Congratulations to the Rotor Awards for Literature finalists!

I had so much fun writing the story. The process took me at least two to three months, since I'm a slow writer. I lived in my character's head during those times. After submission (because at some point, I just had to accept that there would always be errors in grammar or syntax, and improvements could always be made), I'd almost forgotten all about the story, the way I would temporarily forget about my students the moment the semester ends and a new one begins. I had, in a sense, already moved on. 

Last Friday I received the news from my chat groups that my work is a finalist to this prestigious competition. It was when I'd remembered "Nap9" again. 

What amplifies my joy is seeing friends on this list: Dr. Elvie, who had just won a Palanca for a children's short story, and whose poetry I adore; and Dr. Mich, whose novel ("Before High School Ends") I have yet to read. Shipping seems to take a very long time, and I can't wait to read her young adult fiction.

In the non-fiction category, I'm glad to see the names of Dr. Rey, who excels in both fiction/non-fiction categories, having published his stories in the Free Press; and Ma'am Sonia, who was a mentor during my training in Internal Medicine at the Philippine General Hospital, and whose work was included in a post-pandemic special issue of The Filipino Internist. 

The reward of writing is the process of living in my created world. In my imaginations, I am grasping for the tone and words to share with the reader what I see and hear from that window of life. This is then followed by the satisfaction of having written. But I am thrilled—and for this, I give thanks to God Almighty, from Whom all the great stories emerge—to be recognized.