why this here

why this jot? let me tell you why.

it was the summer of '96. the u.p. writers workshop was well under way. i met this very interesting lolo-like figure there named nvm gonzalez (god bless his soul). it was an instant connection. i wanted to learn, and he wanted to teach. plus, he seemed so endeared to me, like i was a long-lost grandchild or something. why are lolo like-figures endeared to me? but i digress...

anyway, as i entered the world of contemporary philippine lit/writing at that time, nv gave me lots of practical advice and precious nuggets of wisdom about writing. he told me that every morning as he woke up, he immediately opened his notebook and wrote something down, without editing. a dream, a thought, an opening sentence, a paragraph of words, whatever -- he just jotted them down, let them flow. later, he re-evaluated these morning scribblings and used some entries for his stories.

i think this is a helpful tip for me, and for writers as well -- to just jot down things that pop into our heads in a notebook. who knows, maybe those things can be used, maybe not. it doesn\'t matter. what matters is jotting down things -- the first step in creating something. the pen (or keyboard) might lead me to a place i might like, a place where i will be at home. chez moi. this might be it. so here goes.