Have You Seen This Girl

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Author's Note (April 8, 2021):

Hello, reader. Yes, ikaw na nagbabasa ng sinulat kong istorya na ito. Marahil kaka-add mo lang sa library mo ng librong ito at excited ka ng basahin ito. Or baka naman nabasa mo na 'to noon at plano mo lang magre-read. Bago 'yan, hayaan mo muna akong mag-litanya. Okay lang ba? :)

I'm putting this author's note today, April 8, 2021. This means that it has already been 9 years since I started to pen HYSTG (2012), and 6 years since I finished writing HYSTG 2 (2015).

Why am I saying this? Because I want you to be prepared and to be (hopefully) forgiving of my writing style on this story. This is my first ever story. And I don't have a writing background before this. As in, nada. Zero. Waley. Bokya. Hahaha. 

Honestly, nagki-cringe ako every time I read the old chapters of HYSTG 1 and 2. It feels like looking at my high school jeje photos, gano'ng levels. Imagine the horror? Yes, me, too.

Along the way, you will see my I-want-to-close-my-eyes-please-don't-tell-me-I-wrote-this kind of writing. To tell you the truth, when I started creating this story, I only wrote things down and published the chapters in Wattpad without having a story outline at the beginning. Without proofreading them before posting. Without having an idea how to write properly. I had no context of editing, double-checking my grammar, proper use of punctuations, and capitalization. And I'm afraid, so much more. 

This pains me. More than it will ever pain you. You'll experience second-hand embarrassment, I'm telling you. 

I am aware that I have grammatical, technical, and typographical errors such as: 

* staffs/stuff instead of staff/stuff

* ng instead of nang, vice versa

* dito, diyan, doon, daw instead or rito, riyan, roon, raw (and vice versa)

* where instead of were

* their instead of there

* hear instead of here

* two instead of too

* this instead of these

* her instead of his

- AND MANY MORE (including plotholes). 

I can give more examples, but I guess you already know what I mean. :)

Do also excuse the godforsaken spacing and my cringe-worthy shenanigans which are not exactly grammatically/typographically/technically incorrect, but you know, they could've been penned better.

But, if you are forgiving enough, as you bear the pain of all these, you will see how much I've grown as a writer. As you walk with the characters and as you unravel each chapter, you will see na slowly, nag-improve naman ako. Kahit papaano kasi from 2012 to 2015, may mga na-learn naman na akong bagay-bagay. Pero honestly and genuinely, I can say na mas naging better ang writing style ko sa mga stories ko AFTER HYSTG 1 and 2. (Refer to IWHTBY and LLL for reference.) 

Actually, if I were to sum up my writing journey, this meme will be the perfect example:

HAAHAHAHAHAHAHA

But more than those cringe-worthy errors, there are also certain points of view, statements, opinions, mindsets, and beliefs that I used to have when I was writing HYSTG-which I no longer believe in now. I had a change of heart. Change of perspective. I grew up. I matured as an individual. I'm sorry in advance if you will be offended by them. I was, too, when I reread the story. Marami 'yan, promise. Kaya sorry na in advance, ha. Aayusin ko 'to. No shame in changing perspectives and opinions naman, 'di ba? 

And with that, I want to inform you that I am planning to edit HYSTG 1 and 2 in the future. (Maybe after LLL, my current ongoing story as of writing—April 8, 2021). Why you may ask. Because I want to have inner peace. HAHA. My 2021 self wants her sanity back. Lol. But more than that, I love Have You Seen This Girl and its characters so much that I want to give these books the justice they deserve. 

What can we expect from the soon-to-be EDITED/REVISED Version?

* Better writing style on the technical aspect (spacing, punctuations, capitalizations, spelling, and more) 

* Better grammar (both in Filipino and English)

* Consistent POV (Jillian na lang. Wala ang 3rd Person POV at walang ibang characters—except for special chapters) 

* Fixes on the plotholes

* Reduced chapters (Since wala nga akong context ng story outlining dati, these stories have become unnecessary long. Sobrang daming chapters tapos iyong iba, per chapter, ang ikli lang. Parang ewan talaga ako noon. Hahahaha. Sorry na. So with the new one, mas magiging concise 'yung version na 'yun.) 

* New scenes (to bridge the gaps of the plotholes and to replace the ones I will delete. Yes, may mga idi-delete ako kasi nga I no longer stand by what I wrote before.) 

* And more ;) 

BUT, until that day comes, raw version muna ang mabibigay ko sa inyo. Which is this one. :) 

You have been warned and informed with what you can expect from here. But if you still want to go through all of the things mentioned above, here you go . . .

Hope you'll still enjoy this regardless.

Thank you.