After Action [COMPLETED]

[SE] "2018: A YEAR IN PERSPECTIVE"

Written 17 January 2019

2018 had been a shitty year for me.

For one, my two novels on Wattpad still never got out of its limbo: the overall statistics for each one was still at its most dismal. But that can be traced back to a serious case of inaction on my part. I objectively knew all along that, as a writer, I should do my part in promoting my story. Thing is, I have practically zero idea on where should I start. I might try requesting for help on both Facebook pages and Twitter accounts that will re-post/retweet your stories for promotion, but that's about it. And speaking of Facebook and Twitter―

Both this page, and my Twitter account, are just dead. There's no real interaction on both sides―much more on Twitter, except for a few animé-related stuff that I've labelled with its proper hashtags. Also, my follower count on Twitter never went beyond the twenties; and most of the accounts that are following me are totally foreign―I think they mistake me for a Brit because I have 'named' myself with a term that colloquially meant "snitch" in British English. Another thing that I've noticed is that my "otaku" side is much more prevalent than my writer side, which only told me one thing: "no one ever cared for whatever shit you're writing on Wattpad―not even the few Filipinos who are supposedly following you." As for my Facebook page, no one was even reading at my pinned note―don't even lie to me about reading that pinned note, dumb-ass, 'cause I have its overall statistics as proof, and I can slap a screenshot of it in your fucking face!―which translates to the still-dismal follower count on Wattpad, which never left at 20 people―about half of which are also foreigners.

Lastly, the "final straw" that broke me down into "mild depression" was when my plan for last year's Manila International Book Fair got ruined by a fucking force of nature that was 'Ompong'. I've shed some tears, drank beer, and cursed at the whole world for conspiring against my plan of meeting MIDNIGHTGODDESS and have my copy of her works signed. That event totally pierced my heart with an invisible knife―and I've felt it rip a large chunk of meat out of my chest, and left an empty void at where my heart supposedly was in the first place.

Since then I have given up on everything―including my aspiration of becoming a locally-published author. As I've said before: no one really cared to read my stories on Wattpad, so why bother writing another novel and share it to an unappreciative and close-minded Filipino Wattpad readership?

If ever I've learned one thing about the loneliest year in my life, it's this: in a world that only notices controversies, never bother with the niceties anymore. So don't get overly surprised when I actually lash out at your seemingly asinine comments in the following days. Also, never expect me to guide you towards my true intentions regarding each and every one of my posts all the time. You should figure it out yourself―that's one reason why you have a brain in the first place. Long story short: I want sensible discussions, not blind fanaticism. Lastly, never expect any more stories from me. I've had enough of the neanderthals who are only following their supreme leaders or queens, and ignoring everyone else―especially those who deserve recognition for their works that are neither romance, nor pseudo-mystery/thriller. (FYI: there are already plenty of those stories for you to read.)