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Once upon a time, The Great Pause happened.

Brought about by the Covid-19 pandemic, this unprecedented period in our lifetime flustered just about anyone with its corresponding global lockdowns, school and business closures, travel bans, quarantines, mandatory stay-at-home measures, and separations happening worldwide.

We were all told to wait. To hide behind our masks while we wait for the virus to die of boredom and loneliness, or be insulted enough by our rude no-show tactics to finally take the hint and leave.

It’s weird, but instead of panic and fear, I found myself somewhat curious and comforted by the strangeness of this time. Instead of danger, I saw opportunity.

With The Great Pause, I found the chance to drop things that made my life too busy. I suddenly had unlimited time with loved ones and the freedom and good sense to revisit an old passion: writing.

You see, many years before the pandemic, I used to be a writer. My childhood dream was to be a writer. And true enough, I pursued this in school and in the early years after university. I used to write feature stories and essays and had a column in a local publication.

But then, as I advanced through life, a lot of things got in the way. Like romantic relationships. And travel. And Netflix. And more lucrative pursuits.

I left writing behind as I got sucked into the proverbial rat race of climbing the corporate ladder and, later on, minding a business.

After about 8 years of being stuck in a wordless rut — uninspired and silent — I thought I was done with writing for good.

But then The Great Pause happened. And like everyone else on lockdown, I was forced into introspection about…

…the things that really mattered;

…how life was indeed too short;

…and how memories, in the end, are what keep us going when most things are lost.

So, for the first time in what seemed like forever, I opened a word file again and started to write.

Firstly, for me to combat the current madness by remembering one of the most beautiful moments in my life. I wanted to honor the love I found unexpectedly by telling the story. I wanted a reminder that even if life and love are always in motion, we also have our constants — our family and our soulmate(s).

Secondly, I realized that the mind is a tricky thing, especially as we get older. So I wanted to preserve this beautiful memory in written words. I wanted to tell the story before I forgot it all. Hence the title, Forget Me Not: The Romance of Ayin & Will.

And so, it was in this strange time, in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic, that I finally grasped this elusive bit of happiness — writing and completing my first web series or creative non-fiction book!

Surprisingly, it was the easiest and most fun writing experience ever. And (just between you and me 🤫) I was so happy writing this particular web series without an editor or traditional publisher, too. You know what that means — no word limits or cuts. Just plain storytelling as much as my heart wanted to.

And I finished it! Can you imagine me writing over 100 pages, or more or less 35,000 words, in a span of weeks when I couldn’t even spare over 10,000 words in the past 8 years?

Who ever said this pandemic made people lazy? I never wrote more earnestly in my life.

And it didn’t stop there. It snowballed into Forget Me Not Series 2, and then two more completed novels set in a place close to my heart, Bottoms Up, Boracay (Season 1 Habagat and Season 2 Amihan).

While writing these, fueled by gallons of coffee, I also took breaks and spaced out from time to time, immersing myself in other people’s stories.

With The Great Pause (and many thanks to translators), I discovered the beauty and depth of Korean writers and the wonder of historical Chinese dramas. And because I couldn’t go to libraries and bookstores due to the lockdown, my thirst for reading led me to the many ebooks available online.

One time, there was this Chinese drama series that I particularly liked that was based on a novel. And since I often prefer reading the book version of any story, I searched for the translated book online. That’s when I discovered Wattpad, Dreame, WebNovels, and other English-reading platforms.

And so, while there were massive challenges, sickness, and pain in this confusing time, my crazy heart couldn’t stop smiling. For in The Great Pause, I had fallen madly and deeply in love with words or stories I would not have known otherwise.

And then one thing led to another. As I researched the authors of books I particularly liked, I stumbled upon this very intriguing concept: self-publishing.

A self-published author? What the hell was that?

I know, I know, I may be coming late to this game. But still, I placate myself with the thought that things happen when they’re meant to happen.

Suddenly, it’s like the universe conspired to draw me into this whole new world of indie publishing. I discovered more interesting stories by self-published authors, some of them Filipinos (yey!), who were generous enough to share their self-publishing stories and tips online.

And then I learned more from how-to ebooks, newsletters, and websites by, you know, a hundred or so (or it seemed like it!) other bestselling self-published authors on Amazon, Google Playbooks, and all those other amazing online bookstores.

From the many articles I’ve read, here are my three takeaways in a nutshell:

One, self-publishing is the new beast in the jungle, challenging the traditional lion kings of the publishing world. And it’s determined to stay and conquer.

Two, it’s a mad, confusing endeavor that is particularly fulfilling when done right.

Three, to borrow a Disney princess’ words, it’s “A whole new world / A new fantastic point of view / No one to tell us “No”, or where to go / Or say we’re only dreaming…”

Yeah, I particularly like the third one. What writer wouldn’t be tempted, right?

At the moment, I still have about 10 unwritten books hopping around in my head, waiting for me to flesh them out. On top of that, my partner and I are also trying to rebuild our business post-pandemic.

So if I wanted to get published, the sensible, practical thing to do would be to go the traditional route, submit my manuscripts, and, if accepted, let the professionals decide and handle the nitty-gritty details of getting my books out into the world and into your hands, right?

That way, I can just focus on writing my stories and other real-world demands.

And yet, here I am in the jungle, befriending this new animal, asking, “Where do I sign up?”