Pinoy Wasteland

Author’s note: I have the highest respect for all writers regardless of what they write. Period.

It’s one of my girlfriend’s brilliant ideas.

We were in a bookstore looking at books. “Bakit hindi kaya tayo magsulat ng pocketbook?”

Browsing along through the lengthy row of pinoy pocketbooks (yung mga 30-50 pesos), we were laughing at the covers and the frequent use of Taglish. So ganun pala ang uso ngayon sa Filipinong Panitikan ngayon.  Sabi ni Meow, may mga estudyante na nagsusulat ng pocketbook bilang panustos sa kanilang pag-aaral nung college siya.

You can actually submit stories and it can be published. I remember when I want to cheer up my female friends after fighting with their lovers.

Magkikita kayo sa mall. Tapos magtitigan kayo pero di mo siya papansinin, pero kinikilig ka na…. hahabulin ka nya sa escalator. “Mahal mo pa ba ako?” Pero sasabihin mo, “huli na ang lahat…” Tatalikod siya ng nakababa ang ulo pero di mo siya natiis at sinundan mo siya! And plenty more  horrid details using ridiculous cliches that they always found amusing. Magsulat daw ako ng pocketbook!

So, why not try?

May naisip na ako na nom de plume. Komento ni Meow parang mga pangalan lang ng mga contestant na sasali sa gay beauty pageant, they actually remind me of porn stars (or boldstar names). I thought of the sluttiest name conceivable. Friends I have told it to laughed out loud. Pokpok daw ang dating. Nakakahiya siguro aminin if matapos at i-publish  yung kalokohan na sinusulat ko.

So I took into consideration the readership of Pinoy Romance novels. It has to be easy to read and a bit sappy. I can be sappy! I am good at being sappy. Gumnamit din ako ng Taglish, gumamit din ako ng mga kakaibang pangalan, gumawa ako ng mga glamorosang characters na mahilig mag-Taglish and for a 4-page unfinished draft, I have to admit it was juicy if you’re into melodrama and stuff.

I created a story in my mind, and I was able to write continuously. I guess the hardest part was trying to describe sexual attraction from a woman’s perspective. It was weird. Really weird, I felt I was not myself anymore.

So I stopped writing. I think I am too old to develop any more alter egos lalo na kung isang lovelorn woman, and I used to think I am sensitive and in touch with the feminine side.

I had Meow read the story, she was not able to finish it. She told a friend it was funny but judging from her expession, she was cringing. It was a far cry from the unpublished speculative fiction that I attempted writing. As she cringed, it crossed my mind. I think I am gonna be good at it. I guess I have little bit more respect to romance writers. I think I am gonna fare better with Pinoy erotica. Siguro pag wala na lang talaga akong magawa.

This entry was posted on Tuesday, July 7th, 2009 at 2:02 pm and is filed under writing. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.