Friday, October 10, 2008

Published!

and no, it's not a scrapbook layout. :-)

I won't say that I've had dreams of becoming a writer since I was a kid. In fact, in one of those Reading and Language essays we were often forced to write (anyone here who didn't have to write "What I Did On My Summer Vacation" ad nauseam, raise your hand), I distinctly remember writing I wanted to be a lawyer when I grew up. I also remember I chose that profession randomly. I was just so tired of being expected to know what I wanted to be in the future at the tender age of eight. I prefer my Papa's (grandfather) adage, which he sang to us any chance he got - que sera sera. Whatever will be, will be. The future's not ours to see...

I think my love for writing developed as an offshoot of my passion for reading. In high school, I wrote for our school newsletter "The Melting Pot", won in many essay competitions, including in the National Secondary Schools Press Conference, and was Features editor when I graduated. These contributed to my dream of becoming a writer, much to my father's consternation. My father wanted me to take up medicine to follow in his footsteps. I remember we had a huge argument when I sent in my UPCAT (University of the Philippines) application form with B.A. Journalism as my course of choice. But spoiled brat that I was, I ultimately prevailed.

But I didn't feel happy in the Institute of Mass Communications. I wasn't entirely sure I was meant to be a journalist. I wanted to be a writer and there is a huge difference. My favorite teacher Rene O. Villanueva told me that if I wanted to be a writer, I was in the wrong course. That was all the reason I needed to change course. That summer I decided to make my father happy and shift to pre-med. I entrusted my papers to a friend who was also shifting. By some strange twist of fate, she decided at the last minute to shift to B.S. Economics. She submitted my papers with hers and since I didn't want to incur my family's wrath by shifting again, I stayed there for the next three years. Writing about the effects of devaluation on the trade balanc and the balance of payments (that was my graduation thesis, but don't ask me what the effects are) instead of essays and stories. I consoled myself then that I can always write if I really wanted to write. I now know that writing is a vocation that needs to be nurtured and fed. You need to make room for it in your life.

I must thank the readers of this blog for giving me faith and confidence in my writing abilities. This blog has been my creative outlet, not only in scrapbooking but in writing as well. And thanks to Sheryl's KAYA challenge, 3 wishes, I took baby steps to making one of my dreams come true.

In February 2008, I wrote Good Housekeeping Philippines for an opportunity to write for their magazine. They immediately came back to me and requested an article for their Blessings column. I submitted my article ASAP and after months of waiting, my article was finally published in their September 2008 issue. I am now "published in a widely circulated local magazine." That's one wish down, two to go. Well, actually if I win in the Lotto, I wouldn't need to wish for an international fellowship. I will be a scholar of my own foundation. LOL.


I hope that this is the beginning of a life-long dream although I know that this time I will have to work at it. I have had some people tell me to let it go for their own selfish reasons. I'm glad that I never listened to any of them.

The title of the article will be familiar to many of you. I also created a layout about this last August and it was featured in Scrapbytes.


Funny, we bought that pink dollhouse when Diego was a toddler. No signs of the girls then yet. Diego had fun sleeping in that thing. We also used it as a shelf for his baby things.

12 comments:

Anonymous said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Anonymous said...

yeah! its much better,

marjorie said...

sis!!! congratulations! for getting published and sa scrappinmoms. niwey, grabe, i attended the NSSPC too! sa photo journalism. then sa feature writing, sa RSSPC naman. so, kwento ka pa ha. and thanks for the visit. i miss our chat. take care!

Anonymous said...

beautiful layout!!!

Airees said...

Congratulations, Lee! I'm so happy for you. Its never too late to achieve those dreams. You are a prolific writer, in fact, I learned quite a few new words from your blog entries. :) Keep it up and goodluck! All the best. Pag nagpublish ka na ng book, isa ako sa unang pipila para magpa-autograph! :)

symbelly said...

wow! hope they make you a regular in their mag.

take care.

Nita Ang said...

I always knew you had talent in writing. I love your wit and reading your blog entries is always a delight :D I am so proud of you, Lee. Do keep submitting your materials to the magazines. You have a wonderful talent that should be shared with everyone. I am sure your readers will see the same talent w/c has been obvious to all your scrapbooking friends all along. This is only the start of your writing career and I am so excited for you. Warm hugs!

scrapgurl14 said...

Congrats Lee!

I've always dreamed of getting published too. I used to be a news writer myself (highschool). But never got to pursue it either. Maybe I changed...

I love reading your posts. And I am really not surprised that you got published. Keep up the good work!

Anonymous said...

hey, lee! you know that it;s only a matter of time :)

congrats - dreams are for weaving and it's your time to SHINE!

Freethinker said...

Congrats, Lee! Glad to know that Kaya January was sorta instrumental in all this. Come to think of it, lapit na Dec, I wonder who'll win my RAK?:-)

Benga said...

Cheers to you Lee! You deserve that spot and you're born to be a writer! Agree ako kay Nita, sa blog pa lng me spark na tlga, lalo na sa mga scrap journals mo keep it up and go ahead and live your dreams! suportahan taka ;)

tnapay said...

it is never late for a 'congratulations'. :)



"When we are dreaming alone it is only a dream. When we are dreaming with others, it is the beginning of reality."