#StrangeLit Experience with #Buqo: A Writer in Progress

An opportunity knocked and I grabbed it like a rock. 

Signing up to #StrangeLit Online The workshop is one of the few right things I did so far in my life.

That's the answer I had in mind when the writing guru, Mina V. Esguerra, asked us, the #StrangeLit Writers, to evaluate the whole experience we had from the workshop during the second a face-to-face meeting last September 5, 2015, at Summit Media Office, Robinsons Cybergate Tower 3, Pioneer St. Mandaluyong City. 

#StrangeLit is an online writing workshop that aims to produce stories in Paranormal X Urban Fantasy Genre. The workshop ran from August 1 to September 5 with two optional face-to-face meeting (August 2 and September 5). It was sponsored by Buqo. The sponsor, Buqo is a digital bookstore that aims to promote the digital age in reading books. It means stories and mags in ebook format. And it was organized by Mina V. Esguerra along with other people from different fields of expertise. 

#StrangeLit provided activities and lessons that really helped the estimated 90 writers to meet the deadline in submitting a finished and edited Manuscript. At the end of the workshop, 41 Paranormal X Urban Fantasy Stories will soon be ready to be downloaded and read on your smartphone or tablet (very soon... I'll blog it, once they are out on Buqo store). 

Here are the activities and challenges conquered by #StrangeLit Writers (a Yay for all the finishers):

ü  Activity 1 (Introduction and Reflection on Story Goals)

ü  The challenge is TRUTH 

ü  Activity 2 (Concept)

ü  Activity 3 (First 3 pages)

ü  Activity 4 (Last 3 pages)

ü  Manuscript Submission 

Resource persons shared them expertise with the #StrangeLit Writers through the list of lessons below: 

Lesson #1: Characters

ü  Creatures of Change and Coherence by Paolo Chikiamco

Lesson #2: Paranormal Romance Basics

ü  Basics of Paranormal Romance by Marian Tee

Lesson #3: World Building

ü  World Building by Kate Evangelista

Lesson #4: Starting a series, and visual storytelling

ü  Writing Your First Story by Budjette Tan

ü  Writing and Publishing for the International Market by Marian Tee

ü  Publishing is Not... by Kate Evangelista

ü  Manuscript Submission Guidelines by Ariel Lim

#StrangeLit Online Writing Workshop with all the challenges, activities, and lessons won't be possible without the names mentioned above. Kudos to all of us.