THE JILTED BRIDE (ALEX AND BRIAN'S STORY)

Author's Note

        I started writing The Jilted Bride in 2008. It used to have a Japanese title, "Maji Koi" which means "True Love" and it was written in the third person perspective.  However, I was not able to finish the story at that time because I was busy with work. On top of that, I had other things to do.  When I read the first draft three years after, I thought it had a potential to be a good story but then, I had a hard time making the story fit in a 10-chapter novel, which was a requirement of most of the Tagalog romance publishers I know. Since I wanted it published, I tried to write a 10-chapter story of it, but then the outcome wasn't good. It sounded like a half-baked story with a bad ending. I couldn't even make my sisters read the whole draft. Frustrated with the outcome, I shelved the story in order to write about something else, but with a similar setting - Japan. That's how my story, Yuuki no Hana came about.  My first story in the first person POV.  I like how Yuuki no Hana Book 1 ended because I was able to make my Ate read it from start to finish, something she has not done before with my stories. Knowing that she's not into reading romance novels anymore, for her to read the whole story in one sitting really made me happy and it has inspired me to write more stories in the first person POV. On top of that, my younger sister also love the story. She was the one who prodded me to finish the story after she had read the prologue. Satisfied with the outcome of Yuuki no Hana Book 1, I reread the first draft of The Jilted Bride and decided to rewrite it the way I wanted it to be written, not taking into consideration the length requirement of any publishers. My intention was just to give justice to the story I've been wanting to tell...The story of forgiveness.

My inpiration for writing the story

         Many of the Tagalog stories I've read so far talked about revenge.  Although there's nothing wrong about tackling revenge, there are already a lot of stories that dealt with it.  That's why I thought of something new - forgiving people who've hurt you...

        When I started the story, I didn't know how each chapter would be like. There were times when I was already typing the first sentence of the chapter but still had no idea about how it would go. It was indeed a challenge to develop Brian's character - because he was a good man, torn between doing what is right and following what his heart wants without appearing insensitive or selfish. I hope I was able to do justice to his character. While I had a vague idea about how the love story would unfold, there's one thing I was sure even from the very beginning. I wanted Alex to come to terms with what happened between her and Anton - I wanted her to forgive him wholeheartedly.  That's why if you've noticed, Anton's name came out a lot even before he was introduced in the story.  I wanted you, guys to go with Alex as she journeyed towards forgiving her ex.

        Mayu's character was never meant to be included in the story. It just came out spontaneously when I wrote the chapter on Asahi Super Dry. Dad's love story, which provided a good background for Brian's character, only came to me when I was writing about the Chicken Adobo chapter. But then, I never thought of making it as detailed as it came out. But due to readers' prodding, I tried to give Dad a much bigger role than originally planned.  :)  I hope you like it.

        Lastly, Gary was not my first choice when I thought about who Maiko will end up with. It was actually Liam. But then, as I was thinking about it, the more I was convinced that it wouldn't add anything to the story.  Brian already disliked him. If the former hated him more, what good will it bring to the story? Plus, a lot of readers already expected that it would be him so I decided to change it at the last minute. :)  Gary was just perfect for the role because of his friendship with Brian. I thought that Maiko getting pregnant with the former's child and the latter's reaction to it, would make readers realize how good of a man Brian is.  Thus, it explains why it took him a long time to admit to Alex that he was in love with her.

 Why do I love writing stories set in Japan?

        When I thought about writing again, one of the pieces of advice my sisters gave me is to write about something I am familar with. That way, it would save me the trouble of researching for information I might need for the story. They also told me to look into my experience living in Japan and start from there.  Indeed, they were right. Writing a story about something you know fully well makes it more realistic.

Teaching English in Japan

        I think, the easiest job a foreigner can get in Japan is to teach English.  More often than not, your employer will not require you any Japanese proficiency test certificate. Since you are not allowed to speak Japanese with your students, you are not pressured to learn their language.  So it's very convenient especially for native speakers who had come to Japan for the first time. People from the UK, USA, Australia, Canada, and New Zealand don't have a hard time getting a teaching job from good companies or schools that offer English classes. All they need to do is show their passport and some college credential and they get hired as English teachers. They don't even need a diploma on Education or a teaching certificate for that matter. However, those from countries where English is not the mother tongue, including the Philippines, always have to go through a rigorous process. Oftentimes, interviews take a long time because employers would want to know whether their accent is as good as the native speaker. That explains why Alex and Andrew (the Taiwanese-looking guy) in the story, had to go through a lengthy interview.  Although Andrew is from the UK, his Asian look would be a minus point for him because most Japanese associate native speakers with either black or white skin. Since he is neither, he really needs to prove that he can speak English as good as the native.

        Nowadays, there are a lot of Filipino English teachers in Japan. I think, one of the reasons why people from our country have become popular English teachers here is because Pinoy teachers are more hard-working than others and more likely to stay in the job.

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        If you have more questions about the story or anything related to what was mentioned in the story, feel free to ask. You may just leave a comment below and I will answer them as fast as I can.  :) 

        From the bottom of my heart, I would like to thank you all for taking the time to read Alex and Brian's love story.  I am actually overwhelmed by your warm support.  :)

P.S. Check the preview to Elise and Jin's story.

http://www.wattpad.com/story/25752753-forever-and-always-elise-%26-jin%27s-story