To all who read Hakbang Pabalik,
I know I’ve promised for years to finish Hakbang Pabalik, and some of you probably think I’ve already ghosted the story. Honestly, minumulto pa rin ako ng story na ’yan, and I have no intention of leaving it hanging. I appreciate everyone who has waited—and is still waiting—I really do.
However, I’m going to be honest. I’m struggling to write it down, even though I already have the remaining plot envisioned. I no longer know how to write the way I used to, nor do I have the confidence in my technicalities and language. And as the title implies, there are parts of me that need to step back too.
I will no longer promise when I will publish the remaining chapters, but here’s what I can promise—I can’t and will never leave Hakbang Pabalik hanging. Nothing has really changed; I am still working on it (my brain just has too many tabs, I work on multiple crafts at the same time lol).
For now, I am negotiating my relationship with writing. I’m writing whatever comes to mind and what feels the strongest. I don’t want to end up hating something I’ve always loved (mostly a me problem, oo sarili ko lang din nagpe-pressure sa akin haha).
I just feel like I owe this to all of you. I want to let go of this guilt—maybe if I do, I’ll be able to write freely again, without chains of my own making.
Thank you so much for believing in and reading my stories. I can never thank you all enough for your patience and support.
Forgive me if I still choose to write at my own pace, as slow as it may seem. I know I have been doing that for years, but I want to at least name it once here. I just want to feel like I’m writing for myself again.