glossaries and footnotes

New book alert. After reading Of Love and Other Demons, I picked up one of the books on my next-to-read list (remember that one? I blogged about it a couple months ago. It was very long). This one is Sandra Cisneros' Caramelo. I haven't actually read it at all because when I bought it, I felt guilty for doing so while I still had a lot of backlog and decided to postpone reading it. I don't care about the other books waiting in line, I will read it now.

One of the things I like about these Non-American, Non-English writers who write in English is they put in words they use colloquially in their native tongue, words that in their opinion mean exactly what they want to say, more than any translation of the word can. Cisneros is one such writer. I'm saying this as opposed to the foreign writers whose works are instead translated into English. Of course, it's a translation and there are many ways of saying a certain thing. But if it was intended to be read in English, but set in their habitus, of course you're going to see those words. Some writers actually have glossaries at the back of their book. I like the idea of a glossary.

I'm writing a story. It's kinda stale now; I first started writing it when SARS broke out and one of my characters actually dies from SARS, but wouldn't you know it, SARS is so last season. But I've managed to convince myself that it will still be an interesting story, even if it's not timely.
I'm developing the characters, so I joined an online community that helps you do just that. I have most of the story written out in my head, but I want to really flesh out the characters in the process - the main reason why it's taking me so long to write this book is I'm having such a hard time with the characters. It began as a movie, actually. I planned to make a movie with my friends and got the story out based on, well since Waya can sing, she'll play the lead role and we'll make her a singer who has a hard time figuring out where she fits in today's music industry. After wisely conceding that making this movie will be too much for me, I decided it could work as a book. And in many ways, it is better as a book. Of course, this story isn't about Waya, not really. And so there is fleshing out to do.

Anyway, this online community is made up from people from all over the world; I can't just say "Panalo!" and they'll understand what I mean when I say that. I decided I won't translate, I'll just explain in footnotes. I kinda like the idea that when this book is finished, I'll have a neat little glossary at the end.

Cisneros doesn't have a glossary. I haven't read much yet, but flipping through the book, I noticed she has footnotes. I'm not sure what's in her footnotes exactly, but I'm excited to find out. I think, in my book, I'd like to have footnotes too.