Writer's Block
I used to be a staff member in Insight, our high school magazine; the PRO of the 2000 Augustinian Yearbook, became a staff member of the 2003 Benildean Yearbook and a features writer for our office magazine back in Shell. There's this column in the Philippine Daily Inquirer called Young Blood and when I was first introduced to it I had the urge to write something and submit an entry (well of course there was the Php 10,000 consideration of getting paid when your article is published). BUT I'm afraid I'm not a good writer, or it's just that I'm not good enough.
A short story I wrote back in first year high school was published in our school magazine. It was only to my surprise that that story got published for I wrote it as part of my application and I was also too unsure that the story was good. In my opinion, well probably in my opinion NOW, it was all too cheesy. And yet back then it was good enough to get published and to consider that the story I submitted was only part of my application!
When I was in grade school (don't remember what year level though) we had to write an essay regarding some topic. I was with some of my classmates eating lunch in the cafeteria when I was writing it and I got a compliment from one of my companions telling me that I'm lucky that I get to write such a long essay. I answered that what I was writing was based on my experience and we left it at just that. A few weeks later another classmate of mine told me to go to the lecture room for the essay writing contest. I had no idea that my English teacher included my name in the list of contestants. Pressured I experienced a "writer's block" and had to submit a not so good essay.
A few years back while I was cleaning my room I came across an old notebook of mine which I curiously leafed through. I saw there an introduction to a story which I wrote many years back (around 10 years ago?!). The story was quite good though and when I turned over the next few pages I realized it's one of those stories that I didn't finish. I tried to continue the story only to find out that the essence of the story wasn't in me anymore and that it was just hard to continue something that you've long forgotten to do.
I came into the realization that I write because I feel like writing and that I wanted to put my thoughts down in words. Maybe there will come a time that I could bring back the writer in me and maybe just try to submit something despite my inhibitions that the article might not be good enough only to my surprise to see it get published.
A short story I wrote back in first year high school was published in our school magazine. It was only to my surprise that that story got published for I wrote it as part of my application and I was also too unsure that the story was good. In my opinion, well probably in my opinion NOW, it was all too cheesy. And yet back then it was good enough to get published and to consider that the story I submitted was only part of my application!
When I was in grade school (don't remember what year level though) we had to write an essay regarding some topic. I was with some of my classmates eating lunch in the cafeteria when I was writing it and I got a compliment from one of my companions telling me that I'm lucky that I get to write such a long essay. I answered that what I was writing was based on my experience and we left it at just that. A few weeks later another classmate of mine told me to go to the lecture room for the essay writing contest. I had no idea that my English teacher included my name in the list of contestants. Pressured I experienced a "writer's block" and had to submit a not so good essay.
A few years back while I was cleaning my room I came across an old notebook of mine which I curiously leafed through. I saw there an introduction to a story which I wrote many years back (around 10 years ago?!). The story was quite good though and when I turned over the next few pages I realized it's one of those stories that I didn't finish. I tried to continue the story only to find out that the essence of the story wasn't in me anymore and that it was just hard to continue something that you've long forgotten to do.
I came into the realization that I write because I feel like writing and that I wanted to put my thoughts down in words. Maybe there will come a time that I could bring back the writer in me and maybe just try to submit something despite my inhibitions that the article might not be good enough only to my surprise to see it get published.