I Finished the 90-Day Book Writing Challenge and here’s why you (Aspiring Authors) should Join, too

Have you ever wanted to become an author? Then, you might consider joining the 90-day Writing Challenge of my mentor Sha Nacino. It’s worth it! Let me share with you my author story.

I had always wanted to be an author even before I knew how and why.

WE DIDN’T HAVE COLLECTION OF BOOKS AT HOME, except for the hardbound orange bible with colorful illustrations on its pages. I don’t remember seeing someone from the family ever read something, except for the Jai Alai ticket, which the old folks called Tip. Every day, that’s all they read. It’s got some numbers and drawings on it that they would analyze and guess what combination of 3 numbers would win the next day.

One day as I visited my classmate’s house, there flashed in my eyes a whole set of hard-bound encyclopedia that seemed like golden acorns. I was like that saber-tooth squirrel in the Ice Age movies that popped its eyes out of its socket after seeing a golden acorn. They were neatly piled on their shelves. I couldn’t get my eyes off of those treasures I saw. Out of selfish wish, I asked my father a set of encyclopedia as a present for my graduation in high school.  Of course, that didn’t happen! The dream of having my own encyclopedia in my own shelf remained a dream. I didn’t know encyclopedias would soon be extinct!

As a kid, I was fascinated with horror stories and stories about magic and fiction. Well, I was born and raised in the mystical island of Siquijor. When I got a job after college, the first thing I bought was a novel by Stephen King. The first fiction novel I ever read was Danielle Steel’s Full Circle, which took me 3 days to finish. The first non-fiction books that I adore were Bo Sanchez’s. I realized that words have magic. They brought me some crazy feelings. They brought me to tears. They inspired me.

I FELL IN LOVE WITH WRITING the moment I learned how to use a pen. We used to have a rusty typewriter at home. By just placing my fingers on its keyboard, imagining words coming out floating in the air, gave me a different kind of joy. Yes, I was Walter Mitty!

Whenever I couldn’t sleep, I would light a lamp and write until I would doze off with a pen in my hand. Whenever I wake up in the middle of the night bugged by a nightmare, I write. Whenever I see something I like or don’t like, I write instead of talking about it. If I write about something that bothers me, it relieves the tension in my head without having to bother anyone but myself. Perhaps writing is what kept me sane all these years. By the way, composing a status in Facebook is also writing!

I WAS NEVER THE BEST WRITER since elementary, high school, and until college. My writing was never a favorite of teachers. I was even told that my writing was one-dimensional or all-over-the-place. I didn’t know what it meant, but it didn’t sound good. It hurt my feelings; I’m quite sensitive, you know! Still, I continue to write not to please other people, not even my teachers, who gave me unsatisfactory grades at least to my expectations. I write because it is the one thing that makes my heart jump of excitement. Writing sharpens my senses. It makes me ponder on a lot of things. And I think it's made me a better person, but sorry I don’t know how to prove that!

Again I ask You, have you ever wanted to write and become an author?

Yes I wanted to write and become an author… “BUT I’m too busy at work. BUT I have no time. BUT I’m not inspired. BUT I’m not really good at it. BUT my grammar sucks. BUT nobody likes my writing.” These were my excuses. I never ran out of BUTs.

My biggest dilemma before joining the 90-Day Writing Challenge was procrastination. When you don’t have a system in writing you will procrastinate; you will easily give up; you will waste your time imagining “I wish I could be an author someday!”

In the 90-Day Writing Challenge, you will learn an Easy-to-Follow system in writing. It has worked for me and my other classmates. I was amazed at how the system made writing a book so easy. Being surrounded by like-minded authors is also very encouraging!

Sha Nacino is a prolific writer and a winning speaker. She is dubbed by Bro. Bo Sanchez as a wonder writer. She has written and published 8 books already; and I know another book is also on its way. She surely masters the system by heart! And oh, have I mentioned that she used to hate-ish writing? Numbers were her first love, that’s why she took a course in college that landed her a job for a bank. She learned the system and put it into practice. Now, she just wanted to bless other aspiring authors. How inspiring is that?

If you want to know more about the course, you can visit www.shanacino.com/write.

By the way, the fruit of my 90-Day Book Writing Challenge is already in Amazon. I’m happy to share it with you.

If I didn't join this course, perhaps I wouldn't be able to survive writing "How to Survive Mondays."

 

My National Bookstore Table

Photo courtesy: http://www.ulifeline.org/

"Frank, do you have a stapler? Do you have a staple-remover? Do you have a correction marker? Do you have bond paper? No, not this one, I want the A4-size paper! Do you have printer toner? The printer says toner is very low. What is the password of the copy machine? Why is there a password to this machine anyway?" Some people thought that my table was a one-stop shop and I was the custodian.

It was a bit late when I realized that having a desk near a printer and a photocopy machine could be stressful. 

Sometimes while concentrating on my tasks with a “do not disturb” look on my face, I would feel my monitor shake as if there were an earthquake. My desk was so close to the machines that people would accidentally elbow my monitor.

It was the busiest place in the office most of the time. Some would even stay there for a couple of minutes and chat as if it was a coffee lounge. 

Though I managed to ignore them most of the time, I still felt stressed out and distracted from my work. Sometimes I would find my desk littered with piles of crumpled paper. What was I, a garbage collector?

When the naughty side of me kicked in, I would hide the stapler in my drawer to try to show them that I was not a one-stop National Bookstore! Sometimes when the office became very noisy, I would take my laptop and work outside or in an empty conference room.

Stress is part of our jobs. Your boss can be a little too demanding, your direct reports can be stubborn or your co-workers can be self-centered and sometimes insensitive to your needs. The monotony of your job, the people around you, or even the physical environment can trigger your stress. Work and stress are inseparable.

Sometimes it’s not what you do that drains your energy. You cannot eliminate or control some of the things that cause you stress. But how you deal with them makes all the difference.

You need to give yourself a break from what causes you stress. Hide the stapler if that's what you need, unless you're the official stapler provider in your office. Don't take stress too seriously.


Let me know what you think and drop a comment below. I would be excited to see it.

By the way, I am happy to share with you this book in Amazon. It's the product of what I had been doing secretly away from people. To get a copy, just click the image below:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0080NB0Q2/ref=abs_add_sc_?smid=A3T7DQBB0CKEM6

The Steamy Commute

Last summer I experienced what it was like to be inside an oven. It was only ten in the morning and I was already dripping wet with sweat. I could smell my cologne and it smelled like rotten seaweed. I could feel my underarms leaking profusely.

Photo courtesy: https://rovingrani.wordpress.com/

Four people were tightly squeezed on each 3-seater row. There was skin-to-skin contact with the other passengers. Together we jumped from our seats as we rode along the bumpy roads which had been under construction for months. For a second I accidentally touched someone else's wet armpit. Of course, I was also generous enough to let my fellow passengers touch mine!

My aim was to be in the city to do some bank transactions, shopping and relaxing. While inside the van, I imagined being massaged. It was a placebo to temporarily forget the challenging 1-hour commute.

Another remedy I found effective was to plug myself in to my music. However, sometimes the driver would play loud Sunday music from his stereo, even though it wasn’t Sunday. Another option was to gaze out the window and enjoy the countryside. The sight of clouds, mountains and green fields is calming.

However, I was seated at the back row, my least favorite place inside the van, where the chance to enjoy the beautiful countryside was slim. So the only choice I had was to smile at my fellow passengers. That way I knew that I wasn't alone inside the oven. I found out that a weight shared by two or more people becomes lighter.

Commuting from our place to the nearest city can be quite a challenge.

Just like commuting, your job can have several unpleasant situations. Instead of complaining about the situation and dwelling on its unpleasantness, imagine what lies ahead of that journey. Remember that everything is simply part of your employment journey.

Whatever it takes, you have to do anything to keep your positive spirit and your sanity in good condition. Optimism is important to endure the inevitable bumpy side of life.

Check this out... My first book is in Amazon!