I agree.) The whole afternoon writing the story was something quite extraordinary. I came home from work at around 4 o'clock, determined to start and finish a story, any story. I've been jealous of Kit Kwe's amazing writing streak of late. She's been churning out story after story for the past two months, and I texted her that I wanted to do the same. And I guess I did, at least for today. I've never done anything of this sort before. My stories usually take weeks just germinating in my head, and many more weeks to actually get punched into my computer. Writing has always been a slow process -- and last year, I wrote nothing at all. This year, though, I've finished four stories so far, which for me is an accomplishment. The Canvas deadline is still August 15, more than a month away, but knowing me, I'll probably take more time revising the story than in actually writing it. But it's better to work with something already there, than to work with nothing at all, eh?

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