Thursday, September 10, 2015

PinoyWriMos: JustWritePH For the Feels Excerpts (1/2)


The #JustWritePH workshop, which ran from July 1 to August 8, 2015, challenged participants to write a story and prepare it for publication in a little under 6 weeks. Tips and lessons were delivered online & in person, and now these stories are available in bundles on online e-book shop Buqo.

Title: For the Feels
Authors: Lee Miyaki (Kim Derla), Maria Criselda Santos, iamloid, and Kristine Cuevas

About the Bundle:
The feels come in all shapes and sizes, with a million different unique stories for every kind. Experience bitter feels, forbidden feels, pretend feels and young feels in this four-story bundle that’s sure to tug at your heartstrings. Features "13th Prayer" by Lee Miyaki, "Never the Princess" by Maria Criselda Santos, "My Ampalaya Story" by iamloid, and "A Bump in Athena's Life" by Kristine Cuevas.


Here's an excerpt from Lee Miyaki's 13th Prayer:

Hindi ako paladasal. Hindi rin ako palasimba. Hindi rin ako mabait. Sa katunayan nga, binyag, Pasko, at tuwing may okasyon lang ako nakakapasok ng simbahan. Wala eh, hindi naman kasi ako relihiyoso tulad ng iba. Normal lang akong tao.

Eiffel ang tawag nila sa akin kahit pa Irish Faith Lim ang tunay kong pangalan. Relihiyoso ang nanay at tatay ko. Sa katunayan, pareho silang officers sa aming parokya. Samantalang akong nag-iisang anak nila, hindi ganoon karelihiyosa. Sa palagay ko, tama nang magsimba ako isang beses sa isang linggo. Minsan, pilit na pilit pa ako noon. Eh kasi, hindi naman ako katulad nila Nanay at Tatay. Hindi ako mabait.

Lagi akong nagtatago kapag niyayaya nila akong magsimba. Lagi akong nakipaghahabulan kina nanay bago ako sumama sa kanila. Kulang na nga lang ay itali nila ako para maisama nila ako sa simbahan. Sobrang pilit talaga ang pagsisimba ko.

Noong nag-college ako, mas madalang na akong sumama kina Nanay sa simbahan. Minsan, hindi na rin ako nakapagsisimba. Syempre, nagagalit si Nanay. Hindi raw ako marunong mag-manage ng oras ko. Eh bakit naman raw sila, maraming ginagawa, pero nakakapunta pa rin ng simbahan.

Naging matabang ang pakikitungo sa akin ni Nanay. Si Tatay naman, ayos lang. Pero, inaalala ko si Nanay. Ayokong magtampo siya sa akin habambuhay. Kaya naman, pagkatapos kong makauwi galing sa university para sa NSTP, dumiretso ako ng simbahan. Napilitan lang ako dahil ayoko talagang pumupunta nang madalas doon dahil may pumupunta naman nang taga-simbahan sa amin.

Aba, ilang araw na nga ba akong hindi nakapunta rito? Mukhang maraming nagbago. Ibang-iba na nga ang lahat. Pati mukha ng tao, ibang-iba na rin. Halos kaunti na lang ang kakilala ko.

“Miss, excuse me. Kilala mo ba si Father Alex?” Isang binata ang nagtanong sa akin. Nakasuot siya ng puting t-shirt at jeans. Maayos ang kanyang buhok. Maputi siya at pansin kong medyo mapula ang labi niya para sa isang lalaki.

“Hanapin mo,” matabang kong sagot sa kanya. Bukod sa hindi ko siya kilala, hindi rin ako pinalaking nakikipag-usap sa mga lalaki. Medyo boyish kasi ako. Basta, hindi ko ginustong makipag-usap sa kanila.




Here's another excerpt, this time from Maria Criselda R. Santos' Never the Princess:

It was another supposedly another sleepy afternoon in Physics class at San Mateo School for Science and the Arts (SMSAS) had Mr. Royce Cornejo not interrupted Ms. Tejera’s monotonous explanation of speed and acceleration. The English teacher and IV-Mahogany’s adviser cleared his throat and apologized for knocking, while Ms. Tejera abruptly stopped speaking and stepped aside to give room for him.

A slip of paper in hand, the tall and lanky adviser addressed his students and dropped the bomb half of the class had been waiting for:

The JS prom is three weeks away.

Exaggerated groans came mostly from the boys while sighs and protests came from the girls.

“Let’s have a Taylor Swift theme!” cried one girl, the class treasurer.

“Yuck!” cried another.

“Are we really going to wear tux, Sir?” asked another boy. The anxiety is his voice was too obvious not to be noticed.

Mr. Cornejo looked at Ms. Tejera helplessly, but the latter just shrugged at him.

The class has never been this excited. Sure, they jumped for joy when classes were suspended. They also got a little hyper when the seniors won in the cheerleading competition, besting out even the participants from the college department. But for IV-Mahogany, no subject or extracurricular activity is as worth waiting for as the JS prom.

“I can now wear the heels my Mom bought for me!” squealed Trish, who is seated beside a grim-looking bespectacled girl with curly hair. For Meryll, the prom is nothing to be excited about.

“I’d rather stay home and read.”

Trish looked aghast. “Don’t be such a spoilsport, Meryll. Come on, it’ll be fun!”

Meryll just sighed and concentrated on the Physics book on her desk. In her peripheral vision, she could see Justin de Mesa, basketball maverick and campus cutie, giving his seatmate a high five.


Like what you've read so far? You can purchase JustWritePH's For the Feels bundle here or you can join the Rafflecopter promo below to win a FREE copy!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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