The most useless key on the board - Caps Lock

It's unanimous, the most useless key on the any keyboard is the Caps Lock. It's barely used and it takes up one whole key. Ask yourself, how many times do you actually use the Caps Lock?

So if you are running Mac OS X, then CapSee may be something you would appreciate. It tells you when the Caps Lock is engaged and does it in a visual form.

CapSee is a small utility that lets you see when you bump the caps lock key. Identical to the built-in Mac OS notification bezels, like volume and screen brightness, CapSee presents a bezel whenever you enable caps lock... preventing the accidental caps lock forever!

If this doesn't really work for you, then why not just physically remove the annoying button altogether?

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The most useless key on the board - Caps Lock

It's unanimous, the most useless key on the any keyboard is the Caps Lock. It's barely used and it takes up one whole key. Ask yourself, how many times do you actually use the Caps Lock?

So if you are running Mac OS X, then you CapSee may be something you appreciate. It tells you when the Caps Lock is engaged and does it in a visual form.

CapSee is a small utility that lets you see when you bump the caps lock key. Identical to the built-in Mac OS notification bezels, like volume and screen brightness, CapSee presents a bezel whenever you enable caps lock... preventing the accidental caps lock forever!

If this doesn't really work for you, then why not just physically remove the annoying button altogether?

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21 Precepts of the Samurai - something to live by.

I came across the Budo Sai (21 Precepts of a Samurai) a few months back and I find them somewhat enlightening.

The 21 Precepts of the Samurai are:

1. Know Yourself (Jikoo o shiru koto),


2. Always follow through on commitments (Jibun no kimeta koto wa saigo made kikko suru koto),


3. Respect everyone (Ikanaru hito demo sonke suru koto),


4. Hold strong convictions that cannot be altered by your circumstances (Kankyo ni sayu sarenai tsuyoi shinnen o motsu koto),


5. Don't make an enemy of yourself (Mizu kara teki o tsukuranai koto),


6. Live without regrets (Koto ni oite kokaisezu),


7. Be certain to make a good first impression (Hito to no deai o taisetsu ni suru koto),


8. Don't cling to the past (Miren o motanai koto),


9. Never break a promise (Yakusoku o yaburanai koto),


10. Don't depend on other people (Hito no tayoranai koto),


11. Don't speak ill of others (Hito o onshitsu shinai koto),


12. Don't be afraid of anything (Ikanaku koto ni oite mo osorenai koto),


13. Respect the opinions of others (Hito no iken o soncho suru koto),


14. Have compassion and understanding for everyone (Hito ni taishite omoiyari o motsu koto),


15. Don't be impetous (Karuhazumi ni koto o okosanai koto),


16. Even little things must be attended to (Chiisa na koto demo taisetsu ni suru koto),


17. Never forget to be appreciative (Kansha no kimochi o wasurenai koto),


18. Be first to seize opportunity (Hito yori sossenshi kodo suru koto),


19. Make a desperate effort (Issho kenmai monogoto o suru koto),


20. Have a plan for your life (Jinsei no mokuhyo o sadameru koto),


21. Never lose your "Beginner Spirit" (Shoshin o wasurubekarazaru koto)

I some-what am embarass that I fail in some of the obvious things for living life and I can hear the doom-sayers saying, "Easy said but you fall short."

But, as Precept 1 ask of us to Know Yourself, the process of knowing oneself is always a walk into the valley of darkness. For one may learn more by standing in the dark then when in the light.

Can I ever live up to the ideals stated in these 21 precepts? Some I can and some I may never attain. But a start is a start and better than those that do not start at all.

Others may ask me, does this compromise your religious stands? These are precepts, as much as the Chinese are called to be filial and respect their parents, which is one of the central teachings of Confucius in The Analects of Confucius or Lun Yu (Chapter 1 verse 2,6,7 & Chapter 2); yet readily accepted by the Chinese regardless of religion. Precepts are sayings or guides for living life, often times universal ideals that transcend religion.

What other precepts that you know of that form universal ideals every man/woman can live by?

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Mind Mapping my organised mess - working well for less

My desk is a mess, a collection of memos, letters, reports and print-outs. My organized mess of work. You sure can't lose anything when you throw it on top of all that and somehow I like it that way.

To a certain degree, my thoughts are often jumbled up like that. Meshed together in a mess that at times may not be organized. And it is this chaotic string thoughts that I plan to organize in the coming weeks.

In my search for Mind-Mapping tools, I came across Get-It-Done's article "Manage Life with a Personal Dashboard" and it struck me with its simplicity and ability to organize chaos.

I've been using mind-mapping to map out ideas and minute meetings but I've yet to use it to manage my life by organizing thoughts and events and tasks. In my initial mind-map, I found that putting down my tasks and everyday work items into a visual form is fantastic. It allows me to see the amount of work, the number of tasks and relationship the tasks have with each other. Anything can be thrown into this mix and then organized into its own section or category. For now, I am trying hard not to complicate my current mind-map with unneccessary nonsense. Most projects start off well but get swallowed up in un-needed complexity that it grinds to a halt and ends up dead in the water.

Give this a try and see where it takes you. Free mind-mapping toosl you can use are FreeMind (Mac OS X, Windows) or MindNode (Mac OS X) or iMindMap (iPhone) or VUE.

Cheers!.

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Idiots do Multitasking, Geniuses Single-task.

"Multi-tasking". Say it...say it. What the hell does it mean? Seriously, take time, now, to just ponder the meaning of that word. "Multi-tasking", what does it mean and imply?

Seriously, I don't do multi-tasking because it's for idiots. The smart people in the world single-task and that's really the natural order of things. Human beings were never made to multi-task. Multi-tasking in the office was a cheap way to cut down on employing more people and to enforce a form of slavery in the modern office. Yup, slavery is not confine to third-world countries, you can find it in modern air-conditioned offices. And the slaves are those of us who ever got slap with the "you-can-multi-task" stick on note.

Single-tasking is the way we were meant to be. Because we are single-track-minded beings. Our linear minds are most efficient handling a SINGLE train of thought instead of jumping from track to track. It's just the way we are hardwired in the nugging.

Leave the multi-tasking to computers and machines, why? Because that's why we invented them. Computers have multi-threaded capabilities embedded into their CPUs. They are built to handle several data streams at one instance. Multi-tasking was meant for the computers. How on earth, did this virus jump from the computer to human species is beyond me. But I bet it was some idiotic HR manager who wanted to save on paying for an extra employee.

So next time someone pushes the "You can multi-task" line into your face, do the smart thing. Reply back, "I'm single track minded, so I work best on a single-tasking model."

Cheers!

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Minimalism approach to my iPhone. Less is More.

About a week ago, I embarked on a quest to see what apps would take up residence on the HomeScreen of my iPhone. And up till now, only four (4) apps have made the cut and they are:

1. Contacts


2. Calculator


3. Notes


4. Calendar

On my Dock resides :

1. iPod


2. biteSMS


3. Phone

The Calculator app is close to being kicked out and I may have only three (3) apps residing on my HomeScreen. It basically shows what the iPhone's main task is in my life.

1. Texting


2. Answering Calls


3. Scheduling my meetings, appointments


4. Taking down notes

Playing games and tinkering with apps take a backseat ride on this boat. So isn't that what we all use our hand-phones for? So no matter if you have a below par handphone (non-smartphone, brick-like and lacks MMS), you still do the same things as an above par handphone user (smartphone, web browser, push email and ability to make coffee).

Cheers!

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Mods on my iPhone

Someone asked me over FaceBook if the iPhone is a good phone. HELL YA!! Once you got your hands on an iPhone, there's no looking at any other phone. It becomes an extension of your personality. A tool of zen-like quality.

Anyway, I've been busy with it the last few weeks and this is the current state of my trusty iPhone; I call 'It'.

2G Model, 16GB HDD,


Firmware Roadmap: OS 2.1 to 3.0 to 3.1.2 to OS version 3.1.3.


2G tethering, bluetooth and MMS enable via OS patch.

Favourites I can't live without:

1. biteSMS,


2. Notes,


3. Mobile Terminal,


4. WinterBoard,


5. SSB Settings,


6. TweekDeck


7. Facebook

There you have it. What? You think the list is too short? Minimal. That's the approach I'm taking with this phone. If I don't really use it for two (2) days, then the app gets a spot on my 2nd screen. All games are on the 3rd and 4th screen respectively. And my HomeScreen holds just four (4) apps.

I've currently got SMS Delivery Notification running but it's bloody annoying. Appearing as a text message each time a SMS is delivered. A good way to represent this is to have an icon indicator on the SMS itself, showing that it has been delivered. Something I bet someone else has thought of.

Well, there you have it. A look into the friend I call 'It' who gets an upgrade every time something new pop up on the iPhone hacking bulletin boards. And I must say, an iPhone is a Geek's best friend.

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My FaceBook Persona is not Me.

Listening to Prof. Bibo White talk on the future of social networking, where FaceBook leads the way with over 400 million members, actually making it the 3rd largest country in the world (in terms of population); I started thinking how my FaceBook account has taken over my life.

Every morning, I open FaceBook before my office email. I run TweekDeck; which allows me to update FaceBook and Twitter; without the need to visit the websites and browse through the status updates sof my friends. Yup, I am part of the FaceBook nation but how much of what I put on FaceBook really represents me?

FaceBook is my online persona, and it may or may not be true to who I am. I can safely hide behind a digital mask and none would be the wiser to me. And I am beginning to catch myself telling people I meet to search me on FaceBook. I don't carry name-cards anymore, choosing instead to ask people to Google my name and it will lead them to my blog.

But FaceBook is not me. It represents me, yet it is not me. It doesn't capture me as a person. Instead, you read what I want you to read. And I can make up whatever I want you to read. I can be a hard-convict in prison and online, I can make myself to be the granny that lives next door you to you.

And looking at my FaceBook account, I have almost 500 friends yet in everyday life, I tend to talk to only 3 people. And these 3 people know me as I am, not the FaceBook persona but me as a human being.

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biteSMS 4.6 Full version

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NW5oGErX-Bs]

The above WORKS! Enough said. The tutorial is for biteSMS 4.1 but it will also work for version 4.6.

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Rumor has it - multitasking on iPhone OS 4.0. I don't think its needed.

I was away at a workshop discussing the future of the web, namely Web 2.0 but I did manage a peek at my FaceBook and post an entry on this blog but I did not manage to comment on this article by Apple Insider, where it was reported that Apple's iPhone 4.0 would deliver multitasking.

It has been a screaming point for most users of the iPhone, that we can multi-task as compared to the other Windong powered smartphones out there. I screamed along with the We-Want-iPhone-Multitasking posse for a while until I started to seriously use my iPhone.

Currently, I'm trying to get MMS to run on my legacy 2G iPhone via hacking the plist rather then running 3rd party software. Anyway, multitasking on the iPhone. Do we really need it?

Switching between applications, without the need to switch one, seems like a great thing especially on a computer but on a hand-held device such as a handphone; it may not take the cake. I've own Nokias for a long time and the Symbian OS is a joy when it comes to multitasking. You could run several apps and switching between them is a breeze; but you tend to forget how many apps are running at one time and this hampers performance. On the Symbian, you have to manually turn off the apps, if not they will run in memory for as long as the phone is still turned on. This eats into your battery life.

Hence, the main reason multitasking is a bane to hand-held devices is performance and battery life.

Iwill not need multitasking if it eats away at my battery life and hampers the performance of my iPhone.

Secondly, humans are not multitasking beings. We have to be focus and single-tracked minded; if we are to be really productive. Sure, I would love to switch between my game and checking my latest text message with ease, returning to my game without the need to restart the game, but it's still a single-tracked process. Some would argue that having a radio app running in the background while you surf or check email is valid enough to have multitasking, but would you spend a huge amount of time doing that?

I would argue for semi-multitasking. Make it easy to switch between apps and have the current state of the apps reside in memory. Long enough for one to switch back. But having 10 apps running simultaneously in memory may not be good for the iPhone.

The real reason games and apps run brightly on the iPhone is because all the iPhone's resources are focused to run that singular game or app as you play it or view it. Being focus on one app at a time actually gives back better images, sound and performance.

So would you sacrifice performance and battery life, so that your iPhone can be like any other multitasking phone out there?

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The Best Wristwatch for A Man - 3 Rules to choose a wristwatch.

Men are such unfortunate beings. We don't go far when it comes to fashion. How many ways can you fashion a white button down shirt? And how many ways can you wear khaki pants? Or that faded coduroy blazer you got hanging in your ward-robe?

And we can't wear make-up. Though I've seen some metro-sexual friends attempt nail-polish but I just don't dig that style.

Now, the one accessory that would truly show your status among men is the humble wristwatch. Trust me, a good wristwatch says a lot about you; just ask James Bond. How many times has his wristwatch saved his back? And wristwatches come in several flavors, though you may want to put some thought into it before splashing out serious money for one.

So here I lay down my watch inspired rules to choosing the best wristwatch a man can have (if you don't agree, shoot me).

Rule 1: Go for function

Watches tell more than just time, they come with a lot dials and tell you stuff from dates to temperature, to alttitude and tidal cycles. So ask yourself, What will I use my watch for?

Raymond Weil Freelancer Chronograph

A favourite watch to have is a chronograph and almost all watch brands have a version of this form of watch. A chronograph is a stop watch and on some models, you can tell how face your car is moving by running the chronograph. Now, chronographs are great watches to have (I have two of these) yet, when would you actually use one? After a while, you'll realize you dished out serious money for a function, you only used the first few days of owning your watch. The rest of the time, you're just looking at your watch to, well, tell time. So buying a chronograph may not be real value for your bucks, unless you fly a small aircraft every other day.

So what do you get, in terms of function?

Seiko Premier Perpectual Calendar

Here's my suggestion - a perpectual calendar wristwatch. I own two of these watches and boy do I love them. Why? You only have to set the date once and the watch will take care of the rest. And it even count leap years. Most brands carry a version of this type of watch and it makes more sense then a chronograph. I currently own the Seiko Premier Perpectual Calendar and its a time-less elegant watch. I purposely went around looking for the above model, it was release in 2007 and is the first model of this kind in the Premier line, making it a collector's item of sorts.

Rule 2: Go Automatic


Seiko was the culprit that broke the back of most european wristwatch makers when they introduced quartz technology back in the 1969. Basically, it meant that watches can now run in little batteries, making them more realiable and durable. And cheaper to produce. This revolutionized the watch industry and the wristwatch became standard issue apparel (much like underwear). Heck, James Bond wore a Seiko in four movies and I think it was Sean Connery who wore a digital Seiko in Never Say Never Again.

I own several quartz, yet any chance I get; I'll but automatic. Why? Better resale value. Collectors love automatics and they are willing to pay for it. So if ever you feel like off-loading a watch, automatics will get buyers.

Quartz watches do have revalue but unless you own the following quartz watches, selling them would be hard.

Seiko Holo - only 2000 sold, can fetch USD1000 on eBay

Seiko 7a28 - worn by Lt. Ripley in Alien. Extremely rare.


This one sold for USD410

So in short, buy automatic. They sell well and you can pass it down to your grand-children.

Rule 3 : Buy metal bracelet and leather


Wristwatches come in metal bracelets and leather bands. Have both. Why? A metal bracelet watch can be your everday wear. A leather band is for those moments you need a subtle touch, like going for a dinner or meeting.

Switching watches around can be fun and it shows off your character as someone who's not monotonous.

There you have it, three (3) rules you can apply to choosing a wristwatch. I did not mention brand nor size (wristwatch normally come in 3 sizes) or shape. These factors are very subjective and really depends on individual taste.

If you have any more rules we all can apply to buying a wristwatch (especially for men) do drop me a comment.

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To Those That Don't Understand, It's Spelt 'DEPRESSION'

"Let it go." "Get over it." "Move on with life." "I don't like the change in you." "Just think happy thoughts."

I've heard my fair share of comments. The comments are fair and spoken from well-intended motives. The people are sincere and trying their best to nudge me along.

But they got it all wrong.

I often dismissed this form of positive-emphaty as being the inability of the commenter to understand the true nature of the condition that has gripped me. For in all fairness, only those who suffer would know how it truly feels.

It's spelt DEPRESSION and here are some points a care-giver should know:

1. 
   
   Understand the condition and then the person. It is a condition the sufferer may not fully comprehend themselves (I sure did not) and in most cases, they do not know why they are in the condition they are in. So do your homework. Study the condition and use that knowledge as a platform for reaching out.
   
   


2. 
   
   
   
   • 
     
     Depression: Beyond Serotonin
     
     
   
   
   • 
     
     The Evolutionary Reason for Depression
     
     
   
   
   • 
     
     Exploring The Links Between Depression, Writers and Suicide
     
     
   
   
   • 
     
     The Cantopher Document
     
     
   
   
   
   


3. 
   
   Stress. Stress plays a key role in the on-set of a depressive spiral. We all face stress in some measure through out our lives. Unfortunately, the sufferer has lost or lack the mechanism to handle stress. DO NOT add to the stress they are already facing. Stress could come in the form of a simple question such as, "Why are you feeling this way?" Yes, finding the answer to why is stressful. DO NOT push them over-the-edge by unnecessary questions and fact-finding activities.
   
   


4. 
   
   Trauma. An overwhelming blast of stress causes trauma and this broke the brains natural ability to cope and thus begins the onset of depression. Studies have shown that exposure to a traumatic experience in early child-hood makes the brain hypersensitive to stress which contributes to the onset of depression in adults. Understanding the traumatic experience in the life of the sufferer will help. In some cases, it was a series of traumatic and stressfull incidences that hit the individual at the same time that caused the depressive spiral.
   
   


5. 
   
   Personality Change. Understand that once depression has set in, the person's personality and character has change. They will not be the same person, you once knew. Why? The body compensates and adapts itself to the new condition. The body is trying its best to cope. These changes are in itself, confusing to the sufferer. Don't stress them out by pointing out the change, instead accept it and allow the sufferer the space to reconfigure themselves to their new state. In some cases, the changes do not stick and the sufferer reverts back but in some, these changes are permanent.
   
   


6. 
   
   Walk with us. I cannot emphasis more on the importance of this point. Walk with the sufferer. Don't merely say, "I understand." but instead add, "We'll walk through this together." There is a deep sense of hopelessness and loneliness in the sufferer. Leaving them alone or on their own enforces this prevalent feelings. Most sufferers commit suicide, not because they are stupid or attention-seeking, but rather because they want the pain to end. If you are sincere and genuine, walk the talk. Don't just say you want to help but be the help. If a care-giver does not owe up to what they say, it would merely push the sense of hopelessness and loneliness deeper into the sufferer's psyche. Walk with us, show us that someone cares and trust me; change can happen.
   
   


7. 
   
   Antidepressants. I am NOT an advocate of this form of treatment. Why? To me, it merely mask the condition. It represses the condition into a dormant state and really doesn't help the sufferer. In all the readings, I've read; I've come to the conclusion that antidepressants do not cure the condition. It merely brings it down to a manageable state. Problem with that is, without the antidepressants, the condition may return with a vengence.
   
   

Once broken, can this be fixed?

I am incline to say, NO.

The scars are buried deep in the psyche and mind. The brain has changed and this is not something that can be fixed that easily. Yet, there is hope. The brain is a wonderfully flexible organ and it can re-wire itself to work-round the handicap. A sufferer can start these processes along but they cannot do it on their own. They need care-givers around them to help them along, until the brain has rewired itself, well enough for the sufferer to manage on their own.

This is a plea for all to understand because only through understanding can one help to beat down this condition. For sufferers, I know it's hard but we too need to understand as best as possible what we suffer from.

Sun Tzu wrote, " It is said that if you know your enemies and know yourself, you will not be imperiled in a hundred battles; if you do not know your enemies but do know yourself, you will win one and lose one; if you do not know your enemies nor yourself, you will be imperiled in every single battle."

Understand this condition called DEPRESSION, understand yourself and we can win this battle.

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What would I use the iPad for?

Seriously, I can't wait to get my hands on an iPad. Why?

I've purchased iPods, iMac, iBook and iPhone; why not get myself an iPad. Add that to my list of all things Apple lying around on my desk.

For the moment I saw the Steve Jobs' keynote presentation at the unveiling of the iPad, I have had day-dreams of wiping it out during a meeting or typing away on my next novel on it or updating my blog at StarBucks, etc,etc. The point of total geek coolness, is having this gorgeous piece of hardware on your lap and you are surfing the internet. Best web-surfing experience, they said...

But that's as far as it will go. Because seriously, what would you use the iPad for?

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The Best Thing About Depression

Being depressive is not all doom and gloom. There is a bright side to it and it basically explains why writers (afflicted with depression) seem to be successful at their craft.

In a survey led by the neuroscientist Nancy Andreasen, 30 writers from the Iowa Writers' Workshop were interviewed about their mental history. Eighty percent of the writers met the formal diagnostic criteria for some form of depression. A similar theme emerged from biographical studies of British writers and artists by Kay Redfield Jamison, a professor of psychiatry at Johns Hopkins, who found that successful individuals were eight times as likely as people in the general population to suffer from major depressive illness.

Article: The Evolutionary Reason for Depression

This helps me understand myself better. I've always been a thinker and I guess, thinking is what I do best, though at times; I've been advised not to think too much. Yet, through my ruminations; I've learnt to comprehend my universe better.

In this article and the in the article it referenced - Depression Upside [The New York Times]; it suggests that depression may be a good thing after all. This goes against all that we believe about depression. Depression and sadness are all part of our personalities as human beings and thus, have their place in our development as individuals.

So the point is, to make the best of what you are and this involves using our sadness and depression to become the best we are.

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A diary can help develop your writing

Keeping a diary supports personal development.

I have kept a diary since I was twelve years old. During my already mentioned sabbatical in the year 2000, besides the many things I completed, I also found more time for diary writing.


My handwriting has deteriorated into such a scrawl over the years, with whole sections-written down during excited periods-too difficult to decipher, that I switched from writing in handwritten journals to typing on my laptop. I do use the diary to go back and reread certain passages, to see what my thinking was, and, most importantly, to discover things I feel need changing: When I have repeatedly described a circumstance or character trait of mine that I dislike, I eventually wind up doing something about it.

Source: Keeping a Diary Supports Personal Development

I came across Stefan Sagmeister's blog when reading through Gina Trapani article on LifeHacker and cannot agree more.

It is always good to keep a notebook around to record down the things that come to mind, Christopher Schanck said it well when he blogged, "Methods of Work: It Didn't Happen If You Didn't Write It Down."

Keeping a diary requires some effort but rewarding. It allows us to explore our own emotions and thoughts, helps us develop our voice and allow us to have a mirror into our view point of the world around us.

A diary may take the form of a notebook or written into a journaling software on your notebook or in the form of a blog. The main point is to use it as a tool to develop your writing. It also helps you keep track of your growth as a writer.

It is not uncommon for a writer to be surprised by their own writings. To exclaim, "Did I really write that?" and take pride in the fact, that you have grown.

Give it a try, start writing a diary. Who knows? That diary could be the next best seller.

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Plot driven or character driven?

Which is the proper way to write a story? Have it plot driven or character driven?

My answer to this is..the question is wrong.

Write a story properly and whether it is plot driven or character driven, falls on the wayside. But in my opinion, the genre of story would determine if you should be plot driven or character driven.

A good writer can write in any genre they so choose but they can only be masters in one genre at the time. Thus, they become focus to a particular approach to writing a story.

I am generally, character driven. And from my own experience, character driven stories take longer to formulate and draft. Partly because, as your character intereacts in your mind; he/she may choose to do things that shoot off from your initial ideas for your story. They may introduce unique problems that you may not have thought of and thus add more color to your story not to mention an endless supply of sub-plots.

Plot driven stories can be formulated even before you start writing the first chapter. You can draft out scenes and by joining these scenes together, your draft takes shape. Plot driven stories are slightly easier to draft out. The best tool for this is actually Microsoft Excel. And the method that works for me when I think of writing a plot driven story is Randy Ingermanson's Snowflake Method.

There is no right or wrong approach to writing a story. Whether plot driven or character driven, ultimately the most important thing is to have a good story told.

Happy writing!

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Creative writing doesn't have to be creative.

I once sat with an aspiring writer and listened as he talked about writing. I kept quiet and allowed him to put forward his view on how one should write a book. And from what I gather from him, I was of the opinion he had it all wrong.

A story has to be out of this world, he said. I rolled my eyes.

A story does not have to outlandish or spectacular. This is a common mistake, newbies make when they approach creative writing. They think that the plot has to be totally wild and ideas centered upon things no-one has thought of. So they spend their time trying to find ideas to out-do the one before.

Unfortunately, creative writing is about the art of writing, where one is able to tell a story in the most creative of ways. It's the style.

Imagine a campfire where you sit around with fellow writers, and each one is to tell a ghost story. The plot is the same. There is a ghost and the ghost wants to scare people, foolish enough to stumble around in a cemetary in the dead of night.

As you listen to the each writer spin their tale, you will notice that there are difference not in the story but rather in the way the story is told. Each writer has a voice, unique to their view point of the subject matter. This is the capstone to creative writing.

Creative writing doesn't have to be creative. It could be an old story, but the retelling of the story is creative.

The tragic tale of Romeo and Juliet is well known to everyone, and through out the years; there have been countless retelling of this same tale. The characters may have changed, the places change, the period change yet it is the same story. What makes the retelling good? The creative way it was told.

That's what creative writing is all about. It is the way you tell a tale. It is the clever use of chapters, sentences, dialog, flashbacks, language, etc. The old saying, Master the rules then break them, holds true to creative writing.

As for the aspiring writer above, I read through his draft and honestly, he could not write. For all his ideas about creative writing, he could not write a proper sentence.

How then can you truly embark on creative writing when the basic foundation of it all (a sentence) has not been mastered?

There is a story waiting to be told, all around you. You just need to use your voice and tell it. Remember the campfire scene, when you put words to paper.

Happy writing!

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Jumbled tenses.

I have a big problem with tenses in my writing. It's really a major problem, especially in mid sentence and I put this down to the the fact that I tend to speak the story in my mind as I type. The ideas come and I struggle to type all the words that come to mind onto the digital canvas before me. I get the past, present and future tenses all jumbled up to the point, I myself would get confused.

I am amazed at writers who seem to know their place in time when they write their stories. Their power of presence must be super-fly in order to keep themselves perfectly poised in their position in time. Not that I am complaining but, I wish I was better at keeping my tenses. It has always been a gamble for me, deciding what tense to write in. What if I wrote in the present the whole way through? It's different and strange to read a book as the event happen, like a movie unfolding before your eyes. AS if you're taking the walk along with the writer. And where the writer himself is unsure of where he is heading or how what the outcome of the story will be like.

So I jumble up my tenses and come to think about it; I can always pass it on as my own personal style. My prose as I write. So the moment people read my jumbled tenses, they know that it was my handiwork.

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Are Writers Normally Reclusive Characters?

It's a strange thing but most writers seemed reclusive in nature. Shunning the limelight and almost nothing is known of their private lives unless an autobiography is written about. Which seems true, since almost everything we know about them is from what we gleem from published reports.

Is it a condition by nature or brought about due to success of a book?

Or are the writings of writers; windows into a secretive personality? A book is a means for a quiet soul to be heard. An avenue for him/her to scream out their protest against a world that is deaf in its loudness.

I think this reclusive nature is born about the fact that most of our writings are done in the privacy of our thoughts. When writing, our world concaves and pulls inwards. We create a sphere of solitude, where our minds can explore without the ding of everyday sounds. It is a world we feel sheltered and safe in. And if you live in this world long enough, we carry it over to the real world via our quiet, introverted nature.

A recluse to the outside world but a normal citizen in the world of our writings.

I can imagine it, sitting in a room with C.S Lewis, Tolkien, Stephen King, Neil Gaiman, Mitch Albom, Rowling, and we are all quiet. Not an awkward silence but rather a confident-silence. A sense of security that I am in the company of my own, and in this silence we speak volumes. We have come to a place of refuge where we can rest from the chatter of the world and rest in the knowledge we don't have to tell stories to one another.

In a company of silence, it is the quality of the companionship and the strength of presense that shines out.

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The first draft is total trash, EDIT it.

I'll let you in on a secret.

The first draft of any written work is TRASH. Totally destined for the waste basket. Any author is as good as his/her editor or copywriter.

Writers are good at churning out ideas and stitching words together, it's the editors who polish up the rough edges. So learning to edit your own writings is an essential skill in itself. But editing your own work can be a task as laborious as drawing blood from a vampire.

Ask Nicholas Sparks. He revised the draft for his first novel, The Notebook, fifteen (15) times before he was sure it was polish enough for publication.

Stephen King's first book Carrie was plucked out of the waste basket by his wife; who was of the opinion that it was good enough of a story for Stephen to continue writing. And the rest is history.

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Novel Writing Software

I don't write in Microsoft Office.

Instead, I invested in a novel writing software called Scrivener and it has been the best purchase I have made (in terms of software) if you look at the ROI value of it. Scrivener has a neat feature where you can type in full screen and its a god-sent.

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There's a story in every moment

You can sit on a plane or at a (boring) meeting and there may be a story lying in wait. All you have to do is turn, smile and talk to those around you. Every one has a story, has a phrase that sticks, has a tale to tell and places they've been. All you need to do is turn, smile and start talking. Do not be afraid to strike up a conversation with the ones near you. And above all, after asking, listen to what they have to tell and take note. You never know when that phrase would seem appropriate when you are writing conversation or laying down a plot.

There's a story in every moment.

Too many times we try too hard to fomulate a great story. We labour over ideas that HAVE to be spectacular, mind blowing and out of this world. We fashion large words and create outlandish worlds to plant our single dimensional characters.

But stop and talk to those you meet on the bus or a plane or sitting at a coffee shop and you'll gain a wealth of stories. Real stories with real people, living real lives with real problems and moving in real time. You then take on the role of scribe and thus, chronicle the lives of everyday people. It doesn't have to be outlandish or spectacular, just honest and true.

Try it. talk to someone and listen to the story, yet untold.

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Talent is crucial to good writing...sorry PERFECT writing.

I've met a lot of people who have express their desires to write. Their eyes light up when I tell them I write in my spare time, have a book out and regularly get my articles published on online newspapers and political opinionated websites in Malaysia. Glossy eye and spunky about the idea that people would read their writings they pursue the road I took. But not all roads are meant to be travelled by a bandwagon of wannabe writers.

My path to writing is unique to me. For everyday I spend writing, I had several years of practice. I did not get here by mere chance. I had to sweat it out and develop my own style and voice. I took to blogging in 2003 to better my writing skills. I needed to learn how to connect with an audience, write in words that inspire and move people and what better way than through blogging. From there I joined a writing group and practiced my writing there. I've written a short play and it was produced during my college days, written some really bad songs that are only worthy for my shower, poetry has been a dabble of mine since school days and only in the last two years have I seriously written short stories and full length features.

It took time and that is something all writers (good writers) have to go through. It takes time to polish one's skills. There's no shortcuts to being a good writer but if you want to be a PERFECT writer than you need Talent.

Let me say this over and over again. You need Talent to begin with. Some have it, some may not and this means not everyone is cut out to be a writer. Yes, you may have good writing skills but are you a storyteller? Can you capture the attention of an audience?

I learnt the traits of capturing the attention of the audience in my college days when I was part of the theatre group. I took to the stage and was a natural at it. From there I move on to writing for stage and essentially that's where I learnt my strong point when it comes to writing stories - dialogue. The scene plays in my head like a play and I'm the omnipresent observer jotting down the details that I see. That's my Talent. This is why I can write.

I met this wannabe writer who wrote a management book and he wanted to branch out into fiction. I read his draft and I told him to stick to writing management books. And he had the knack to tell me he lack creativity. How can you write fiction without being creative?

Talent is inherent in all writers. They write because that is the only thing they can do. We write because the moment you put a pen/keyboard before us, we start fidgeting and all rile up. We want to express ourselves, we want to tell the world what we see in our minds eye. We are picky about words and sentences and prose and how someone would say something. We listen in on conversations at coffee shops and watch people go about life, taking notes of what's going on. We are loners and thinkers and philosophers and emotional wrecks (after a good movie) and all the while we want to write it down.

Talent is crucial to PERFECT writing. You either have it or not. I hate to bust your bubble but clearly, if your friends tell you your writing is like S*#T then please take up another hobby. Fishing or kite flying or planting roses. Anything else except writing a novel and thinking you'll make a million out of it. Honestly, I don;t write for the money. I write because all my life I knew I would write and I just want people to hear what I have to say.

Have a reality check and ask yourself whether you've got TALENT to write.

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Work in progress, writer's write not sleep.

It's been a while (a long while) since I last wrote anything. It's a situation when life and situations come in between you and your craft. In this case, my life came in between me and my writing. When I could have spent hours crafting away the next book, I spent it couching away; over old DVDs and hosting imaginary friends.

There's a "work in progress" folder in my iBook. It's there to remind me, I've got book projects a plenty. Each time, an idea comes to me; I piece it together and open a project folder. There is no shortage of ideas for a book. The only obstacle is my own perverted laziness. The kind of laziness that causes you to spend all your money, moan about the pains of the world and make you a pain in everyone's butts.

In short, I've been a jackass to my craft.

I'm a writer and writers write. That's what we do best. It's the only thing we know how to do well. We put thought into words. We unveil the mysteries of everyday life. We unfold the jigsaw of circumstances that play before us for an audience to understand and remember. We draw laughter, shed tears, inspire minds, create arguments and drive passion with a compilation of words, formed into sentences that spark the intellect.

We are writers and we write; not sleep on the job.

We are people of the script. We fashion words out of thin air. We watch and bother about the lives of those we see pass through our field of vision. This came to mind (as I write this):

The cold washed over her face, and she shudder to think that she was all alone, in the street, walking home in the rain. Her makeup did not hold, her mascara a stream of black on pale skin. Yet it help mask the tears. The pain. The anguish. She was lost for a moment, standing by the street corner, where the stand sold burgers for a ringgit and half. In the rain, all roads look the same and no matter which path she took, it was all the same. She would still be alone. Lonely and depressed. In the rain, all roads lead to the same conclusion. And she stood there, pondering her choices while the burger-stand man stood watching and wondered if he should stop selling burgers for a ringgit and half.

Creativity is 10% inspiration, 90% hard work. We are writers. I am a writer and it's time I started writing. I've got all those "work in progress" folders to clear out.

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Stick to what you know best - 3 Tips for writers.

I am of the opinion that it is always best for one-self to understand their strengths and play to them to the fullest. In writing this translate to the fact, authors need to write within the sphere of their understanding. Meaning, choose your genre, choose your market and understand your own reading taste.

Choose Your Genre


There are a hundred and one different genres to choose from and I bet you will find one that suit your writing style. Each genre has a style of it own, reading Nicholas Evans and Nicholas Sparks tell me that both have a way of tugging at your heart strings and both write in the same genre. Take Stephen King and you see he writes in his genre and his style is suited to it. I cannot imagine Stephen King writing in the same genre as Nicholas Sparks but I reckon it is possible but really weird. Stephen King would be too crude and too direct in showing the movement of emotions and feelings. I would bet most of his characters would be deemed angry people with little feelings of affection towards one another. So look at your style and choose your genre. Not everyone can write a novel, so maybe your genre falls in the motivational writing section rather than romance. Give it a thought.

Choose Your Market


If you're writing for money then aim for the market that sells. Self-help books, children's book, educational books, billboard advertising, etc...whichever would draw in the money. But if you're writing for writing sake than you can pick out the one's with least competition but with potential to be your own private niche. My friends asked me why write in English when the market is so small (almost non-existent) in Malaysia. Why not write in the national language, Bahasa Malaysia? Firstly, I only think in English and though I can write in Bahasa Malaysia, it will probably turn out to be so formal and with enough emotion as a dry prune. I rather write in english and be among the select few who publish in english in Malaysia and the key thing is...I may be the only one publishing in my genre. Yes, I am in direct competition with imported titles but somewhere along the line, national pride will kick in and people would support their local writers.

Understand Your Reading Taste


We write what we like to read. Repeat that with me, "I write what I like to read." Yes, we mimic those that have gone before us and we do it well. Let's be honest, somewhere along the road; you told yourself, "I can write like this." So, you pulled up your sleeves and bit your lips and pounded away a story about a fly that irritated this girl so much, she burnt down the fire-station much in the same way Carrie did in Stephen King's - Carrie, when she burnt down the school and wreck half the town. We write what we read. So read as much as you want but know that your writing WILL BE influence by what you like best. Even if that means reading billboards for a living.

So stick to what you know best. If you know how to sharpen pencils to the max than write about sharpening pencils or sharping chopsticks into weapons of mass destruction ala a Ian Fleming - James Bond thriller. I'm floating this idea of red and black fingernails in my head, you never know it could turn out into the next best seller (in my wildest dreams).

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Don't you hate writers block?

I'm having one of those nights where I stared at a blank screen and my mind just refuses to budge. Yup, writer's block. Or just a classic case of I've-ran-out-of-stories.

Yup. I'm stump and downright frustrated, and I know this can go on for weeks. It happened as I was writing Jasmines and again when writing The Bicycle. I stop writing for weeks, all because my mind just refused to write. I took long walks or merely allowed my imagination to go wild.

So when, you get writer's block. Don't worry. It'll pass. All you need to do is keep yourself healthy and enjoy the vacation your mind has put you into. Pick up a new hobby or something. Anything to keep that mind active. Eventually, you will find yourself sitting at your desk again, and with new found vigor, you'll write again.

So if you have writer's block, what would you do?

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How to choose the RIGHT language to write a novel.

Let's keep things simple. You want to write and you want to be published. So what language will you write in? It sounds like a dumb question and I can see some of you rolling your eyes and fidgeting in your seat; ready to flame my blog. But hear me out.

Language choice is a BIG decision, primarily because it can determine whether you would actually finish your novel/short story/article or love letter. Anyone can write, thats why we go to school. We learn to spell words and articulate our minds onto a medium called paper.

Yet, language will determine the feel of the story, the life of the story lies not in the writing itself (per say) but rather in the language used. Language determines the way the words are spoken by that invisible story teller, who sits in reading room of our mind and language moves us to think, to dream and to imagine.

Write in the language you think in.


If you think in Chinese, try writing in Chinese and so on so forth. Writing in the language you think creates flair in your stories. It just means, you have mastery over the language. By being a master of the language you can play with words and sentences and allow yourself to speak your mind. Remember, creative writing is about painting your mind onto a printed medium for people to read. Paint using the colors that you are sure of. Write in the language that you think in.

Now, there will come a time when you choose to write in a language you learnt..

Write in a foreign language if you want to reinvent yourself.


When I write in Bahasa Malaysia, my style changes. It becomes dead formal. My sentencing becomes rigid and it takes on an air of formality. Yet, when I do attempt to write in Bahasa Malaysia, I am not govern by the rules of the language because I don't know them. My writing takes on a flair akin to a mad-man ranting away nonsenses. So, if I ever want to write in Bahasa Malaysia, it'll probably be poetry or a compilation of short stories by inmates of the local asylum.

Write in the language you read in.


Writers are in part hugely influenced by what they read. We pick up a writer we love and in time our style matches them to a certain degree. We take on some of the way they sentence their words or speak their minds. My own style is (ironically) greatly influenced by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, the writer of the Sherlock Holmes series, and lately by Stephen King, Neil Gaiman and Nicholas Sparks. These are the writers I read and they all write in English.

Write in the language you vocalize your stories in.


Writers need to be good story tellers. For example, imagine sitting in a coffee shop with your friends and it's your turn to tell them your story. You need to grab their attention, keep them hooked, allow them to follow the story, allow them to experience the characters. This imagery is the one I keep in my mind when I write my short stories. I imagine I'm telling the story to a friend. This is what I deem the Voice of the Writer. Every writer has their own unique voice. It's their fingerprint in the literacy world. We recognize each other by the way we speak on paper. So make it a point to try to translate how you vocalize your stories to people onto paper. Try to mimic the phrasing and sentencing onto paper and you'll find that your writing has taken on a new dimension.

So why are you still reading this? Go write something.

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The 3 things I hate about being a writer

I took a long time to get back into my writing groove. My 2nd book is way behind schedule, in fact there is no exact schedule for me to follow anymore. It went out the window sometime in March. Vacations, work and personal issues have grounded my writing momentum. So picking up the pace (so to speak) is akin to scaling Mount Everest on stilts.

So what do I hate about being a writer? As fulfilling as it is, there are somethings that make me wonder, why I ever bother writing a book? There's no turning back on my 2nd book, I've written 21 chapters and there is no way I will throw that in the waste-basket or in today's world relegate it to the hidden folder on my iBook.

Number 1: Writing is emotional.


You want your readers to feel what your characters are feeling. Right? So imagine writing a scene where your two characters are falling in love and you've just spent the evening chasing after your kids and wifey has a bone to pick with you over junior's school work. So in the end, your characters actually end up arguing and the plot just goes down hill from there. You blink hard and try to imagine the beauty of the scene when all you see is wifey's face holding up junior's homework.

Being in the right mood and right frame of mind is so hard...even in writing.

Number 2: How do you describe that?


Someone told me that my writing lack descriptive elements. My style is minimal, straight to the point and often times devoid of description. So shoot me! But there are times I want to describe the scene. "Show but don't tell". We hear that a lot but there are times when you hit a wall and you just wonder, "How do you describe that?". So I spend a good part of my writing hour just sitting there lost for words. Yes, even writers get lost for words. Worse still, you know the word but you just can't seem to recall it. It's at the tip of your tongue but it refuses to transfer itself to your word-processor. So you get stuck! Hate that.

Number 3: God! I lost the plot


You sit over coffee with some friends and they start talking about your book project. Ideas float around and wham! You get an idea to push your plot along. It's exciting, interesting, unique and darn unexpected. Your friends cheer you on, calling you a genius and show interest in reading your book. You go home all excited at your moment of inspiration, sit in front of your PC or notebook and...blank.

All the excitement has nothing to show for. I hate those moments. Really do. As a writer, I get so absent-minded because my mind is so muddled. You've got work issues, family issues and personal issues all crammed into a 6 pound mass of gray material we call a brain and something has to give.

So there you have it. The three (3) things I hate about being a writer. My list may be just these three (3) but what about yours?

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The Root of Passionate Writing

I read Vroom's comment to my article "The 3 Essential Things Never Taught at Writing Workshops" and I appreciate the raw honesty in it and the question posed caused me to think. Here's the comment in full:

what if, just what if.. i had the passion to write couple of years ago.. and it disappeared one day, in which i am unable to write like i used to, the passion 'ran away..' is there anyway i can help myself get over this phase? cause seriously i love writing i love writing more than playing basketball or watch soccer/football! even though the poems i written were depressing because of how i used to feel and i kind of got over the depressing days i didn't like how depressing they were.. any suggestions?

Passion grows from within and different people exhibit passion towards different things whether in-material or material, an object, a person or even an idea. People are naturally passionate beings, we are hardwired by the Creator in such a manner. I believe the passion never 'ran away', I believe the passion is still there but you have put a cap on it and boxed it.

I asked myself this question, as I was writing my first book and even when I'm working on my second one now, "Why are you doing this?" in crude words, "Why write?"

Why write in the first place? Why bother? Why slave away in the wee moments just to get a sentence right? Why spend all that effort if you are not sure people want to read it? Why push on when you get "rejection letters" to your manuscript? Why would someone like me, trained in Information Technology, who hates romance books yet I write about love, heartaches, human struggles and finding one's place in the world?

Because writing is the ONLY thing I KNOW.

Take away everything from me, all my skills, all my academic training, everything and strip me to my core - writing is still there. I'm a story-teller and writing is the tool I use to tell my story. This is where my passion springs from - the knowledge that I know nothing else except writing.

If you 'feel' the passion running away, take time off to ask yourself why you are doing it. What are your motivations?

Another thing, you can do is to simply find passionate writers and sit with them. Have a cup of tea, talk about writing and read each other's work. Writers just need to be heard even if only one person reads their work, they are elated. After pouring out so much from your emotional tank into your writing, you'll need to fill it up that tank again. Pass the Passion and absorb the Passion.

I found my muse in someone who took the time to read my work and tell me it was great. I've always wanted to write but I never had the courage to pursue it. In my mind, I thought it was merely a little hobby I just fiddled with in my spare time but then I met people who looked at my writing and told me there was something there. They enjoyed my thoughts, tit-bits of conventional wisdom that seemed to connect with them. I had an audience willing to hear what I had to say. My Passion for writing was ignited by encouragement from readers and then the Passion found focus when I met my muse and my writings were motivated by the pure essence of friendship and love. So my Passion was focused on writing about the pain and joys of love.

My Passion was ignited and focused.

Herein lies the key, we all have passion but it needs encouragement and focus. No matter what style you write in, whether it is depressing or uplifting, focusing your Passion will drive you on. If you find yourself 'lost' then take time to find your focus. Maybe it is time for you to find a new focus? Maybe it's time to try a new style? Maybe it's time to take a risk and write a full novel? Why not?

Passion never 'runs away'. It's still there. It just needs to be ignited and focused and before I forget, writers write with their emotions strapped to their foreheads. But I'll keep that for another post.

To Vroom, keep writing. To get yourself out of that rut...pass your writing to someone to read. In his book On Writing, Stephen King tells us that he writes in order to make his wife laugh. What about you? Vroom, will your poems make someone cry because they understand the pain you write about? If they do cry, then you've managed to pass your passion onto to another soul via your writing.

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