Writer's Block: Jumpstarting a writing career

MANILA, Philippines – What do the names Nikka Sarthou, Niña Terol-Zialcita and Ana Santos have in common? For one, they are all freelance writers, whose pieces have been published in various newspapers, magazines and even on websites. All three have their own forte ranging from lifestyle to investigative news. It was during a writing class that they got together and realized that there weren’t many groups that cater to the need of freelance writers who want to learn other forms of writing style. Thus, Writer’s Block Philippines (WBP) was born.

Established only this year, Nikka said that they decided to put up the group writing workshop because of their passion for writing.

“We discovered that we were all writers. The three of us were doing freelance writing. We naturally gravitated towards each other because we have the same passion. We also want to create a group and realized that when we want to look for an outlet, there were not many opportunities. So we decided to form our own group,” Nikka said.

“Many writers have to be educated with issues. When I met Nikka and Ana we saw there was an opportunity beyond teaching and imparting knowledge. It is one to write and write creatively, it’s another thing to do as a source of livelihood,” Nina said.

Their first workshop, “Jumpstarting Your Freelance Writing Career,” got them a huge response. With only a limited slot, the group was surprised that a number of interested participants signed up for the workshop. It was soon followed by the “Walk This Way” tour with Carlos Celdran where writers had the opportunity to explore Intramuros.

“We never expected this reception from the writing community. We were surprised that a number of people were looking for something like this,” Nikka said.

“It was a validation. Before we started WBP, the three of us were all soloists of sorts. The warm reception that we’ve gotten from the writing community has shown us that there are other writers like us who feel the same way,” added Ana.

All three agree that putting up the group with financial constraints was one of their biggest concerns. “Most of our meetings were through Skype because it was practical and we can meet anytime we want,” Nikka said. Another one was the lack of time as Nina and Ana had day jobs.

“We also had to see if anyone was doing this as there were other workshops already. I guess we really tried to be different in the sense we are trying to promote an entrepreneurial mind set with writing and impart the passion which could sustain you. The challenge to stand out and offer something new,” Nina added.

The term social entrepreneurship also never came into their mind despite the fact that they were already helping fellow writers to develop other types of genre writing. “I personally, didn’t think about it. I think we had a simple vision. We envisioned WBP to be the kind of go-to place / support that we wish we had when we were starting out,” Ana said.

So what’s next for the group? With two workshops already in their resume, the three plans to hold more workshops among them a writing retreat.

“Our plan is to create a writing retreat. We also plan to venture to other topics such as food writing and in depth photography,” said Nikka.

“We’re also planning another ‘Jumpstart Your Freelance Writing Career’ series and travel writing tours. You’ll always find us cooking up and exploring something new,” Niña added.

“We plan to have innovative, interactive and highly informative activities that will combine our loves: Writing, travelling and love for country/national pride. Think of the Carlos Celdran Walk Write This Way workshop and imagine a bigger, more in-depth offering in the future,” Ana said.

As for those who plan to put up a group like theirs, Ana shares, “nothing can substitute doing your homework. Research on what moves your market, what the needs are versus what is currently available. Based on what your research tells you, fill in that gap with your service/product.”