From Jo-Ann Maglipon's "Writing and Ricky Lee:"

As writer, he was big time, and so could've left well enough alone. Instead, he plunged in. Taught everywhere he was invited, and then gave his welter of activities form with his Writers Studio, which from 1982 till the present counts 800 workshoppers through 14 batches.

Those workshoppers took over Ricky's life.

They picked his brains.

Ate his food and copied his CDs.

Borrowed his films and books and sometimes forgot to return them.

Owned his house every Sunday for two to three months.

And they got it all for free.

After every workshop, Ricky was wiped out.

But he did it anyway because, he says, a long time ago other writers did the same for him.

"At hanggang ngayon, the writer needs to know na hindi siya nag-iisa. A writer is always rejected, demeaned, discredited. His parents think he's a bum. His employers don't pay him in full. His name is misspelled. O kaya nakakalimutan o di nabubuo sa credits. Totoo 'yan, ilang beses na. Di 'yan nangyayari sa artista o direktor. Kahit ngayon, tingnan mo pag may gathering of more than three scriptwriters. Panay gripes maririnig mo. Kumpara mo sa gathering ng mga direktor. Sila nagkukuwentuhan; mga writer, namomroblema."

Because this is where Astrid and I came from, and true, it's sort of a refuge to be with other people who have the urge to write. The only difference is, this workshop is going to be bigger than any of the other batches before it. It's going to be a tie-up with ABS-CBN, which is footing the bill to the tune of a speculated one million pesos. Yes, they're investing in their writers now. And I that's always a good thing, supporting beginning writers. Saving grace indeed.

I don't know if they'll still get to hang out in Ricky's library, which was the best thing about that workshop for me, aside from the people I met and became friends with, of course.