To blog or not to blog?? TO BLOG!!

When did I start writing?

My 9th Muse advised me that this one should be my first post. However, I felt the need to, at least, dedicate a post to the people I look up to here in Blogspace. So even if this post is past due, still, here it goes..

It started out in 5^th grade... There was this contest... Not the typical writing contest though... We were given a set of 3 pictures (picked in random). We would, then, think of how these 3 pictures are connected to each other or if they have something in common. Then, we’d have to write about it in essay form. This was impromptu, by the way, and time is of the essence. In short, I qualified, but I didn’t make the final cut.

6^th grade Journalism class, I was enthused to write! I was thinking this was another shot. Editorial Writing was the prized category then, and the prestige of being named Editor-in-Chief was at stake. I gave it my best shot. I didn't qualify for Editorial. The adviser told me not to worry, and try Feature Writing instead. I remember, I got sick, missed a couple of writing workshops, and lost the Feature Writer post. The only post left was Proofreader. After a few sessions, I quit.

Freshman year in high school, there was an open invitation for the school paper. I tried Feature Writing, but I didn’t get in.

Sophomore year, there was a major project — a stage play… I’m, clearly, not a thespian, so I tried scriptwriting… Unfortunately, the playwright in me didn’t manifest on my work… A sudden turn of events, however, led me to be Director of the play.

Junior & Senior Year, the kind of writing that I get to do was Government Resolutions and Business Correspondences.

In college, the only writing I got to do was Technical Writing. And, yeah, that’s way different than creative writing. But what I loved during Technical Writing were the drills on the early parts of the semester. We get to write whatever we want. Two of my stories were chosen, and I got to read them in front of the class. They were entitled: “Of Love & War” and “Casting Uneven Shadows”. It was the time of my life. My story being chosen is one thing; but reading it in front of the class, it was priceless. For some reason, my professor favored “Of Love & War.” But after reading “Casting Uneven Shadows” in front of the class, I could tell it was the crowd favorite.

In 2004, I started writing a story: “Tales of Laccolithia”. I was able to write only until Chapter 6, and then I stopped. A year after, GMA’s Engkantadia was aired. Sadly, some parts of my story were the same. [Madam Chuni, this was when I realized that it is possible for writers to think about the same things to write about.]

It was the year 2006, when my father lost his battle with cancer. It was the lowest low of my life. Sadness engulfed me, and I felt like I’ve lost my will to live. I had to have means to express/ release deep sorrow & grief, or else I fear losing my wits if not my life. I started to write: “I Sought God at the Corner of the Anteroom.” But it was too painful to write about it. So I stopped.

I started writing again in 2009. My story was entitled "Annals of the Monarchs." The last I wrote was Chapter 9 on February 2011. And that was it. Two years and nine chapters later, here I am wondering if I should ever put up a blog or not. I've been turned down a number of times. I'm a failure. I'm lazy. I sometimes lack the motivation.

But my two of my Muses (#1 and #9) encouraged me to write/blog.. So here I am..

This is me sharing my life's brews with you...