Filipino Friday: Have you ever wanted to write a book?

Hey, guys, it's Friday again! And that means another Filipino Friday meme! Here's my take on week 2.

As a reader, have you ever thought about writing a book? What kind of books/stories do you want to write? Or are you now a published author, and what compelled you to go fulfill this dream? How was your journey from reader to writer? How did you go about getting your book out there?

Ever since I finished reading my first book (a Nancy Drew mystery), I've always been fascinated by the magical powers of books and how they make me feel like I'm right then and there where the action happens. I only explored writing when I was in my sophomore year in high school and my English teacher noticed how much I was into it. My grammar was probably deplorable that time, but my teacher nevertheless encouraged me to continue doing it. She even asked me to write (in behalf of our class) a card for our retreat master which I read in front of everyone at the end of our retreat. When people ask me how I knew I wanted to write and become a writer, I always go back to that moment. And now that I've self-published my first novella (thanks to Mina Esguerra's #romanceclass), I feel like this is just the beginning. 

This is why I have so much respect for teachers, particularly for literature and English instructors. Writing back then was something I just considered a hobby, something that I could do to pass time or chose to abandon when I didn't feel like doing it. But that one, simple encouragement had a significant impact in my life that changed me in a profound way. 

I believe a good writer has to be an avid reader. You can't have one without the other. That's why I think writing is a profession worth pursuing if you've got the passion and determination. I can't stress enough that it's hard work, not to mention a risky thing because you give a piece of yourself whenever you commit your words into paper. It takes guts, an open mind, and a hunger to learn in order to become a writer, and even more hard work to be better in your craft. 

I know everyone's got a story in them waiting to be written, so I always encourage people, whether friends or acquaintances, to pursue it because it's always a worthwhile endeavor.

Having said that, I just realized that yesterday was In Over Her Head's book birthday! Thank you, day job, for making me miss it. Haha.