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| Photo: Dan Whale/Unsplash |
Hello! Our guest in the blog is the only 2017 #SparkNA author whose book deals with LGBTQI characters and I think we need more of those books published,right? Fair representation in books is good for everyone so today, I'm glad to give you all the author of "Don't Tell My Mother", Brigitte Bautista.
- What is your inspiration in writing “Don't Tell My Mother”?
I’ve always wanted to write about my experience in an all-girls school, that hilarious, ridiculous, colorful phase in my life. But, I didn’t want to poke fun for the sake of poking fun. I didn’t want it to be a baseless comedy. So, I pushed it back, pursued other first drafts, until #SparkNA came along. I wanted to do an f/f story and felt like an all-girls school experience presented the perfect back story for Sam, the main character. Her high school years weren’t the central part of the story, but it had a great effect on how Sam navigated this tangled-up web of religion, sexuality and identity. - How is your writing process like? Do you have any quirks in your writing process?Before the #SparkNA workshop, I used to be a fly-by-your-pants kind of writer. Anything goes. Anything is possible. Make it up as you go along. I have since come to my senses and realized the value of a good story outline. I start the plot with an idea, usually one or two sentences. Then, I expand that into a one-paragraph summary. Once I’m satisfied with the summary, I chop up the story into three acts, and draft an outline for each. For character building, Pinterest helps a lot with imagining what the character will look like. I also try to pin down my character’s main aspiration, flaws, values and figure out how these could help me tell the story.Quirks? I contemplate most of my plot and dialogue ideas while riding my bike. I may have run a couple of red lights (please don’t tell my mother), because I was so deep into the world of my story and characters. I also talk to myself a lot; it doesn’t matter whether I’m in a public space or in the bathroom. When the need arises, I will talk a scene out. One time, while riding my bike from work, I screamed ‘You don’t owe him a good fuck!’ over and over, in different voices and tones, because I wanted to have a sense of how my character would feel when she said that line. I got a cold stare from an old lady for that.
- If you will be given a minute of face to face encounter with any of your book characters, who would you want it to be with and what would you say to him or her?
I would love to have a minute with Christina Guzman and try to understand her motivations. Did she have feelings for Sam that she struggled to deal with? Did her popularity force her to ditch Sam? I feel like meanness doesn’t exist in a bubble; basic bitches aren’t born that way. So, there has to be an explanation (not an excuse, mind) to her treatment of Sam at the tail end of their friendship. To be honest, I have all these questions for Christina. I don’t think a minute will be enough. - Do you believe in love at first sight? Why or why not?I don’t believe in love at first sight. To me, love is something that develops over time. I do believe in attraction and chemistry in determining whether there’s something there or not; some sort of acid test, for sure. If everything aligns, attraction leads to a connection, and building on that connection is what results in love and attachment. So, no, I’ve never fallen in love at first sight. Love takes time.
- Give us your best banat or pick-up line.Oh, gosh. My pick-up days are behind me. I used to live for flirty banters, was rather good at them. But, now that I’m nearing tita territory, I kinda just want to have a cup of coffee and talk with my girlfriend about stuff: our nieces’ latest hijinx, sports, books, politics, physics, Kristen Stewart.If I have to pick one, though, I think a simple ‘You’re fucking brilliant.” trumps every pick-up line out there.
- Finally, use “spark” in a sentence.Why settle for a spark, baby, when we’re worth so much more? Come, take my hand, feel this beating in my chest, kiss me as they watch. Let’s set the world on fire.
When she’s not chained to a desk writing software code, Brigitte writes lesbian fiction and poetry. She participated in Anvil Publishing’s very own #SparkNA writing workshop, where her first book baby, Don’t Tell My Mother was born. Brigitte is a huge sports freak and considers crying over sports strangely therapeutic. She has never met a doughnut she did not like and atones for the overeating by taking long walks or riding her bike around the city.all others in between.
With an overly zealous mother as her guide, 19-year-old Sam has never had a problem navigating through Christian suburbia before. But, all that changes when she befriends and becomes intrigued with Clara, her widowed neighbor and the village's social outcast. When their friendship grows into the 'unnatural', Sam is forced to examine her upbringing and come to terms with who she really is.
A story of second chances and risking it all for a journey to a lifetime love - Jake and Josephine will take you to laughs and tears, to the highs and lows, to knowing when to hold on ... or to let go.
Series: Standalone
Publisher: Spark Books, an imprint of Anvil Publishing
ISBN: 9786214201051
Year Published: 2017
Number of Pages: 112
Don't Tell My Mother is available at National Book Store and Powerbooks branches or order online here.
ISBN: 9786214201051
Year Published: 2017
Number of Pages: 112
Don't Tell My Mother is available at National Book Store and Powerbooks branches or order online here.
