Writer's Catalog

yourdecem

Nagagalak ang RomancePH na ibahagi sa inyo ang aming interview kasama ang isa sa winners ng Begin with the End na si yourdecem! Mas kilalanin pa siya at malaman ang kanyang proseso sa pagsusulat sa interview na ito.

1. Ano ang iyong maipapayo sa ibang manunulat?

I have a lot of advice for other writers, but I'd like to grab this opportunity to emphasize the essence of 'you do you.' Write at your own pace. Do it at a speed that is convenient for you. You do not need to be as fast as other writers.

Usually, nakaka-pressure kasi talaga kapag makikita mo ang kapwa mo writer na mabilis mag-update. Halos araw-araw pa nga 'yong iba. Syempre nae-experience ko rin 'yon—ang ma-pressure sa bilis nila. But I always keep in mind not to compare myself to them. Iba-iba kasi tayo ng pacing, e. Depende rin sa mood and availability ng isang tao. Tulad ko, mabilis akong magsulat if I have all the time in the world and if hindi ako tinatamad. Pero usually, mabagal talaga akong magsulat. And I am okay with that.

Again, do not compare yourself to others. Do not rush things because you will eventually improve. You may not notice it now, but you surely are growing as time passes by. And most importantly, always do your best in every piece you write.

2. Ano ang pinakapaborito mong naisulat na akda sa ngayon at bakit?

Honestly, all the stories I have written are my favorite because all of them came from my creative imagination. But I have the most memorable one so far, Bound to Fall Apart. Third completed story ko na 'to, pero ito 'yong unang story na pinaghandaan ko talaga in terms of the content, like settled na from Prologue to Epilogue bago ko pa simulan. It was not the best, but I am happy and proud of how I was able to write the concept I've been thinking about for a long time. Dito ko rin na-discover at in-apply 'yong bet kong writing style. Ito 'yong pinaka-memorable so far kasi ito 'yong una kong story na naging eligible sa Wattys. It was my first time joining such a contest and I won.

3. What inspires you to write?

The idea of bringing my imagination to life inspires me to write. 'Yong mga naiisip kong concepts, whether or not possible in real life, gusto ko silang isulat. I want the audience to know that there are various certainties in life that might occur in a blink of an eye. We must also consider the people around us, such as how they might react or feel if we did something to them, mga ganoon. The life lessons that my stories hold are what motivate me the most.

4. What can you say about the prompt?

The prompt reminds me of a story I've already written. The idea is almost similar to my previous story. Familiar na ako ro'n sa prompt kaya hindi na ako masyadong nahirapan na gawan ulit ng kwento 'yon. It was something common, but then again, who doesn't enjoy cliché stories? Cliché concepts could still be one of a kind, depending on how the writer delivers or writes them.

5. How did you come up with Saying Goodbye While Waving Hello?

As I've said earlier, the concept of that story is almost similar to my previous one, which was something common. What I did was I thought of another storyline that connects to the prompt. I wrote Saying Goodbye While Waving Hello only for a day, pero pinagisipan ko pa rin 'yong magiging takbo ng kwento para maging kakaiba ito, kahit papaano, given the fact na may ibinigay na prompt as the basis.

6. How do one heal on their own?

It is very difficult for a person to heal on their own. Madaling sabihin pero sobrang hirap gawin. Pero lahat naman ay nagagawan ng paraan, 'di ba? As I see it, self-love is the best form of healing. Healing will follow if you learn to love yourself, and that is the best way to overcome deep wounds you have been trying to heal.

7. Kanino ka mas nakaka-relate? Kay Gretel o kay Wade? Sa paanong paraan?

I make sure that every character I create embodies a piece of me. So, I could say that I can relate to both of them. Gretel's independence in handling herself and how she feels on the inside, as well as her ability to make it seem as if she is okay when she is not, is something I can relate to. I can also relate to Wade on how low-key he handles the pain, even when it is truly hurting within, and how he would risk it again regardless of the uncertainties.

8. When did you start writing in Wattpad?

I started writing on Wattpad way back in 2012. Sobrang bata ko pa no'n! I was just 11 years old at that time. Ibang account pa gamit ko no'n. Natatawa pa nga rin ako hanggang ngayon sa tuwing naaalala ko 'yong mga pinagsusulat ko dati. I must admit, wala akong direksyon sa pagsusulat before. Sulat lang ako nang sulat pero wala naman akong matapos-tapos. Wala kasi akong kaalam-alam. I don't even know the purpose why I was writing. Nagsulat lang ako kasi uso. Sikat 'yong Wattpad that time, e, 'di ba? Eventually, I stopped.

2015 came and I decided to try again. I made a new account, which is itong ginagamit ko ngayon, pero iba pa 'yong username no'n. Kahit papaano ay nag-improve naman ako. I started planning my stories, kumbaga, may direksyon na. Kaso 'yon pa rin talaga, e. Wala akong matapos-tapos. Sa simula lang magaling. So, I stopped again. I focused on my acads lang muna. Hindi ko rin kasi ma-feel na I was a writer kasi nga hindi naman ako nakakatapos ng storya. It also felt like I wasn't destined for writing.

Little did I know, those struggles were my stepping stones...

It was May 2020 when I changed my username into something very significant to me. That was the time na nakikinig lang ako ng song tapos biglang may story idea na pumasok sa utak ko. It excites me because after a long time, parang bumalik 'yong spark. Hindi ko ma-explain, pero sobrang kakaiba sa pakiramdam! So, I tried again. And after many tries, that was the first time I was able to finish a story. I was thrilled. It wasn't the best, I know, but at least I was able to finish it. It all started there. Do'n ko nasabi na, "finally, I am a writer."

Siguro magtataka kayo kung bakit ang dami kong sinabi, e, isa lang naman 'yong tanong. It's because I didn't just start once, but several times. Ilang beses akong nagsimula ulit. My journey made me realize that I am destined for something, but I had to wait for the perfect timing.

9. How did you come up with your username?

Among all the usernames I've come up with, YOURDECEM is the only one that has been deeply significant to me. The spark between myself and writing rekindled when I started using this username, and this is where I've grown the most so far in my journey as a writer.

YOUR is a term that expresses something that has to do with people. I wanted to be someone remarkable who would leave a lasting impression and make a huge impact on people, most especially my readers. This term usually refers to a sense of belonging to someone, and if I were to be possessed by anyone, it would be those that appreciate and support my art wholeheartedly. DECEM, on the other hand, is short for December. Aside from the fact that it is the month in which I was born, I consider it as my luckiest month for the reason that all of my blessings seem to arrive around that time of the year.

To put it into simple words, YOURDECEM means someone who is luckily remarkable. Making these two significant words into one seems fascinating to me, and I see a bright future ahead of me in using it.

10. What is your message to Romance writers?

Keep writing stories about love. I believe that the romance genre is the most popular yet most common genre of all. But who does not want romance? Romance colors our dreams and fuels our desires. Love is cliché but timeless at the same time. It never goes out of style. Hindi naluluma ang pag-ibig. Keep on writing because many people out there desire to be loved and they could feel it through fiction. Let's give them the feels and the chills. Write your pieces full of love!