Macbook Air, Butch Dalisay and Writing Tips

Listen/Download the Podcast of Butch Dalisay’s Talk

At a press conference for a food event, the Singapore-based president of this events company handed over his calling card to me. After introducing himself, he asked the food publication that I belonged to. I smiled and without hesitation, informed him I’m a blogger.

The stunned president stepped backwards, Really? I’ve never met anyone who introduced herself as a blogger. Aren’t bloggers scary? They just write anything.

I assured him I don’t know about other bloggers but I’m fair.

Someone spoke up in my table and added And what’s up with some bloggers who write “I woke up and went to the gym… and she started ranting about how boring blogs are and that she never reads them, that mainstream media will always be the source of reliable news. yadda..and on and on.

I refused to sound defensive so I just listened and retorted that “Traditional media is established with its role in objective news reporting and special features while bloggers provide a niche not covered by them”.

Being relatively new in blogging with very limited writing skills, I appreciate feedback. Most bloggers I know strive to improve their writing and blogging techniques. Through the Blog and Soul Movement, a series of monthly roundtable talks was established for all bloggers and would-be bloggers. For the month of March, I invited Butch Dalisay to talk on Creative Non-Fiction for bloggers at the Kape Isla in Serendra. If you missed it, Listen/Right Click to download Podcast

Here are the tips that I gathered from the two hour conversation with Butch and the 22 bloggers in attendance.

1. You are your first audience. You have to please yourself. If you are not happy with your blog, then who else will read it?

2. When you think of your readers, you write for a reasonably intelligent reader. Your reader is just smart as you are. That’s the reader worth going forth.

3. When you write about yourself, it’s never just yourself. It can’t be. Who the hell are you anyway? Why should your life be so interesting to people? It could be interesting only up to a certain point. There’s got to be a point when you are no longer talking about yourself. Or even when you are, there are points others can relate to .

4. Educate , enlighten and entertain. Have a way to make them accessible and funny. Using self-deprecating humor makes your reader feel relaxed and that’s what creates a bond.

5. Find the image that will capture the idea rather than express the idea itself.

6. Move towards one syllable words. The simpler the word the better. It is not the fancy word that carries the story.

7. Read authors you want to emulate. Stop reading authors that don’t write as well as you. You won’t grow.

And what does Butch Dalisay have to say about the future of blogs?

Blogs are here to stay.

Standards will emerge. People and readers will develop a sense of good and bad. Someone will not set these standards. People will be discerning of the writer and the reader.

(Asides: Which reminds me, that same afternoon I got this email about a scandal involving Manila’s High Society with a request to help spread it around. Much as I sympathize with the blogger, I felt it wasn’t right to promote a libelous entry in this blog and besides, it’s all over the place by now. But that’s just me. Seeking Justice for Cris Mendez is a more worthwhile cause.)

With those inspiring words from such a humble person, the 22 bloggers took time off to have a photo shoot with this Palanca Hall of Fame awardee and his Macbook Air.

Guess the author I want to emulate. What about you?

(Download Listen/Right Click to download Podcast)

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