It was more than 15 years ago, in October 1991, when I first learned about Filipino romance novels. I didn't even know there was such a thing.
Truth was, I wasn't into romance novels at all before I became a mom. While my high school classmates were reading Harlequin and Silhouette romances, I was reading my Dad's pocketbooks - the likes of The Godfather, Leon Uris novels, biographies. In college, I was a student activist and read mostly political tomes.
When I got married and had our first baby, I decided to become a work-at-home mom. I didn't want to miss anything in my child's growing years. In between freelance projects I spent my free hours (while my baby slept) reading. Buying books was not in our budget, though, so I rented pocketbooks instead. After a while, I had already gone through practically everything in the neighborhood book rental's shelves, except for the romance novels. It was better than having nothing to read so I gave in.
Was I in for a surprise. I actually enjoyed reading them! And went back for more, and more, and more...
So by the time I found out about Filipino romance novels, I was already an avid reader of romance novels in English. (I was also already a mother of two.)
I actually found out about the existence of Filipino romance novels only when I saw some of the top Filipino romance writers in a noontime talk show. They talked about their work and something immediately clicked in my head. This was something I could do!
I had always loved creative writing. I was fortunate enough to have enrolled in courses taught by some of the masters of Philippine literature while in college. Francisco Arcellana, Rogelio Sicat, Amelia Lapena Bonifacio, Gemino Abad. I was so much in awe of my teachers, though, that I would always feel blocked when trying to attempt writing anything seriously "literary."
Popular literature was something else, though. It wasn't as intimidating to me. Besides, after having read A LOT of romance novels in such a short period of time, I felt I already knew what I wanted and what I didn't want from a romance.
So off we went to the ongoing Philippine Book Fair, my husband and I with our three-year-old daughter and seven-month-old son. I bought several books from various Filipino romance publishers.
After reading through the sampling I bought, I found that the Valentine Romances titles by Books for Pleasure Inc. were closest to the kind of romances I wanted to write.
We borrowed a pc from my brother-in-law and I spent the next month writing my first novel, Karugtong ng Kahapon. (I'm not in the proper frame of mind to make a romantic translation right this minute but it roughly means 'Continuing from Yesterday.' Sounds awful when put that way huh? Trust me, it sounds poetic and romantic in the original Filipino.)
When the manuscript was accepted for publication, I was ecstatic. I immediately worked on a second, which was also accepted. Upon acceptance of my third novel and only some three months after I first submitted, BFP Inc. offered me a contract.
That was the start of a very fulfilling career that I intend to nurture for as long as I can think straight enough to imagine a romance.
I wish the same for Mika and all you aspiring romance writers. You'll never regret going for it.
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Technorati tags: Filipino romance novel, Philippines, work at home, romance and relationships, writing, work, blog, blogs, blogging, weblog
2 comments:
Hay... Nakakatuwa naman 'tong post mo, Maia! Ako naman I've been writing since HS pa but didn't have the courage to get my works published. For my eyes only kasi ang mga novels ko hehe.. But when my bestfriend started reading one of my novels chapter by chapter... her response boosted my confidence! Ayun, got the courage na rin :)
Do you know Arielle, that popular author? Love her novels din! Pero kayo ni Helen Meriz ang mga binabasa ko talaga and are my inspirations :)
Thanks for the support, Sasha! I do miss Helen. She was a very good friend and I miss reading her novels, as well. Arielle is a good writer, too, although we've never met. Do you have a published novel? Let me know so I can read it and write about it :-)
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