Serein Choo's Blog, page 12
January 28, 2024
Quote of the Day
“If there’s a book that you want to read, but it hasn’t been written yet, then you must write it.”
Toni Morrison (Novelist)
It’s one of the reason that I write 
Influence by a lot of books, dramas, movies. I tend to have my own opinions, like why did it ended like that? how did it happen? I want different paths, answers. So, one day I decide to write my own story.
#MondayMotivation
Disclaimer: Quote doesn’t belong to me.
January 26, 2024
Mini Love Bites
I’ll be incorporating a comprehensive list of writing prompts and ideas (down below) to kickstart your creative flow, providing the necessary inspiration to get those writing juices flowing (for myself as well). It can be in any form (poems, quotes, short stories and others (thoughts too)). I would be sharing mine over these themes in February.
The Unconventional Love Story: Explore a love story that defies societal norms or expectations.The Passage of Time and Love: Reflect on how love evolves and transforms over the years.Unexpected Connections: Write about two characters who unexpectedly find love in an unconventional setting.First Love: Delve into the emotions and memories associated with a person’s first experience of love.Lost and Found: Tell a story about rekindling lost love or rediscovering love after a period of separation.Love in Different Cultures: Explore how love is perceived and expressed in different cultural contexts.Love and Self-Discovery: Write about how a character’s journey of self-discovery intertwines with their experience of love.Forbidden Love: Explore the challenges and consequences of love that goes against societal norms or expectations.Love Across Generations: Tell a story about love that transcends age differences and spans across generations.Love and Loss: Write about the complexities of love in the face of loss or adversity.Good luck!
January 25, 2024
Why you should read Empty Crown
Step into a world that keeps you on your toes, with ‘Empty Crown,’ a Chinese fantasy (written in English) that blurs the lines between good and evil.
Why should you delve into this captivating Chinese tale of fantasy?
Because within its pages, you’ll discover a realm like no other than you have read, where the boundaries between right and wrong are beautifully blurred. Join the adventure and explore a landscape filled with magic, mystery, and the unexpected (like really, can you guess who is the demon?).
Dare to journey through a story that defies conventional notions of heroism and villainy, offering a unique perspective, breaking down what you see (in this sense, what you read) is not what it always seem.
Embrace the magic within ‘Empty Crown’ and let your imagination soar, a sad, tragic yet heart warming tale awaits you.
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January 24, 2024
Discipline
I don’t believe writing is a chore, but it’s something that you have to have discipline to complete or finish especially when you have an end goal in mind (whether it’s to finish writing a post, a journal, or a book). It requires discipline like a raging sea (hence the photo).
Imagine yourself in a storm (only yourself, no one else, just you) , your task includes, skillfully manage the sails, steer the boat, and navigate your way safely to your desired destination without your map/phone in this case (just imagine you dropped it into the ocean already). You are the boat captain, the first mate, the deckhand, navigator and the cook/engineer/medical officer. You have all the roles comprise in one person. You are everything. The boat will depend on you to survive these raging seas.
If you are undisciplined, you might drive your boat to the coastal areas and you might die (end of your story and the story that you are writing) or if you delay it, then you will never reach your destination.
Navigation Errors: Lack of discipline in navigation, failure to follow charts, and disregarding navigational aids can result in running aground or colliding with obstacles. So remember to plot and steer accordingly. (Have a map – plot map, story summary, your story’s main idea/theme, hung them where you can see it, so you are constantly reminded of what are writing and its direction).Inattentiveness: Failing to pay attention to changing weather conditions, other vessels, or navigational hazards can lead to accidents.Don’t forget to take care of yourself too, find a comfortable spot for yourself, where you can immerse yourself in writing (it can be anywhere, for myself, it refers to the bed with my iPad/laptop (alone)).Reckless Behavior: Speeding, not maintaining a proper lookout, or engaging in risky behavior while operating a boat can increase the risk of a collision or capsizing.Pace yourself (try to keep words in chapters consistent)Lack of Maintenance: Neglecting routine maintenance and safety checks can lead to equipment failure at sea, potentially causing accidents.Reread parts and use spreadsheets/journals (or Scrivener) to keep track of your characters, plots, plot points, etc.Ignoring Safety Protocols: Not wearing life jackets, ignoring safety drills, or failing to have essential safety equipment on board can be life-threatening in emergencies.Focus on the path – don’t diverge from the path that you have set yourself. Follow through your plot/plot points.Overestimating Skills: Confidence is key but Overconfidence will kill you. Without the skills, especially without proper training and experience, can lead to poor decision-making.I know it’s important to try new things but if you are trying a new genre/new writing style – maybe start with something like a short story instead of diving into a long and lengthy novel.
I hope that the information provided above has been helpful, offering some insights into refining your own writing skills. Toddles, happy writings!
January 21, 2024
Quote of the Day
Do you agree or disagree?
“Be true to yourself – and keep things simple. People complicate things.”
Jay Z (Musician and businessman)
Disclaimer: Quote doesn’t belong to me.
January 17, 2024
Practice writing in your head
This sounds slightly abstract but I really mean it literally. This might sound a bit confusing, so let me elaborate on the idea.
How do you see the world? I think it would be same like other people.
Here’s an example of how you can practice writing – but only in your own head. This can help you learn how to craft your prose to read in a beautiful, elegant fashion while also being unique and interesting to readers.
Right now, I’m looking out from my balcony. The packed urban life where buildings are dense built together. It’s raining now, the droplets are hitting the awning on top.
This is a very typical visual for rain in the city.
Now, to practice the art of wordcraft without putting pen to paper, simply start describing your surroundings in the prose that you’d fashion within your mind.
Like this:
“At this moment, I stand on my balcony, the buildings clustered densely together, each a home to a person, or a couple, maybe a family. The cityscape pulsates with life, maybe too much, so dense, each fighting to shine their light in the city. Ignoring those around them. Losing sight of other human beings other than themselves.
Rainfall graces this metropolitan labyrinth, its gentle cadence giving us a glimpse of others whereas they wouldn’t have came out from their own safe home. Neighbors finally greeted each other as they all hurried to gathered the clothes hung out dry.”
This portrayal might lean more towards prose than the factual scene, but this mental exercise allows you to refine your skills by observing the world through the lens of your narrative voice. Pay attention to your surroundings, interpreting them as you would describe them within a novel.
Notice the world around you in the way you would write it in a book.
The more you engage in this practice—be it on the train, while preparing dinner (breakdown those steps, make it more engaging , or even amidst the interactions of your loved ones—the more effortlessly you’ll transcribe these scenes into your written work.
Think like a writer in order to become a better one.
January 16, 2024
To Read or Not to Read
Does reading help? Yes, it does. While it may not solve everything, it’s a valuable tool for gaining insights and nurturing your growth as an author. Below are some points on how reading can be beneficial for aspiring authors:
Enhanced Creativity: Reading exposes you to diverse writing styles, story structures, and imaginative worlds. It stimulates your creativity by providing fresh perspectives and inspiring ideas that you can incorporate into your own writing.Improvement in Writing Skills: By observing how different authors craft their sentences, develop characters, and build plots, you can refine your own writing techniques. Analyzing various writing styles helps in honing your storytelling abilities.Expanded Vocabulary: Reading introduces you to new words and phrases, enriching your vocabulary. A robust vocabulary allows for more precise and engaging storytelling, enabling you to express ideas more effectively.Understanding Storytelling Techniques: Studying different genres and authors exposes you to various storytelling techniques. Recognizing how authors structure narratives, create tension, and evoke emotions helps you refine your own storytelling approach.Insight into Reader’s Perspective: Being a reader yourself gives you a unique insight into what engages and captivates an audience. Understanding reader preferences can guide your decisions when crafting a narrative that resonates with your audience involves understanding their preferences: what they enjoy reading (unexpected plot twists), what they dislike (such as excessive descriptions or lengthy conversations), and tailoring your storytelling to match.Encouragement and Inspiration: Reading can serve as a source of motivation. Discovering well-written stories can inspire you to keep writing (like, ‘Hey, I can do better than this!’ and then rushing to the keyboard to type away.). And you might also stumble upon new ideas, helping you push through writer’s block or inspiring eureka moments of exploration.Cultural and Intellectual Enrichment: Reading exposes you to different cultures, histories, and ideas. This broadens your understanding of the world, providing you with more experiences that you can’t get from reality. It will enrich you which you can draw upon when you are writing your own story.Remember, the more you read and analyze various works, the more you’ll develop a deeper understanding of storytelling, ultimately contributing to your growth as an author.
I suggest diving into reading, but remember to enjoy it too. Sometimes, if you get too caught up in analyzing, you might lose the joy of simply reading books! Haha.
January 15, 2024
C Drama Review: Love Like the Galaxy
“Adapted from the novel “Xing Han Can Lan, Xing Shen Zhi Zai,” this drama tells the story of Cheng Shaoshang who was left behind as her parents set off to fight in the war. Yet, her scheming aunt has plans to ruin her life while raising her up.”
Description taken from IQiyi.
This a drama that I got kinda annoyed by the female lead, Cheng Shao Shang and the relationship with her mother. I got my blood slightly boiling like, is her mother for real.
Spoiler Alert (Beware turn around if you haven’t watch it yet).
She abandons her child to be taken care by her mother in law and sister in law because she needs to accompany her husband to fight in the frontline and then later she came back from war. Parents and child reunited, I thought it would be a heart warming scene but it wasn’t.
After all the issues were settled, she didn’t try to curry favour with her child, trying to make her like her again but instead she keeps on praising Shaoshang’s cousin.
She finally received the motherly love, nope not from the mother but from the Queen in the story. I was quite annoyed by this fact, it feels like mother and daughter never gotten back together and suddenly a third person come in and took the daughter away.
The slight misunderstanding almost at the end of the story, he didn’t want her to follow him to his death so he pushed her away and it angered the female lead.
Shaoshang feels like she was abandoned so she wouldn’t forgive him.
I was like rolling my eyes at her.
So you would rather die. I understand that she dislike the feeling of being abandon but this is about your life. I thought that prioritizing your life is greater than your feelings?!
I don’t understand that part of the story.
There’s some parts that I like – like how they showed Chinese custom – when they moved house, they went at dawn, a time where it’s consider to be auspicious (which I think they would have checked with a fengshui for the time and date to move in) and where they lit a fire at the new house, where fire is believed to dispels negative energy (a very customary thing to do for Chinese).
And there’s a part where Shao Shang receive a embroidery ball from Yuan Shen as she solved his riddle, showing an interest/romantic affection, yet it was returned back to him (an indirect rejection opps haha).
The scene where Buyi saves here from a fire, as he carried her out from the building was a really loveable scene (ep. 6). And there’s also this part where Buyi trains the whole family since he want everybody to fit, was really cute too (ep. 27). (By the way did I also mention how cute the Emperor is (Buyi’s wingman), he loves Buyi so much and treats him like his own son, and the things he did for him was really great. And the relationship between the Emperor and Concubine Yue).
The Emperor, Empress and Concubines Yue’s story is very similar to Liu Xiu, Guo Shengtong and Yin Lihua (read more here).
Shao Shang is not the best female main lead, but there’s growth in her character, maybe lack of discipline and education, after many trials, she did learn and grow up under the Queen’s care and learn how to act like a husband and wife unit understanding the concept of marriage (and doesn’t act alone) (but for me, I dislike the idea as much, feels like they are currently not exactly married – more like a betrothal level, it feels unnatural for people to expect this kind of level of compatibility).
This story for me – 3.5/5 ✩
January 14, 2024
Quote of the Day
“To live is the rarest thing in the world. Most people exist, that is all.”
Oscar Wilde (Writer)
Existing and living is truly two separate things.
Living is fuel by passion and I finally found something that I can say that I am passionate about. And that is writing.
Pouring my heart and soul in it. That is me living.
Disclaimer: Quote doesn’t belong to me.
January 11, 2024
The fear of being too vulnerable
There’s some things in myself, deep like the ocean, I would sometimes walked along the beaches as those things washed up ashore. I picked them up, crafted them into words, and sometimes I published them for the world to see.
Sometimes I don’t.
Not everything needs to be out there for the world to see.
Sometimes, it’s okay to keep this things private because there are parts – vulnerable, fragile like glass beads. They shine under the light, in many different colors but not all of them are pretty.
I would love to keep them in a box and sometimes when I feel good, or maybe when it’s at the right time, I would show them to you. Perhaps it proves that it no longer scares me, that I have grown up, or maybe the wound, the trauma, has healed.
Someday, I might show it, or maybe that day will never come, but the important thing is that those glass beads in my box, they exists and that’s all that matters.
