Hadji Light

My Writing Journey

Chapter 1: An Artist

I used to draw comics in elementary school, but my drawing was a complete mess. I also remembered that I was selling these comics for about 5 pesos. I don't remember having an income because I used to buy bond papers with the 5 pesos I had, and I'd use these bond papers to make comics.My mother also told me to pursue fine arts, but I was too young to understand that at the time. I only knew how to play games outside. HAHA.This is how my writing journey began.

Chapter 2: A Writer

Let's fast forward. I stopped making comics, so I didn't have the opportunity to improve my drawing skills. I simply thought it was a waste of time.When I was in 7th grade, I began telling stories through "words" rather than drawing or creating comics. I usually wrote stories about my classmates. They liked it, so I kept writing on paper and then shared it to them.Wattpad was a hot topic in my 9th grade. Many of my classmates had it installed on their phones. They were obsessed with a particular author and talked about it a lot during their free time. I was unfamiliar to Wattpad at the time. So, my classmates invited me to write stories on the platform because they knew that I write. After creating an account and engaging on the site, I did enjoy the experience. I also made new online friends, but I don't remember them now.But, just like what happened in my comics journey, I stopped.

Chapter 3: A Winner

Pandemic happened. Everyone was in their home. There were no classes. My best friend was my bed. My favorite pastime was sleeping. So I thought, why not try to write again? Why not try to revive my Wattpad account again? Luckily, I still remember my username and password.I deleted all of my previous stories and started new. Crossing Centuries was my most recent story at the time. I wrote that story in a hurry because I wanted to enter it in Wattys. It's Wattpad's annual competition. Under my new username, I created a Facebook page, a personal Facebook account, an Instagram account, and a Twitter account. There was a Wattpad user (I believe his/her username was j_eanon) commented and voted on the story from beginning to end. I was worried that he/she would not like it. Also, a girl named "Sam" chose my story for her "Pagsusuri" assignment in her Filipino class. I was both overwhelmed and overjoyed.Fast forward. I won Wattys. I didn't expect it. I just can't put into words how I felt when WattysPH messaged me. I was working my part-time night shift when I saw the message, and I had to take an hour off. It was truly a dream come true.

Chapter 4: A Star

Wattpad PH staff invited me to join the Stars Program after I won. I was extremely happy. I had only 500 followers that time so I didn't expect it. I imagined it would be the beginning of my writing career. I imagined myself as a true celebrity. But, these imaginations remained as imagination. Honestly, I felt somewhat sad. Even though I was a part of this, those authors who had a large following/fanbase were the ones who really benefitted from the program. But, I'm still thankful and grateful. Being part of Stars was a once-in-a-lifetime experience.It was not easy for me to become a Star. I was under pressure because I needed to monitor my social media activities because I signed an agreement. I also communicate frequently with my Facebook friends and readers, as well as my co-Stars. But I enjoyed the process.I was able to self-publish Crossing Centuries during this period of my life. Even though only a few people bought the book, perhaps twenty, I was still happy.Also, I won the Wattys again. I entered La Cota in the 2021 Wattys. I also didn't expect it to win because for me, La Cota's plot was not that good compared to others.Right now, I'm still enjoying the chapter 4 of my writing journey. And, I know this chapter will end soon. I will keep this page updated once this chapter ends.

Updates

New stories

July 30, 2022

These are my current projects for 2022 and 2023. Please stay tuned to this page for other announcements.