Build Your First Writing Kit

So you want to be a writer, but you don't know where to start? You can begin by building your first writing kit.

Arm your kit with a set of ballpens. My writing kit is filled with cheap black ballpens that write smoothly. I don't like gel pens because they feel scratchy when I write. I usually have more than one ballpen in my kit because I often lose them.

You will need one small notebook, which you will use for your writing topics. You should bring this notebook everywhere you go, so that whenever you have an idea, you can jot it down in this notebook. Then, when you have time to write, you can just consult this notebook and scribble away.

Your other notebook will be a collecting notebook. You will fill it with writing tips, writing advice, inspirational quotes, and lines from novels or poems that you like. These will serve as your inspiration for your future writing sessions.

The last notebook is for writing, and you must have a goal like write three pages per day, or write 30 minutes per day, or fill up the whole notebook in one month.

I included my camera because sometimes you need a visual stimulant for writing. A scenery or a specific detail can be captured by the camera, then you can translate it into words.

No writer is complete without her books. In the photo, I included just a few of my collection of writing books. It's always good to keep reading about writing.

When you've got all that, then you're ready to write. So why not join our Freewriting Adventures? The next adventures are on April 25, July 25, and Oct. 24, 2015.

Freewriting Adventures is an outdoor writing session that happens on Saturdays, four times a year (dates vary per year). It is open for young professionals and college students who want to try their hand at writing. The young at heart are also welcome to join. There are no fees on certain dates. To register for a Freewriting Adventure, send your name, e-mail address, and cellphone number to freewritingadventures@gmail.com.

During each Freewriting Adventure, participants are gathered together and are challenged to explore Manila's parks and kooky streets. At every interesting stop, we will throw them a writing challenge. Then, we will share our written work, and we will encourage participants to give supportive comments to their fellow writers. 

Freewriting Adventures is headed by Ja Cruz. With a Bachelor of Fine Arts Major in Creative Writing, she graduated Cum Laude from the Ateneo de Manila University and received the Creative Writing Program Award. The Philippine Daily Inquirer, Philippine Star, and Cosmopolitan Magazine have published her articles. She worked at Summit Media’s Female Network as an editorial assistant, and she is currently an art reporter for a newspaper.

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*Note: The opinions expressed in this blog do not represent the official views of the companies, organizations, or institutions that I am associated with. These opinions are solely my own.