Hey everyone...

I just got through my last exam for my finals... And sad to say, I don't think I'm off the hook for that subject yet. I'm already prepping myself to attend summer classes for that subject alone. *sigh*

On a lighter note, I would like to invited everyone to check out my account on Wattpad.

I posted a new story just this month, and it's been up for almost a few weeks. I haven't really had a chance to tell everyone about it because I didn't have a lot of free time.

Anyways, please check out "All That Jazz", it's an original short-story.

" Jasmine and Aidan have been long-time friends. Well, it was mostly Aidan being 'I'm-so-hot-and-I-want-you-Jasmine', but then Jasmine was always like 'shut-up-or-I'll-squeeze-your-balls-to-death'. See? Friends. "

Admittedly, it has been sitting in my phone for months, up until October this year when I chanced upon it and decided that it was worth editing and posting.

It's also posted on FictionPress under the pen name DaniFire.

It isn't finished yet, but hopefully, I get to finish posting all of it before this year ends. =)

Oh, and before you guys say anything about my fanfics, I decided to keep in writing Keeping the Casanova. It's one of the fanfics that really brought me a lot of friends so I don't want to disappoint them.

For whatever free time I have now, I will have to dedicate it to writing KTC and hopefully, I get to finish it. =)


regards,
shatteredteardrops

Yes, I've been MIA for a month

... and with an acceptable reason.

I've been pretty open about how law school affected my life since I nose-dived into it without much preparation or warning. (Well, I've been warned, but I didn't think it would be too difficult. I was wrong.)

The epic failure of my grades, my barely-existent social life reduced further to mere miniscule shambles, my stressed-out appearance, my dwindling eyesight (I'm near-sighted and it's getting worse.), and my constantly saturated brain were the results of my first semester in law school.

It's not fun. It's challenging definitely, but not fun.

We're constantly bombarded with essay questions which seem more like trick questions, rather than an essay ones. MCQs are hecka confusing, and the teachers, well, some of them are exactly the devil personified.

And so, I am left confused and torn yet again.

During my first week of law school, the Dean of our College told us that being in law school required a lot of sacrifices - some small, some big - all of them essential in order to survive law school.

She said that, "Law School is a jealous mistress...". Most of the working-students were discouraged from employment if it's possible for them to study without any distraction. And this advice came with good reason: law school really is tough.

And this topic, I would like to relate with the promise I made a month ago: I promised not to abandon writing my SoEul fanfiction entitled "Keeping the Casanova". In fact, I even promised not to quit writing fanfics.

I haven't posted an update for a month already, and this has been a constant source of heartbreak. I feel that as a writer, I've failed in the most basic task of posting new chapters for my readers.

And I don't even have much time to write because most of my time is spent on reading, studying and memorizing. What's left of it, I use to rest and help out with the chores at home. (I'm the eldest daughter. Imagine the responsibility.)

As of the moment, I am in deep contemplation. (Not to mention, confused as hell.)

I have been writing for eight years now - admittedly, that is not such a short time and something that is not easy to give up.

I don't want to give up writing fanfics.
I don't want to give up writing Keeping the Casanova.
I don't want to give-up SoEul.
I don't want to give up being shattered teardrops.

...but it's as if I'm driven to the edge and forcefully pushed to choose between two things I highly value.

School or Writing?

The decision is heartbreaking. =(



regards,
shatteredteardrops

Severing the Strings of Forever

Severing the Strings of Forever

This has been sitting in my desktop for quite some time now, with a synopsis and a starting outline for the whole story. In fact, I've written the prologue already...  But I've never started writing the chapters because my schedule does not permit me to do so. *sigh*

It's a lot different than the usual stories I write in the fact that it's genre is Fantasy-Romance. And nope, no vampires included in this one.

I'm feeling generous today so I'm going to post a snippet of this story.

PROLOGUE OF SEVERING THE STRINGS OF FOREVER:

OO. PROLOGUE

"Never interfere with Death..."

     He watched by the sidelines as the burly and balding middle aged man brought the little girl inside his office. The man was supposed to be the little girl’s teacher – her second father – a person who’s supposed to ensure the welfare of the children under his care.

     But his maligned intentions shadowed the nobility of his profession.

     A frown painted itself on the unseen audience’s face, out of sheer disgust as he flicked his wrist up to look at his watch. He didn’t like handling cases like these. 

     Who would ever like watching a burly and balding middle-aged man corrupting the innocence of a child?

     One would think that with a lithe build and a face of ethereal quality such as his, he could easily draw attention to himself without even wanting to. One could surmise that the burly, balding man could have seen him, and unwittingly stop what he was about to do because of his antagonizing presence and scrutinizing eyes.

     The crucial question in the present situation is… 

     

      Can he actually be seen, in the first place?

     To answer the question above, the burly and balding man continued to lead the little girl inside his office, confident that he was privy to what he was about to do. Let it be known that invisibility was the one of the many perks of being other-worldly.

     Impatiently, he lifted his other hand holding a piece of paper and stared at the information written on it.

Name: Yoon Chul-Soo

Birthday: January 23, 1966

Age: 45 years old.

Death: June 22, 2011, 4:37 PM

Location: Seoul, South Korea

     He looked at his watch again. It was only 4:05 PM.

     He shifted his eyes back to the paper to read more details.

Cause of Death: Heart attack upon sexual climax.

     He frowned, clearly displeased.     

     As if things weren’t as despicable enough, his assignment just had to die at the exact time he reaches the climax of his carnal pleasure at the expense of an innocent child.

     He cursed inwardly and entered the room while remaining unseen. For someone inhuman as him, it was effortless to enter a room locked from the inside. Physical confines such as rooms in the Human World were never a problem to him.

     What disturbed him more was the sight of the man and the little girl in front of him. The strong taking advantage of the weak.

     The little girl was no more than five years old, practically still a baby. She was one of those angelic-looking ones that had a heart-shaped face, blessed with wide, doe-eyes framed beautifully by thick and cursive lashes. No wonder the lecherous teacher had taken a liking to her.

     She was wearing a pink little dress with ruffles and laces – a dress fit for a feminine little princess – a dress that ultimately has to be taken off in order for the burly, balding man to complete his sinister plans.

     A disgusted frown continued to envelope the unseen audience’s facial features as the man slowly lifted the girl to his lap and began undoing the buttons of the little girl’s dress. All the while, the little girl was busy playing with her porcelain doll, completely unaware of what was about to happen to her.

     For the nth time, he looked at his watch again. The time was 4:13.

     “Shit.” He cursed inwardly but continued to stand by the sidelines and watch as the man’s life string approached its end. He was tapping his feet, growing impatient by the minute.

     By then, the man had already unbuttoned all of the buttons on the girl’s dress and was beginning to lower it down from her frail shoulders. The sight was nothing short of despicable. He tried his best to fake nonchalance and continued standing by the sidelines without interfering.

     “My little Helena… We’re going to play a little game, shall we?” The burly, balding man chanted in a childlike tone with a sinister sneer on his aged face.

     The little girl looked up to him, her big brown orbs wide with inquiry, confusion and finally, fear… Fear of the unknown… Fear of what was about to come… Or maybe, somehow, her instinct for self-preservation kicked in subconsciously inside her young mind.

     “Teacher Yoon… I-I want to go home…” She inquired, her eyes filled with fear.

     Whatever it was that lit alarm on the little girl’s brown orbs, the unseen entity knew that he could not let things happen as fate dictated them. 

     With a cringe on his face, and knowing full well that he was going to regret what he was about to do, the unseen entity stepped forward towards the burly, balding man’s direction.

     A touch. That was all it took for him to sever the man’s life string.

     In a matter of minutes, the burly, balding man’s grip on the little girl had loosened as his heart erratically maneuvered itself towards his death. The man clutched his chest in pain as the last few seconds of his life passed by in a blur – until on the last second – it was then that he saw the ethereal face of death.

     If he really was the personification of death, then Death would be very beautiful in all his fine glory and wraithlike appearance. He had the blackest mane contrasted with pale, smooth skin. He had lips the color of ripe strawberries ready for plucking, and his eyes were the color of the cerulean ocean in its full, unspoiled glory. And if humans knew that his was the face that was going to meet them upon their demise, nobody would ever fear the transition to the afterlife.

      But he wasn't death itself... He was merely an instrumentality of death... Someone who has to work religiously in schedule to uphold death's purpose... And thus, when it came to circumstances regarding death, he was helpless...

     Wordlessly, like someone tired of a chore, he collected the card which held the burly, balding man’s soul. The card was colored black with intricate black details embedded unto its back, and the face of the burly, balding man in front. Unless he wills it, the burly, balding man’s soul will remain to be held inside the card.

     Strangely enough, even though he knew that he had completed his assignment, he looked at his watch again as his lips appeared pursed in a thin line.

     He knew that he was a few seconds earlier than what was scheduled and the realization of his mistake bitterly stung his conscience. Such intervention was never held unpunished. 

     Never. 

      One of the sacred rules in this duty was to never interfere with death... As it would have adverse consequences...

     He momentarily paused and waited for something to happen… But nothing. He looked around, seemingly surprised.

     No earthquakes, no sudden flashes of lightning, no higher beings appearing out of nowhere to reprimand him – Nothing. And that seriously struck him as odd…

     Until he looked down at the little girl…

… and found her staring straight at him.

---------[end of prologue]---------

THAT'S IT!!!

haha


regards,
shatteredteardrops

The Quiescent Kind

... a one-shot.

Just to clarify any questions...

YES, I AM DaniFire

I made two versions: one for Soompi, the non-gasoo version, and the Wattpad & FictionPress version. I cater to different readers so I decided to make two versions.

The Quiescent Kind

Teaser/Preview

Dear May,

Let me start by quoting the eternal words of our favorite ol’ William… "Love looks not with the eyes, but with the mind, And therefore is winged Cupid painted blind..." You made a mistake because you were in love with him but I still do think that it was better that you knew everything before it was too late.

Then, let me add my own quote because I know ol’ William and I share the same passion for poetry… “It is better to lose a lover… Than to love a loser.”

I know that no truer words have ever been spoken. And I know you’re probably rolling your eyes out because of sheer exultation for the showcase of my poetic prowess.

Ah, well, if you must know, I am honor-bound to act like a dork and sound completely idiotic just to make you feel better. But seriously, Baby Girl, this is the moment of truth. I’m completely being serious here… No sh*t!

-oOo-

POSTERS AND CHARACTER CHARTS:

In light of the two versions, I also made two posters & character charts.

The Original Fiction Version poster & character chart (For Wattpad).

The Soompi Non-Gasoo Version poster and character chart. (For Soompi Forums)

 

NOTE:

The Original version will be uploaded on FictionPress under DaniFire and on Wattpad under shatteredteardrops.

The Soompi version will be posted on Soompi Forums under DaniFire because it's been so long since I've used that account. =)

LINKS:

The Original Fiction Version - Wattpad & FictionPress.

The Soompi Non-Gasoo Version - Soompi Forums

What a shocking development in my writing career, isn't it? =)

regards,

shatteredteardrops a.k.a. Dia a.k.a. Dani a.k.a. DaniFire

Mending What's Broken

 Chapter Sixteen of Keeping the Casanova

Author's Note: 
For the last Chapter, you guys mentioned Kristofer Valfrid was an ass for saying that the F4 were gay. I'd like to clarify that I tried to see an outsider's perspective who might learn about the F4 for the first time, hence, it was that way. I meant no disrespect, okies? =)


REPLIES:


alasdair_vahn - True. There are still a lot of things that the F4 hasn't experienced so I try my best to write about them gaining experiences for character growth. Also, Ji Hoo is a heart surgeon, his specialty is operating on heart patients so even though he's a doctor, technically speaking, his field of expertise is different. Thanks for reading!

darkrainbowday-x - Aah.. Of course. Babies are the one of the hardest things to handle for a handsome gangster. haha

xloserr - I like Woo Bin and Jae Kyung, too, but since this is mainly a SoEul story, I try to focus more on Yi Jung and Ga Eul's relationship. *winks*

inday_yu - Ahahaha Incompetent child handlers! I love that line! XD

Trixie9394 - And thank you for reading! I try my best to inject humor as much as I could.. =)

dee:) - I couldn't stop myself from adding a little snippet of Woo Bin's inner turmoil at the end.. I think it balances the whole cheerful atmosphere. =)

kly8 - I know, right? XD

krazydaisy96 - And you are absolutely right. There is no way I'm going to leave Woo Bin hanging! =) I'm updating more frequently because it's summer here in the Philippines!

emkail - That's a possibility. *winks*

babypillow - Yeah! The F4 are so manly, they make everyone else pale in comparison! =)

iaimeyouS2 - I know! That's why I wrote that! Finally! Someone who understands the logic behind why Mr. Valfrid called the F4 gay! =)

sylvia_psf - Thank you! And thanks for reading! =)

carylmeasblue - Aww.. All of us want some happy ending for Prince Song. =)

teresaa- - Woo Bin's impotence is a sort of twist I didn't plan on putting but was very glad I put it in anyways.. Thanks for reading!

shar0nsaurus - Han Byul's father? Keke It's going to be a little shocker. XD

deep.dreamer - Actually, impotence may mean can have sex but not be able to fertilize the egg cells of the female. =)

Ahr3um - The real father will be revealed... soon. XD

leighannechan - Ga Eul PAWNED another guy! XD

yeongweonhi02stary - Agree! Low sperm count doesn't mean no sperm! LOL.

jaequeen - Please wait! haha Even if you can't! =)

Everyone, thank you very much for the support! =) 

See you on the next chapter!

 

 

regards, 

shatteredteardrops

ANNOUNCEMENT: INDEFINITE HIATUS

To My Readers,

I regret to inform you that I will be going in an indefinite hiatus from writing my current unfinished stories. I have been struggling since last year to post updates and I'm really sorry to inform you that my schedule really isn't being very helpful right now.

Like I've said over and over again, I am a Senior in College and I'm still struggling to graduate this year. Hopefully. I have an on-the-job training to take care of, plus a Thesis to complete (I haven't even started it yet.). That and the usual school load including projects, exams and stuff like that.

Also, I have a lot of extra-curricular activities lined up. I'm part of our University's Debating Team and I've got a series of Debates lined up where I'm supposed to travel to far places. We just won the Regional Competition in Oxford-Oregon Format for the Philippine Association of Universities and State Colleges yesterday. That means, I and my team mates are going to have to proceed to the National Level of the Competition on February 20-21, 2011. I don't exactly know where we're going for the National Level. I'm not sure if it's going to be in Isabela or in Vigan but surely, we're going to have to travel.

Aside from that, I'm also going to compete in a Debate Competition among Political Science students all over the Philippines on January 28-30, 2011 using the Australasian Format of Debate, and that will be in Iligan. That's pretty far from where I am so that means travel as well.

So, yeah, I have no choice but to announce an indefinite hiatus from writing, and practically my online life as Shattered Teardrops. I apologize for this but I hope you understand that I have other priorities to settle aside from writing.

Forgiveness and Developments

Chapter 12 of Keeping the Casanova

Yoreubun, cheongmal choisong hamnida!!!

I know I've been MIA for more than a month and I deeply apologize. Senior year in College is just... damn hectic. I will be graduating in a few months so there are a lot of things I have to take care of. And after College, law school is waiting. So yeah... Everything is just so... crazy for me.

Again, I apologize for the lack of update for the last several weeks.

I just want you guys to know that I have no plans of abandoning this fanfic. I'm going to finish it up until the last chapter. It's just that life has been throwing tedious stuff at me and those affect my writing a lot.

I hope you, guys, understand and don't get tired of waiting for my updates. =)

REPLIES:

TO EVERYONE - The mystery regarding Woo Bin's impotence will be revealed in a small twist within the future chapters. Don't you guys worry for our Prince Song! I'll take care of him! I promise! =)

__syalovee - Aww... Honestly, writing about Woo Bin's impotence made me feel bad, too... He affects me that much. *sob*

__babsy10 - Not first, but you're second! keke

__alasdair_vahn - Yep, this Chapter was a sort of transition for Woo Bin and Jae Kyung. Can't write anything much for Ga Eul and Yi Jung because they're having an LQ. keke

__inday_yu - Aaahhh... The whole 'impotence' thing will be given light in the future chapters, don't worry. *winks* I've always thought that Ji Hoo's personification in the drama was a bit lacking (no offense to Kim Hyun Joong. I'm not against him. It's his character in the drama that I'm disatisfied with.). Okay, so he's the strong and silent type, Jan Di's soulmate, then what? So, in this fic, since I'm literally playing 'God' with the characters, I wanted to portray a different kind of Ji Hoo - the kind that stays true to his character but adds more color to it. You know what I mean? keke The mystery in the baby's birth would be revealed in the future chapters, too. =) Ahhh... Woo Bin is another character I would like to the take liberty to provide depth in this fanfic. He's not just some randomly-spouting-English-ebonics gangster. He's waaay more than that. =)

__starzz24 - Thank you for reading for the comment!

__lildragongurl - What can I say? I write with a certain degree of unpredictability that baffles most of my readers. Unpredictability is in my blood so if I say Woo Bin is impotent, he is. Muahahahaha! Yeah, I love conflicts, too! They make stories a lot interesting! haha

__Trixie9394 - The DNA testing will come in another chapter. Let's just enjoy a few sweet moments for Chapter 12, shall we? hehe

__iHEARTTyooh - The other thing I enjoy writing in this story aside from SoEul is Woo Bin and Jae Kyung. I will not deny that. =)

__xxSanityx - I guess you forgot to comeback? haha

__deep.dreamer - Er... The last time I checked this was a SoEul fic? haha But don't worry... You're not the only one confused about which pair to write about. It's hard when Jae Kyung and Woo Bin are pulling me to write about them but I need to remind myself that this is in fact, a SoEul fic. *sigh* What a dilemma. haha

__yeongweonhi02stary - I also believe that none of the F4 fathered the baby. But that's just me. haha

__dee:) - WHOAH? ahaha I love SoEul and WooBinXJaeKyung equally, too... It's just that sometimes, I'm a bit confused which pair should I write about. Ultimately, I still remind myself that this is a SoEul fic. LOL.

__Ahr3um - Woo Bin and Jae Kyung rock my socks! XD

__suzy_me - Okay. Here's a little clue why I included Impotence and LSC in one sentence - the average person (ex. Woo Bin) who is not involved in a medical profession, or is not in any way interested in the medical field, will generally define impotence as a male's inability to fertilize a female and bear offsprings. Technical definitions will come later. keke It's all part of the misunderstanding so don't worry, we'll get to that later. =)

__teresaa- I got you wondering, didn't I? keke My last year in College is hellish. I don't want to even think about it. Ugh. Thanks for reading, anyways!

__iaimeyouS2 - Thank you!

__paradoxist - I want mini-Woo Bins! ahaha

__flywithmee16 - You have been added to the PM List! Welcome to the family! Thanks for reading! =)

__jaequeen - So many questions... haha But I'm not going to reveal any answer. Muahahaha! Those will be answered in the future chapters!

__SwtAznStar18 - Putting advance technology aside, to think about it, if Woo Bin really wants to have a child, he should first look for a wife. *winks*

__kimjica - You've been added to the PM List! Thank you for reading!

__krazydaisy96 - agree! The plot thickens! ahaha

__belle6022 - Jae Kyung and Woo Bin will get there. Patience, dear reader, patience. ahaha

__kly8 - Thank you for reading and for the comment!

__shar0nsaurus - This chapter (Chapter 11) was especially written for Woo Bin and Jae Kyung. hehe Glad you liked it!

__leighannechan - Kinda makes you wish you have a Woo Bin of your own, doesn't it? haha

__miss_vicky - Thank you for actually informing me that the XLR8 Forum disappeared. Must be the work of antis. Anyways, thanks for catching up and reading!

__KIM--ONEE - Don't be so devastated. Everything will be alright eventually. hehe Btw, I know this is random but I sooooo LOLed at your avatar! ahaha I would like to leave my Mom a letter just like that!

__sylvia_psf - Those will be answered in the future chapters. =)

__Mizz_Ana_cutez - No worries. I don't really mind even if readers are late at commenting. hehe Know this, if Yi Jung and Ga Eul are SoEulmates, Jae Kyung and Woo Bin are made for reach other. ahaha

__miquah - I know, right? Aaahhh... The honeymoon will come... er... when I decide to have it. ROFL. I'm so evil like that, 'yo! XD

__*Lolo*Is*Loco* - You are now part of the PM List! Thank you for reading!

__aliceex - And thank you for reading and for the comment! hehe I don't really mind even if you're late at commenting. =)

__virtuosorosiny - Now that you mention it, the next generation would definitely be hilarious bunch! ahaha Yeah... I can only imagine a group of the richest kids with such unique parents. haha Oh, there is definitely a spark of attraction between Woo Bin and Jae Kyung... I write it to be so! Ain't I ever so powerful? ahaha Kidding! It's alright... Better late than never! haha Thanks for reading!

The Readers

  (a completely random essay by Shattered Teardrops about Readers and Reading.)

There is that certain power coming from a reader’s mind which brings the characters of a book to life; a power that is only given to the very few whose solitary silences are spent in the company of books. 

(c) JaneMere @ DeviantArt.com

It is a strange power but a wonderful one nonetheless, for it liberates readers from the physical constraints of their surroundings and gives them wings to fly through time and space without moving an inch from where they are standing or sitting.

This power is imagination – the very power to picture people, things and culture that may have not existed within the reader’s time or within the reader’s culture.

Reading allows the reader to glimpse into the minds and hearts of the characters within the book who are whole-heartedly written by the Author; and in a small indirect way, the reader and Author meets through these characters.

Whereas the Author teaches and weaves a series of events through words, the reader learns and rides the emotions and situations presented by the characters and their circumstances. And within the pages of a book, imagination makes the reader grow, learn and experience various things.

One can say that a Reader is a special being bestowed with such a power to be enlightened through the words inscribed within the pages of a book. He is given the unrestrained power of the mind to freely run where the book directs it to go.

And with each and every book a Reader reads, his heart soon follows and experiences the same guiding emotions felt by the characters. Not only the reader is an enlightened person to understand the complexities of human relationships as described within the books, he is also a compassionate person to be able to relate and feel the same emotions as the characters.

(c) ElementsOfPersuasion @ DeviantArt.com

Although the words within the book describe everything there is within the story, the Reader is freely given the liberty to read between the lines or not. At some point within the story, the Author loses control of the little things and details which the Reader’s mind makes up for.

Yes, the Author is responsible for the story and the characters; but it is the Reader who is responsible for the story’s interpretation and therefore, holds a more powerful position than the Author. Once the book leaves the Author’s hand and reaches the palm of the Reader, the Reader’s power is invoked and there… the magic starts.