That Cake: Lessons in Writing a Contemporary Romance Novella

So: Save the Cake. 

I'm finally finished with the full Draft 1 for Mina V. Esguerra's contemporary-romance writing class, though it feels more like Draft 0.5 because it's still kind of raw around the edges (and could use some copy-editing, besides) - at around 37,000 words, it's still a monster that could use a little bit of trimming.

A part of me is still scared of putting this through a second round of beta-reads, considering that I got burned a lot after I went on Critique Circle and got some too-harsh-for-my-own-good comments. (This is all I have to say about the first few beta reads: Racism? Seriously?) But all in all, I'm proud of how it all turned out, messy subplots and all.

To be up front with you, I actually miss these crazy characters; unlike most of my previous work (*ahem*NaNoWriMo*ahem*), I went straight into the revisions for Act 1, knowing that I could do more justice to the rewrites once I had a clearer idea of what was going on and how everything is supposed to end. The fact that I had to use an outline actually helped me, in this case, because it kept me focused on seeing the story through as a whole rather than just a mass of parts.

Here are the other lessons I learned from writing this story:

- Lesson #1: Pick your beta readers wisely. After I accepted the fact that I put a rough draft through a beta read, I went through all of the comments I received on Critique Circle and chose the ones that helped me the most. I already know how it feels to go through so many poor matches before I found my first writing buddy - and some of my own attempts at beta-reading other people's work turned out to be such massive FAILs on my part - but I learned to develop a good working relationship with a select few whose opinions I truly trusted. And not all of them were romance writers, either; I was able to get readers who were writing YA, mysteries, and women's literature in general. That helped me a lot with the next lesson...

- Lesson #2: Take a picture of your (ideal) audience. Obviously, I can't please everybody who reads my story, so I had to step back and come up with a vision of the reader who would be most likely to buy this if this was on the Romance section of the local bookstore: female (of course), between the ages of 25 and beyond, not necessarily a baker but adventurous when it comes to food. If my ideal reader were to take a vacation anywhere in the Philippines, she would probably scout the entire Visayas region for lechon and mango butterscotch bars instead of lounging around on the beach. She would stay away from trendy, artificially-lit cupcake "bakeries," choosing instead to read books at a corner of an out-of-the-way cafe that serves strong coffee, hearty sandwiches, and irresistible pastries. And the books she reads must make her want to hang around that same cafe and order another round of coffee so that she could find out if the leads do make it to the ideal romantic ending, "happily ever after" or not.

- Lesson #3: It's not a romance if you're not much of a romantic. And I'm not just talking about MC-on-LI romantic moments, though I admit that my stash of Julia Quinn books helped me a lot in creating perfect moments for flirting, kissing, and (yes) more-than-just-kissing. The trick is to find romance in the moments that require the full-swoon treatment, which meant that I had to rewrite my food-porn scenes to make them even less gratuitous. For example, Sean, the main love interest in the story, was introduced in the first chapter as a customer with Proustian memories of Reyna Bakery empanadas, so I established a connection between him and Eloisa based on those romantic notions. That, I believe, was sexier than having Sean in full lust over the delicious little pies, which could come across as creepy.

- Lesson #4: Let the muse speak to you. Just because you have an outline doesn't mean that you can't be inspired to take the story in a new direction. Halfway through the writing process, I realized that I had another villain who was more compelling and dramatic than the first one that I had in mind, so I ran with that and ended up with a stronger B-story. Detours make stories more interesting.

- Lesson #5: Deadlines, deadlines, deadlines. One of the great things about writing this as part of a class is setting up a reasonable timeline for each act of the story. I always found myself finishing ahead of schedule because I had already pre-set a schedule for myself: the final chapters were due on June 9, but I submitted them last week because 1) I was on a roll and 2) I had to finish before my Mom's out-of-town trip, so that I could concentrate on things I needed to deal with outside of my writing. There's just something liberating and rewarding about the thought of being done with something important and cohesive - as opposed to being "done" for the sake of getting done, as I usually am with NaNo and my academic papers (shhh!) - because by then I can say that there's time for me to go back and make the changes that I need to make for the story.

Finally, I would never have survived all of this without help and encouragement from Mina and the rest of my writing class, which has made a huge difference in helping me create the story that I now have in my hands. Thanks, guys, and I hope I can work with all of you again!

Randomesticity: One Year Older, and None The Wiser

This post is brought to you by Richard Armitage, who owes me a cake.


So, here I am, one year older, working on a new book, taking on some freelance work (which you'll hear about in the coming weeks), and looking forward to a new school year on the horizon. Time to check in on what's going on inside my brain right now.

- Rants: I know that it's been a long time coming, but I've decided to break up with LaineyGossip because I can't stand Lainey's self-righteousness. Yes, I admit, I like my gossip to be smart, but the last thing I want to hear when I'm mindlessly scrutinizing Jeremy Renner (or Benedict Cumberbatch, or Richard Armitage) is a lecture on how I should be paying attention to the BIG SOCIOLOGICAL ISSUES that come with participating in the celebrity game. Balderdash! If I wanted to study big sociological issues, I would sign up for 15 credits' worth of doctoral-level classes every semester. Thanks, but I'm switching back to Blind Gossip and HuffPo.

(And call me crazy, but... is it me, or is there a secret anti-Filipino agenda on LaineyGossip, too? No? Just me? Okay, then.)

- Raves: So I finally caved in and got myself an iPhone 5, which I actually love to bits because it's the perfect gadget for me. No more lugging around a separate phone, camera, and iPod (which would all get lost inside my purse anyway) - just plug in, go, and guard it like a dog lest it attracts the bad elements that lurk around Metro Manila. And not only that, but I've also decided to join Instagram for kicks so that I can take photos of food and badly-worded street signs. (Yes, my parents don't get it, but that adds to the fun.) My post-paid provider of choice right now is Globe, which has been a controversial decision in our family - spotty customer service aside, my parents are also on Globe - but a satisfying one because I'm paying for services that are useful to me (ie. a data plan for web surfing, and an all-inclusive package for calls and texts) while still keeping to a certain budget.

- Retro: Apparently this crochet thing is getting out of hand, because now I'm moving away from amigurumi towards the wild and exciting world of... doilies? And fridge magnets? That means I'm also drooling all over the aluminum hook set from Gantsilyo Guru (scroll down the page), which I am set on buying for myself. My return to Quezon City can't come soon enough...

Letters (Almost) Left Unsent: The Precious Declaration

May, 2013.

Dear [name withheld, but you'll probably figure it out anyway],

I've tried  to count backwards to the years when you last saw me. All that I can remember is that I was 18 years old and didn't know any better. No, I take that back - I was 18 years old and should have known better, should have seen it coming from a mile away.

Who were you, and who was I? We were friends. A boy like you with a girl like me would have been inevitable - or at least that's what it looked to me, on paper. Now that I look back on it, I'm positive that I was the one who messed up here by coming on too strong and too needy for your own good. I don't even want to ask about what might have been if things turned out differently; you said it best - how could I say that I loved you when I couldn't even love myself?

I'm not even sure if I want to know whether or not you're still single. Not that it has never crossed my mind.

And yet, writing to you today just feels so... right.

Randomesticity: The Beauty Grails

Short post for now, just to talk about what I'm loving at the moment.

- White Linen by Estee Lauder. This is one of those things that I would never have picked for myself; apparently my Dad went to the fragrance counter and had two packages gift-wrapped for me and Mom, but I ended up with White Linen and she got Clinique Happy. Not a bad bargain, as it turns out; after years of wearing fruity florals, it's nice to be able to wear something womanly for a change. This reminds me of old Spanish houses in the Philippines, with freshly-cut flowers resting on rich wood furniture.

- Essence Get Big! Lashes Volume Curl mascara. After months of putting up with my Revlon PhotoReady mascara, I knew I was ready for a new start. At first I wanted to try the I <3 Extreme mascara, but the helpful lady at the Essence counter in SM Makati told me that this version of Get Big! was their best-seller. Let me tell you, this mascara does as advertised: between the no-smudge formula and the curling powers of the spoon-shaped high-volume brush, this gives so much lift to my eyes that it might as well shave 10 years from my face. It's not as tear-proof as Maybelline's Super Film mascara, but at P169 you can't go wrong.

- K-Palette 1 Day Tattoo Lasting 2-Way Brow Liner. Speaking of "anti-aging" eye products, I saw this product at Beauty Bar in TriNoma during a shopping trip with my Mom. This one comes highly recommended by my friend Brewhuh, who has been using hers for months; a little spendy, but it takes care of bald patches and all sorts of weirdness that gets in the way of healthy (and sane-looking) eyebrows. The one I own is Shade 01 (Grayish Brown) and I love it for the natural finish it gives to my brows. Jury's out on the 24-hour claim, though, but I can honestly swear that this held up nicely on long, hot days when I have to be out and about town.

Twelve Random Facts: Eloisa Reyna Carreon, from Save The Cake

One of the main concerns raised by my beta readers on Save the Cake comes idea that nobody knows what Eloisa is really like as a person, even though the story is told from her first-person narrative. Maybe it's because I'm more used to writing in the first person when I'm talking about myself (heheh), but it's beginning to make me wonder if I should put Eloisa through a review process to figure out what she really looks like. 

With that in mind, I shall cede the floor to Miss Eloisa herself. 

****

This is what I know about me, Eloisa Reyna Carreon: 

1) I'm 28 years old.

2) I'm a pastry chef and cake baker who graduated from the Culinary Institute of America in New York. 

3) I am part of the family business at Reyna Bakery, which was established by my grandmother Carmen Reyna. Lola Carmen died when I was 17, and the bakery struggled a bit without her, but with the help of my Mom (Guadalupe Reyna), Pappy (Pablo Carreon), older brother Paul, and younger sister Neri, we were able to save the family business by opening a cafe that serves light meals along with yummy cakes, pies, brownies, and empanadas.

(Paul: Don't forget the muffins. Aren't muffins the same as cupcakes? Eloisa: No, muffins are heavier. Paul: But they're sweet, and they're baked in the same pans! Neri: Jim Gaffigan says that muffins are cake you can eat for breakfast. Eloisa: Can you please let me finish this Random Facts list first?) 

4) Because I've been cooking and baking for most of my life, people like to compare me to Nigella Lawson. Yeah, right! I don't have her body, but I know I can cook. 

5) My body isn't really that "chunky" for a chef like me. Thanks to Pappy's genes, I was born tall (note from SMT: around the 5'3 - 5'6 range) with square shoulders and lean arms that I have to stretch all the time from all the heavy lifting. My sister Neri takes more from our Mom, body-wise, since she's shorter and rounder all over.

Heads-Up.

This post is brought to you by Claude, the Passive-Aggressive Amigurumi Macaron.

Proof of Claude's passive aggression: torturing Flat Jeremy Renner with tiny unwanted macaron kisses

My original plan for this summer break-slash-mental vacation was to do a lot of writing and working out. Unfortunately for me, my brain had other plans, and now my bedroom is almost filled up with amigurumi. 

If for some reason I'm not able to post anything substantial for this blog, it could mean one of many things apart from the crafting:

1) I am working on my novella;
2) I am beta-reading other people's manuscripts; or
3) I'm getting the rest of my act together.

Will keep you guys updated on any one of these three as time goes on; in the meantime, please be patient. ;)

From The Great Big Archives: Letters Left Unsent

Summer, 2008. 

Dear lady in front of me at the Bishop Street Starbucks yesterday morning:
It was bad enough that you held up the line because you kept getting a "cranberry" scone when you requested a "blueberry." It was bad enough that you had to send back the same blueberry scone, twice,  because you didn't think you got a blueberry scone.

But for crying out loud... did you REALLY have to insult the baristas by telling the entire store that "they don't know what they're doing"? And did you REALLY have to insult the intelligence of every other person right behind you by opening your package in front of us and asking out loud, "Does this look like a blueberry scone to you?"

I don't know who you're trying to impress here, but I bet you already guessed that you worked my last nerve when I told you - and, in effect, defending the poor baristas behind the counter - that, yes, you did get a blueberry scone after all, thank you very much.

Let's be fair here: It doesn't take a masters degree to be able to tell the difference between a cranberry and a blueberry. I might not have your salary or corner office, but even I was able to call you out by showing you the tell-tale purple bleedmarks from the fresh blueberries that Starbucks uses for their scones.

But just to be sure, though, I think you shouldn't drink that coffee until you get to the office.