Raisa ~ My New Idol

Who doesn't love her and her voice? :)

Peta Karakter vs Plot

Ada 2 cara yang bisa menjadi alat bantu dalam mengembangkan cerita.

Do you know mindmap? Cara yang dikembangkan oleh Tony Buzan ini bisa dijadikan salah satu cara untuk mendeskripsikan karakter kamu dalam cerita. Cara ini cocok buat kamu yang suka membuat plot sedetail mungkin.

Dan pada setiap 'akar' dari mindmap yang kamu buat, bisa kamu bikin turunan plotnya. Misalnya, pada bab 1 kamu ingin karakter melakukan aktivitas apa saja? Tulis di setiap 'akar'-nya. Setelah selesai, lanjutkan ke bab 2, dst.

Dari turunan Karakter vs Plot ini, kamu bisa dengan mudah melihat peta cerita kamu. Kamu bisa tahu mau ke mana arah cerita kamu sampai bab terakhir.

Kalau sudah menulis sampai tengah cerita terus ingin diubah gimana? Gak masalah. Ubah petanya. Kamu akan tahu 'akar' mana saja yang mesti diubah, yang berpengaruh pada jalan cerita.

Cara yang satu lagi adalah dengan membuat bagan/diagram.

Cara ini efektif kalau kamu tidak mau repot membuat detail, tapi cukup dengan membuat garis besarnya saja. Satu bagan diwakilkan satu action, misalnya. Atau satu bagan diwakilkan satu setting. It's up to you.

Kedua cara ini bisa kamu lakukan kalau kamu tidak suka membuat plot dengan hanya membuat jajaran-jajaran kalimat, tapi dengan gambar. Aku sendiri lebih suka dengan cara bagan/diagram karena buatku, alur cerita lebih 'terlihat' dan dari setiap bagan, bisa aku zoom in atau zoom out dengan cara membuat bagan baru tersendiri.

Semoga saja cara ini bisa membantu. Selamat mencoba ya! :)

Kerangka Di Balik Kerangka

Maksudku, ada kisah di balik cerita kita. Diibaratkan dua buah papan puzzle yang berhadapan, kedua puzzle itu mempunyai gambar yang berbeda namun berhubungan. Jika satu gambar tidak disatukan, satu gambar lagi juga tidak bisa diselesaikan.

Penerapannya ke novel kita adalah kalau kamu mau membuat sebuah cerita, tentu ada alasan kenapa sang tokoh utama yang terpilih. Sang tokoh utama di sini menjadi tokoh yang dengan rajin kita 'jatuhkan' berkali-kali yang pada akhirnya, tentu saja, menjadi 'pahlawan'. Alasan kenapa dia bisa terpilih itulah yang menjadi kerangka 'terselubung'. Dan kisah dia yang ada di novel kita itu yang menjadi kerangka yang 'terlihat'. Yang membuat kerangka 'terlihat' itu menjadi kokoh adalah kerangka 'terselubung' ini. Jika kerangka 'terselubung' kita lemah, maka kerangka 'terlihat' akan kelihatan sangat biasa, pembaca bahkan cenderung kurang greget.

Jadi, buatlah kerangka 'terselubung' sedetail dan serapi mungkin, urutan karakter, plot, timing, setting, dan elemen-elemen cerita lainnya, supaya kerangka 'terlihat' kita jadi berdiri tegak dan bikin pembaca penasaran.

Potongan-potongan gambar puzzle kita yang ada di kerangka 'terselubung' ini yang nanti melengkapi gambar di kerangka 'terlihat' kita. Makanya, sekali lagi aku ingatkan, jangan lupa elemen-elemen cerita tadi dirapikan, dibuat sedetail mungkin. Aku yakin cerita kamu jadi semakin menstimulasi keingintahuan pembaca.

Letakkan kepingan-kepingan puzzle dari kerangka 'terselubung' tadi di kerangka 'terlihat'. Terserah kamu susunannya bagaimana. Tapi yang jelas, di akhir cerita, potongan-potongan puzzle dari dua kerangka kamu harus sudah bersatu dan utuh.

Siapkan dua kerangka kamu dari sekarang, gerakkan pulpen kamu, dan susun rapi barisan mereka! Kamu akan takjub dengan hasilnya. Siapa yang mengira puzzle-puzzle itu dilahirkan dari otak kamu? :)

Afterthought ~ "Heart"

Your heart is like a piece of glass

When you're in love, it sparks

When you meet someone who loves you back

It even shines brightly

But when someone breaks your heart

It shatters and darkened

Even though it heals, its shape would never be the same

Your heart is like a piece of glass

What matters in it, no one can take it

No matter who you are, or what status that tags you all along

It's a see-through thing

It cannot lie

And you can see it right through it

for whom your love is for

Your heart is like a piece of glass

Be careful with Hate

Because your heart does not contain borders

When it's filled with Hate

It can easily blend with Love

And your heart won't decline the actions

Be prepared with the result

Your heart is like a piece of glass

It's a great partition to all dangers out there

Yet it's a vulnerable thing that no one can protect

Except yourself

Your heart is like a beautiful little home

which made from a piece of glass

It has doors, windows, and most importantly, a key

When you find someone who holds your key to your heart

and dying to protect it also

Then you have found your other piece of glass

which completes your Heart

Recording

I've just done my recording session today. And it was so exhausting. Or maybe it's because I was the one who exhausted. Actually, I am not feeling well today.

But that's okay, I plan to get to bed early tonight.

The recording was taking 2 hours but it was a quite satisfactory. My father helped me into getting the solo and in editing session. (Thanks Pap!) The song is now well heard.

I cannot believe that I have lost my touch in piano and keyboard. Well, yeah, the last time I played my piano was like years ago.

I think I should start practicing it again. Both. Keyboard and piano. If I want to make my skill better, then I should get my discipline back. No exception.

Writer's Block

I have this one novel, which has been abandoned since 2004, and currently I've been meaning to finish it up.

Yet now I have this writer's block phase. Didn't see that one coming. Dang.

Today I've spent my day by reading Torment (Author: Lauren Kate), and I found out it could trigger my muse, my idea. Now I know why so many authors suggest to read as many books as you can so you'll be able to write a book, a good one. Because it can give you so many ideas and inspirations.

To all authors in the world, I'd say: Thank you, Guys!

I'm still holding up my novel, in order to refresh it. I don't want to force myself into writing it, because I'm afraid the story line would be screwed. And I don't want that happen.

Well, I'll get back to my novel as soon as I can pass this writer's block phase.

Wish me luck!

My Room is Stuffed with New Books!

Okay, now I admit that I really am a bookshopholic. (Oh no! Is that a bad news??)

Why?

I think it's because:

1. Books are my babies, I love them deeply.
2. Every time I see a book with a discount, I can't help myself for not buying it! It's so tempting! Although I don't know what that book is all about. I don't care. What I do care is it has a discount! How many times you have a chance in your life to buy a book with a discount??
3. I love collecting them. Yes, I'm well known as a book collectors. If I have a chance to buy a library with all my books in it, I'll take it :)

And now, I have several books lining up in every corner of my room, waiting to be read, such as:

1. Mini Shopaholic by Sophie Kinsella. I've been waiting for so long to read this book. Welcome back Becky Bloomwood!
2. The Iron King by Julie Kagawa. Actually, I don't know why I bought it. The cover seems interesting.
3. Hush, hush by Becca Fitzpatrick. Another story about Nephilim (I think). I've read a review by Jessica Day George, and she rated one star to this book. She said something's not good about this novel. And I'm eager to find out by reading it myself anytime soon.
4. Torment by Lauren Kate. I am now reading this book. From the first book (Fallen), I have fallen in love with Luce! And her strong feeling to Daniel, to me, it feels so romantic. Another thing which I mostly like is, Luce and I have some many things in common.

And that's it for now, guys. I think I'll carry on my reading.

Until then! ;)