PERSONAL INFORMATION:

Name:                                      Miss Gem       

Real Name:                              Jesselyn Diaz

Birthday:                                   December 22, 1985

Academic Achievement:            Graduate of B.S. Chemistry @ Xavier University-Ateneo de Cagayan

Occupation:                              Laboratory Technician/ Assistant

Location:                                  Cagayan de Oro City

Books you've written:

Say that you love me, MichaelAngelo, and many others not encoded.

Who is/are your favorite author(s)?

J.K Rowling, Rose Tan, Ricky Lee, Luanne Rice, etc.(Nakalimutan ko na ang iba)

What's your favorite book?

Harry Potter, Cloud Nine and Safe Harbor by Luanne Rice, Book about Scriptwriting by Ricky Lee

How long have you been writing?

9 years already but its only this year that i tried to pass my ms's to the internet

and publishers.

Favorite love quotes:

I dont really have fave love quotes, basta kong makabasa ako ng maganda kikiligin na lang ako...hehehe

Q & A:

What are you writing now?

I'm done with MichaelAngelo. these days, wala akong sinusulat. but I'm planning to write one about man naman. lalaki na naman ang main character ko this time.

What made you decide to start writing novels?

I'm fond of reading tagalog novels when i was in highschool. naisip ko mas may

igaganda pa kong ganito ang story ganyan...that's the time i tried writing and

surprisingly maraming natuwa na mga friends ko sa sinulat ko...

Why do you continue to write?

It's the comments coming from my friends..and now with YSH, it's the comments coming from my readers. nakakainspire to do more, to write more and to excel more in writing.

Where do you get your ideas?

My ideas are mainly coming from my surrounding. More on character ako sa tao eh. I really like writing based on human character. man versus self kung baga. Interesting characters can make interesting stories.

Your Favorite among the books you've written?  Tell us about it. Why do

you prefer it among others?

As of now. it's the MichaelAngelo. Like ko siya because it's so light and i think

its funny. I would really want to share it to the world. kasi yong say that you love me hindi ko masyadong gusto pero kahit paano may nagkagusto no'n. so now i want to see if ano ang masasabi ng mundo sa Michaelangelo.

What kind of romance novels do you usually write?

I always love romantic comedy. yung light lang...yung nakakatuwa basahin at

nakakawala ng problema. hindi ko masyadong gusto yong tungkol sa power and wealth story. yung underdog palagi ang woman sa man. duh, that is so stereotype.

How long can you write and edit one novel?

me?...since masyado akong conscious sa sasabihin ng readers ko, matagal. Writing a novel would take 2 months but editing kung hindi busy siguro a month lang..that is kung walang demands from outside world. that is kung laptop lang ang kaharap ko.

How do you cope up with stress?

I don't want to do anything kung stress ako. i cried a lot when i'm stressed.

naglo-lose ako ng weight 'pag stress ko. and hindi talaga ako nakakasulat ng any story!!

What is the hardest part of a romance novel to write?

its always the conflict and the climax scene. ewan nababara talaga ako dyan most of the times. ok  na ang starting scenes, nakalatag na ang characters, stop na ako pag twist and conflict na ang pag-uusapan. don ako natatagalan. that's why i can really say, as a writer marami pa akong kakaining bigas. i still have a long way to go to overcome this writer's block all the time.

Do you like writing love scenes?

no, hahaha...nahihiya akong may makabasa. though na-overcome ko na siguro. Kantiyaw ang inaabot ko sa mga kakilala kong nagbabasa eh. hahahaha..ewan.

How did you learn to write love scenes?

Through reading sguro, since inosente pa naman ako sa mga bagay na

ganyan.hahaha..i'm more on reading other books and try to rephrase it and input some that i know exist when to people are kissing you know. the sensations of it, i can relate naman somehow.

Who is your favorite hero among all the novels you've written? Why?

I dont have particular fave hero. I just like what i made of them, parang ganun. May aim ako sa mga hero ko, i want to write their obvious imperfection. sawa na kasi ako sa masyadong macho, gwapo, authoritative, ruthless. i want to have a milder and more realistic hero.

And who is your favorite heroine?  Why?

i dont have. but i like them all. gawa ko sila eh so some of their characters parang nakikita ko ang sarili ko or someone na gusto kong maging.

How long and what time of the day do you usually write?

Any time! basta sumpungin lang ako ng super imagination ko...heheh..kahit may deadline nga sa work eh...gogogo akong magsulat. pero kung hindi ko naman feel, hindi ako nagpipilit humarap sa laptop.

Aside from writing, what do you like to do?

Obviously, science ang field ko so i'm more into research and laboratory experiments.

Who among your characters best depicts you?

it would be Gery.

Which among your books was the most difficult to write?

None so far. marami na akong nasulat sa mga notebooks ko pero nakalimutan ko na ang iba sa totoo lang...

WRITING TECHNIQUE and EXPERIENCE:

Do you start with a character or plot?

Character muna.

How do you make your characters?

I tend to find a particular real human being that has that personality. and i tend to imagine what if...ano kaya?

Any advises to those who might want to start their writing career?

Just write and use your imagination. sa real world ko, ako lang ang ganito...puro sila chemist kaya, so they are so surprised bakit ako napunta sa lab. I'm just following my heart. to those who wants to write, dont be scared to show to the world what you got.

Have you been rejected in a publishing?  How did you deal with it?

OO, napakalaking oo...everytime nga nagpapasa ako and im waiting for their reply sinasabi ko, dumating na kaya ang rejection letter ko...hehehe.but i know it should not be like that, i think positive. law of attraction! I'm dealing it with a thought that you cant really please everybody. na may kulang pa sayo..na good ka pa lang, hindi ka pa better or best..so you have to strive more.

Have you been criticised?

Oo, that's a norm. you have to face that.

What are your fears and frustrations being a writer?

being rejected of course. ang daming 'baka'..baka hindi nila magustuhan, baka

baduy...you know masyado kasi akong conscious sa mga sasabihin ng tao sa akin.

What's the best thing about being a writer?

The feeling of being amazed of a story that you wrote using your imagination and frustrations...hehehe..for me, my stories are escape from reality. parang ang sarap mabuhay. parang ganun. weird no?

Personally, what did you learn from writing romance novels?

basically, dealing with your emotions. kung sa totoong buhay we tend to use our impulses and heart to make decisions. pro kapag nagsusulat ako, nakakapag-isip ako kung ano ang dapat gawin at maramdaman when you're face with that situation. Parang ganun.

What made you who are are right now?

nobody. as a writer, nobody. its a mere hobby in reading novels eh..so ako lang

talaga. its the craze of my mind.

What is your dream as a writer?

to be a published and well-known writer. not just locally but internationally... taas ng pangarap no? hehehe

Who are your inspirations?

my family and friends of course.

**Many thanks to Mister Edgar Allan Rabanza for letting us use his questionnaires!