Bound to Fall Apart

Special Chapter

Did I say NO special chapters, didn't I? 

Are you wondering as to why I wrote this chapter, despite the fact that I stated in the author's note that I would not be posting even a single one?

Well... There's a sensible explanation for my change of heart.

I am extremely happy and proud to announce that Bound to Fall Apart won a Watty this year, 2021, under the Romance category!

I wasn't expecting that. Being eligible for the contest and hitting the submit button was already a win in itself! I was overwhelmed when I found out that, out of hundreds and thousands of entries, my piece is one of the few that has been selected to be part of the shortlist. This was my first time joining such a contest, so who wouldn't be surprised, right? And I was already contented. There's a glimpse of hope, a want for more, but I wasn't expecting much.

But if it's meant to be, it will be...

I hesitated. I wrote this out of the realm. Yes, there's definitely a lot to improve in this story, but considering I submitted an entry that had not been revised... I'm completely blown away. I was not even planning to join the Wattys 2021 because I was thinking, "sigurado namang hindi ako mananalo kaya hindi nalang ako sasali." I didn't think it was enough. I used to believe that I wasn't good enough.

But I proved myself wrong... I won. My story won.

Winning a Watty is not just a milestone for me, but also a childhood dream come true. A 'soon' that turned into 'finally.' When I was a kid, all I wanted was to achieve that one little dream... to have that sticker on the cover of my book. And it seemed impossible to me as I grew up.

But nothing is really impossible when you believe...

My journey this year taught me a valuable lesson in life that I should carry with me wherever I go. A lesson worth sharing with everyone else. Cliché as it may sound, but indeed, "you'll never know unless you try." I can now attest to the fact that 'at least I tried' is better than 'what if I tried?' in any situation. As the saying goes, "there's no harm in trying."

What if I did not click the submit button? Good thing I did.