The Writing Spirit: Scribbling Our Way into the New Year

On January 10, 2026, Scribblorists gathered at Italiannis in EDSA Shangri-La Mall to celebrate Christmas and New Year with the theme: “The Writing Spirit: Scribbling Our Way into the New Year.”

The program started with a goal-setting activity facilitated by Mentor Naysan Albaytar. After the meals were served, attendees were encouraged to take their time listing their goals for the year, focusing on the writer they wish to become, their achievable goals, and a timeline for these goals.

The next activity was a fun “This or That” session led by Aiko Hara. Inspired by Boy Abunda’s popular “Fast Talk” format, the segment focused on writing journeys and projects. Questions included thought-provoking choices such as, “A Lesson Learned the Hard Way or A Lesson Taught by a Mentor?”

Since the participants were all writers, the activity also featured questions about the experience of being a published author, such as, "Would you like to be a traditionally published author or a self-published author?" Another thought-provoking question asked to one of our attendees was, "Would you want to be a best-selling author or an impactful author?"

The aim of this activity was to inspire writers and ignite ideas for potential writing projects. Attendees engaged in discussion, which guided them toward possible topics or themes for their writing. This session also helped participants clarify their thoughts and inspire new ideas for their memoirs or other writing projects.

The final activity was a group sharing session, where participants talked about the books they had read and currently reading, initiated by Coach JC Libiran. This stirred the hearts of our writers giving them ideas on what their next book splurge will be!

Additionally, everyone was asked to choose a one-word theme to describe or embody their intentions for the new year. One by one, participants shared their “word of the year,” explaining why they had chosen it and what it meant to them. Among the themes were Commitment, Discipline, Movement, Revolution, Surrender, and many more.

To conclude the event, Scribblorists danced to “Happy Together” by The Turtles, “Soda Pop” by the K-Pop Group Demon Hunters, and “Sapphire” by Ed Sheeran, with choreography led by American Line Dancer Maestro V. Allen Isidro (whose book will be launched very soon!). Talk about dancing writers, this something for the books, we would say! A perfect activity for us to push ourselves beyond our writing desks.

This celebration not only brought joy and inspiration but also helped writers set meaningful goals for the year ahead. The activities and shared experiences provided a supportive space for creativity, camaraderie, and growth.

Written by Aiko Hara and Nichelle Dizon

Edited by Elaine Marie Factor

Do you want to become a member of the Scribblory Writers Group?

Here’s your chance—join Memoir Writing Bootcamp (MWB) – Batch 7 and become one of our mentees! If you’ve always wanted to write a book about your life but find that “life itself” keeps getting in the way, MWB is for you. Enroll now and enjoy these perks:

• Establish a regular book-writing habit alongside fellow writers

• Participate in intensive memoir writing classes

• Join an accountability group you can stay connected with even after the bootcamp

• Receive a free digital copy of Scribbling from Memory

• Earn a Certificate of Completion

• Enjoy discounted editing services

• Access book launch, distribution, and marketing support