MERANTAU (2009): Lessons for Writers of Creative Fiction (Part 4)

The Final Part of the series:

5. The Importance of Closure

Yuda, who decided that he was going to use his fist, had caused a few of his nemesis' death, intentionally or otherwise. He was tainted. He had taken a fighter's path of life. He killed, so he then somehow meet his end being killed. And yes, he could only fight to a limit. He could only fight a certain number of men up to a certain time. He was not a superhero or demigod. He did not have that kind of power. By the time he beat up the unrepentant Ratger, he had been running and kicking for 12 hoursstraight with a few seconds rest consisting of some breathing exercise. He was human after all. So the writer had to end his life in fiction.

Wonderfully, the writer gave the poor viewers closure. Yuda rescued like 3000 girls from human trafficking. He gave a new and safe home for Astri and Adit.  He put a definite end to Ratger and Luc's exploits. He died saving the world. He kept his promise to his mother - he would 'do his best' and he would 'return'. He told Astri there would be people who love her. And before that, to Eric, the disillusioned silat practitioner - 'he'll never be the man he (Eric) has become'.

So, thank you, Mr. Writer of Merantau (2009), for writing this model of martial arts writing. Salut. Can't wait for your next writing foray.

Teenagers, start a diary!

* My diary collection. The oldest I have is from 1996, filled with 'how to write novels' notations from writing guide books I read in the teaching college's library. I have no diary from my teen years. Reason being, I destroyed them all because they were too corny.

Students ask me all the time how they can improve their essay writing skill. I can always professionally say they must write more essays. But no, I'm not going to say that . I've said it before and I'm going to say it again: Kids, START A DIARY!

These are the steps to do so:

1. Go to a stationery shop and buy the best looking dairy there is. The design is up to you. You like the flowery/ cartoony type go ahead. You like the cold, black/ brown/ blue ones go ahead. Make sure it has firm binding and it is at least as thick as your little finger. If it's too thin it will feel flimsy in your grip and you won't like it. It's just like having a flaky friend and you don't want that.

2. Begin writing with the date on top. I believe that a diary is like your own progress chart. Years later you might want to know how was your state of mind. Dates anchor you to the history of your life, so write it down before anything.

3. Sometimes it's hard to write down your feelings, so don't! Especially if you have a nagging feeling that some arch-enemy of yours is going to have a peek at your secret tome. Write about songs you love, a great TV episode that keeps you awake at night just thinking about it. Or movies that you really love and great books you have read. Of course, write about that boy or that girl that has imprinted his/ her image in your mind. Give him/ her nicknames to avoid detection unless you want detection. Then you can wax lyrical about the person.

4. Write and write. And if there is an English teacher who wants to read you diary - like me, let her have it. Probably she'll gasp and draw cartoons on your pages and correct your grammar mistakes and she'll give you that secret smile in class.

You will see how your sentences taking a better structure and how your fountain of ideas flow like the well of zam-zam. Then you'll never say "I didn't have any idea what to write, teacher" after you're awarded a dismal, dying grade for English. Of course you can write your diary in Malay or any language you want to improve on.

So, head to that stationery store now!

MERANTAU (2009): Nota Penulisan Kreatif (Bahagian 3)

Sememangnya diakui demam MERANTAU (2009) saya belum kebah. Nota penulisan kreatif yang kelima dari filem ini.

4. Kewajaran Mematikan Wira Fiksyen Dalam Karya.

Seorang mentor penulisan saya (sebenar-benarnya dia seorang sahaja) pernah menyampaikan satu peraturan buat saya - Jangan sesekali membunuh watak wira cerita anda walaupun untuk tujuan keadilan puitika. Saya telah mematikan beberapa watak utama (Jebat dalam Bukan Legasi Lalang kerana dia sudahpun mati secara harfiah, dan Kadim dalam Merdekakan Cinta Ratna kerana watak itu hanya wujud di dalam realiti drama pentas, dan mendapat bangkangan keras mentor saya). Dan saya menyangka saya cukup ekstrem sehingga saya menonton MERANTAU. Jika mentor saya menonton filem ini, apakah agaknya reaksi beliau? Adakah MERANTAU akan jadi sama hebat jika Yuda terus hidup? Kita saksikan Astri dan Yayan memetik tomato. Wulan memegang tasbih rapat di dada. Wajahnya berkerut. Adit pula mengemaskan beg sekolahnya lantas berlari ke sekolah. Wulan melihat pintu dapur yang sedikit terbuka akibat dilalui oleh seseorang untuk keluar. Dan adegan terakhir MERANTAU kita lihat Yuda kembali ke Bukit Tinggi untuk menguji pencaknya sekali lagi setelah dia pulih dari kemalangan di Jakarta. Sama seperti adegan pertama dia masuk di permulaan filem. Apakah itu akan menjadikan MERANTAU sama tidak boleh dilupakan? Apa bezanya antara hidup dan mati?

Akhirnya saya membuat kesimpulan yang penulis MERANTAU mematikan wiranya kerana filem ini sudah bersedia untuk kesudahan demikian. Dan saya belum mematikan wira cerita-cerita saya kerana perjuangan-perjuangan mereka belum berakhir. Raden Inu Kartapati (Odisi Tanah Kencana) mahu mendekati Islam. Tun Hassan Muda (Warisnya Kalbu) masih mahu melindungi Bendahara Pahang. Jaka Sulaiman (Kasih Nan Agung) masih punya ramai materilis yang dia perlu lawan.

Benarkah Yuda sudah habis perjuangannya maka sebagai manusia biasa dia akhirnya tewas kepada waktu dan kelemahan fizikal. Ini akan saya perjelaskan di dalam nota seterusnya.

Siapa penulis tanpa pembaca?

Saya hanya baru menulis 5 buah novel dan tidak pula saya seorang penulis yang popular dan mempunyai peminat yang terlalu ramai sehingga mereka terpaksa beratur untuk meminta tandatangan saya (hahaha). Namun saya menyedari kehadiran mereka di dimensi Internet. Tanpa mengharapkan apa-apa mereka menulis ulasan tentang buku-buku saya dan menyatakan kecintaan mereka terhadap cerita-cerita yang telah saya tulis. Setiap kali terbaca entri peminat saya akan memberi ucap terima kasih selagi 'administrator' membenarkan komen 'anonymous'. Jika saya gagal memberi respon bukan bermakna saya tidak peduli dan telah lali dengan komen pembaca - saya amat berterima kasih dan bersyukur! Semoga saya boleh terus menulis dengan baik di masa hadapan.

Spelling Bee (Form 3) 2010 SMK Pandan Jaya

Keeping it real. (Chief Torturer & Queen Bee)

Syafinaz (3RK1): This is a walk in the park... (or so she thought)

Fikri (3ES1) : Ooops!

What can be the worst form of torture other than a Spelling Bee competition? Do you how to spell 'isthmus'? Worst, what on Earth is 'isthmus'? But the Third Formers of SMK Pandan Jaya stood their ground. Some even returned the next day to watch their friends compete. Tomorrow will be the final round of the competition before we wrap up the whole thing and announce the 9 grand prize winners!

I tell you, people. I hated high school when I was a teenager. But now, high school is the place to be. You can see more of the world in a high school than anywhere else on Earth.

MERANTAU (2009): Nota Penulisan Kreatif (Bahagian 2)

Sesekali sekala, akan muncul filem yang berjaya membangkitkan saya dari koma pemikiran. MERANTAU (2009) adalah salah-satu dari filem tersebut. Melalui pandangan sebagai penulis, selain dari seorang peminat, saya dapat beberapa nota untuk menulis fiksyen kreatif yang lebih baik dari filem ini:

3) Wira yang baik adalah orang yang baik dengan kesilapan yang berbahaya.

Yuda dijadikan penulis filem ini sebagai seorang yang hampir sempurna. Dia seorang pengamal silat yang mahir, anak yang taat, adik yang selalu mengalah, manusia yang punyai simpati dan keprihatinan yang tinggi. Tapi wataknya menjadi menarik dan tidak membosankan kerana dia juga melakukan kesilapan yang akhirnya membawa kepada pengakhiran yang mengejutkan.

Kesilapan pertama, Yuda mempunyai ego yang tinggi. Dikondisikan oleh masyarakatnya untuk tidak membawa malu kepada keluarga(walaupun telah diberi amaran oleh ibunya sebelum pergi merantau), dia tidak mahu pulang ke kampung tanpa sebarang pencapaian walaupun sudah tinggal sehelai sepinggang dan bergelandangan selama dua malam.

Kesilapan kedua, dia jatuh cinta pada gadis yang salah.

Kesilapan ketiga, dia tidak tahu apakah tahap dia boleh menghadapi tentangan. Berapa ramai yang Yuda boleh tewaskan? Satu? Dua? Dua belas? Dua puluh? Mestilah ada garis di antara keperwiraan dan kekhilafan membuat perhitungan.

Kesilapan keempat, dia terlalu berbelas kasihan. Sepatutnya, Yuda patahkan saja kaki dan tangan si Ratger.

Jadi, apa gunanya jika seorang itu penuh dengan kelemahan? Elok saja sebenarnya kerana wira itu juga manusia. Cerita tentang manusia lebih baik dari cerita dewa-dewi, jika adalah yang cuba menulisnya dalam bentuk manusia yang tidak boleh terkalahkan.

English Fest 2010 in SMK Pandan Jaya

The English Fest 2010 has commenced! From 22 until 26 March 2010. I would like to extend my love and admiration to my lovely and talented students of 3RK1 and 3RK2 for such brilliant choral speaking entitled '1Malaysia'. You have to understand. It is the first day of school after one week break and one week before the break which consisted of nothing else but tests in the UJIAN 1. Logically, these teens would have no time for practise and these students consider their tests and exams as serious as heart attacks. And their performance is impeccable.The Vice Principal even asked who trained these children? I answered, Miss Ayesha Thilakam. Kudos to all of you!

MERANTAU (2009): Lessons For Writers of Creative Fiction

Once in a while, there is one film that shocks you out of your mental comma. MERANTAU (2009) is one. From the point of view of a writer, other than being a rabid fan, I can say that I learn very important pointers that I failed to learn in many writing guide books or in some writing seminars where people talk about the 'philosophy' of writing.

1. The Importance of Timing
No one likes a story which takes a thousand years to happen on the pages. But people do want to know what happened a thousand years ago. MERANTAU is written a la Shakespeare's Romeo & Juliet. It takes 4 days and 4 nights in detailed sequence. It is that tight:
First night - travelling
Second night - sleeping in a construction site
Third night - fighting starts
Fourth night - end of story after a dozen fighting sequences and pints of fake blood.

2. The Importance of Investing in Detailed Description of the Hero
Unlike a film director, the writer does not have the luxury of visual implements & machines in writing fiction. However the writer's tools are words she uses and there are still as potent as any machinery. As the photography obssessively traces the hero's physique - strands of his hair, his skin and breath, a writer uses words to describe her hero.The 'female gaze' is absolutely helpful if used innocently, matter-of-factly and honestly. So what if the hero is lean, sinewy and has eyes that are like dot dot dot - that's my innocent, matter-of-factly, honest 'female gaze'. Next, invest in creating a backstory for the hero - his origins, his obssessions, his strenghts and weaknesses. The reader will be hooked, and they'll stick with you till the gory end.