2019 New Year’s Resolution

December 29, 2018December 29, 2018 Alicia Lidwina1 Comment

Hello everyone, and depending on when you’re reading this, Happy New Year!

Since this will be my last post for 2018, I thought that listing down my 2019 New Year’s resolution would be the perfect way to end the year for this blog of mine.

Keep in mind that unlike my usual posts, I won’t be talking about any specific item on this list, but I’m planning to make a response post at the end of 2019 to share with you how I fared throughout the year with my resolutions. I hope it’ll be a good year for me, and for you guys, too! Continue reading “2019 New Year’s Resolution” →

Of How Maybe Everything Came Into Existence

September 15, 2018September 23, 2018 Alicia Lidwina8 Comments

It felt like it hasn’t been that long since I released a new book. And quite understandably so, too, since I just released Unspoken Words back in January. Yet here I am, writing a blog post about how my third book came into existence. It feels almost surreal, because just one year ago, I would’ve never dreamed of producing two new books in such a short time.

Have you ever fallen in love so hard, you couldn’t help but see everything through a rose-tinted glass?

Even as I am writing this post right now, I find it hard to pour everything on the pages, because just like with 3 (Tiga) and Unspoken Words, Maybe Everything is also a very personal project for me—one that I never intended to publish when I was still in the process of writing it. Continue reading “Of How Maybe Everything Came Into Existence” →

Journal

My Writing Playlist: Maybe Everything

September 8, 2018September 23, 2018 Alicia Lidwina5 Comments

Maybe Everything Writing Playlist (1).png

The Cardigans – After All

Aoi Teshima – Lullaby of Birdland

Anggun – Fly My Eagle

I wrote the majority of Maybe Everything when I was heartbroken. So quite naturally, the songs featured in this writing playlist are the songs I used to listen to during the moments when I couldn’t stop thinking about my romantic interest. Even now, I still recall the evenings I spent during my commute just listening to the songs and staring out the window—wishing fervently for the pain to end.
Continue reading “My Writing Playlist: Maybe Everything” →

Journal

Bon Voyage

July 28, 2018July 27, 2018 Alicia Lidwina2 Comments

There’s just something about marriage that excites people. The other day, when Felicia—my friend of 8 years and counting—announced her marriage, I couldn’t be happier. I genuinely wanted to congratulate her from the bottom of my heart, because I was truly happy for her.

Source: https://www.pexels.com/photo/man-in-black-long-sleeved-shirt-and-woman-in-black-dress-888899/

But at the same time, there is this lingering, quaint loneliness in the corner of my heart, whispering the advent of a certain end. Continue reading “Bon Voyage” →

Article · Journal

Getting Back into Writing

June 23, 2018June 23, 2018 Alicia Lidwina4 Comments

Recently, it feels so hard convincing myself to write something new. You know, be it a novel, a short story, or even a short poetry. There’s always this inexplicable part of my heart that just wouldn’t listen, no matter how hard I try to tell myself to write. Something is clearly holding me back, and I don’t know how to fight it.

*Source: https://www.pexels.com/photo/beverage-black-coffee-blank-coffee-365637/*

Maybe the cause of such phenomenon was my fear of expectations. Of living up to a certain standard. Of not disappointing anyone with lousy, uninspiring prose. I’m constantly haunted by a phantom of failure—a projected hallucination of all the walls around me crumbling, should I fail to live up to everyone’s, and my own, expectations.

Continue reading “Getting Back into Writing” →

Journal

Of Friendship

June 16, 2018 Alicia LidwinaLeave a comment

I think there is something twisted about early education in Indonesia: they told us that we must never sort and pick our friends.

In reality (at least, in my reality, since reality itself is subjective by nature), we get to pick our friends even from the earliest stages of our lives.

Source: https://www.pexels.com/photo/men-sits-of-sofa-1036804/

Continue reading “Of Friendship” →

Journal

Watching the Knots Unfurl

June 2, 2018June 5, 2018 Alicia LidwinaLeave a comment

Don’t you find it funny that people drift apart for no reason?

The other day, I accidentally met one of my childhood friends in a shopping mall. The very first thought that came to my mind once our eyes met was, “Crap, now I have to make small talks.” And I don’t know if my friend realized it, but during that moment, the only thing I wanted was to escape from him, go home, and bury myself under a pillow.

Source: https://www.pexels.com/photo/architecture-black-and-white-building-business-264471/

Yes, I have been called an introvert a number of times, but I really doubt being an introvert would drive me so much that I couldn’t enjoy a short, innocent meetup with an old friend. Especially since nothing bad ever happened between us; it’s not like he was my ex, or he bullied me in school. If anything, our past relationship was cool. Continue reading “Watching the Knots Unfurl” →

Journal

My Writing Playlist: Unspoken Words

February 3, 2018February 4, 2018 Alicia Lidwina2 Comments

KEMUNING

Femme – Kajiura Yuki (梶浦由記)

Shizuka na Hibi (静かな日々) – S.E.N.S. Project

Lost Memory – S.E.N.S. Project

Itsuka Dokoka de (いつかどこかで) – Hama Takeshi (濱剛)

Deja View – S.E.N.S. Project

Since I completed the first draft of this project during Lebaran Holiday of 2017, I didn’t really need the music so much. But still, there were some really difficult scenes that prevented me from going on a full writing sprint at times. These songs were what I used to listen to whenever I was feeling stuck at writing a certain scene. Continue reading “My Writing Playlist: Unspoken Words” →

Announcement · Journal

My New Year’s Resolution for 2018

December 30, 2017December 30, 2017 Alicia Lidwina6 Comments

Depending on when you are reading this post, it might be 2018 already. I had considered to post this right when the year changes, but decided against it since I would most likely be celebrating the coming year with family and close friends. ~~And I never liked scheduled posts since it doesn’t feel personal~~.

So please allow me to say the following:

HAPPY NEW YEAR 2018!

2017 had been a great, smashing year for me. I got to finish a new book, open my very own Tokopedia shop, and even successfully arranged my own writing retreat. And although some hardships were to be expected, I am very satisfied of what I had accomplished in 2017.

My newest book: UNSPOKEN WORDS, is now available in your nearest bookstores (Indonesia only)

Continue reading “My New Year’s Resolution for 2018” →

Article · Journal

Of How Unspoken Words Came into Existence

December 17, 2017 Alicia Lidwina7 Comments

When I ran a poll on Instagram the other day, a surprising amount of respondents requested for me to post more information about my upcoming book, Unspoken Words.

Some requested for information regarding the characters, some about my outlining process, and the rest were an equal mix between my writing process and publication date. The response, of course, took me by (a pleasant) surprise.

To be honest, I had been mulling over the idea of sharing more about Unspoken Words. And there is a good reason why I haven’t been as active as I wanted to be in sharing information about the book:

I didn’t know how to talk about the book without spoiling everything about it.

37518064

Let’s just say, this novel is the most personal one I have penned so far, and writing it had been an emotional roller-coaster to me. Just like when I once wrote my debut novel, 3 (Tiga), finishing the manuscript for Unspoken Words actually left me in a state somewhat similar to being hungover. Continue reading “Of How Unspoken Words Came into Existence” →