I’M GETTING a certain reputation online for my creative writing workshops.
People have been referring to me as “that Ilonggo writer” as if I have a name that cannot be spoken.
As if I am the ultimate that must not be named.
Well, as sure as I am that my fans are growing (and they call me “the PSN,” the maestro, and writing guru), I’m also certain that some people are put off by my pronouncements on poetry, fiction, creative writing, and literature in general.
I understand where these people are coming from.
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If you badly want to be a writer, and you don’t want to learn and earn your way to get there, I’m pretty sure you are going to hate me.
You are going to hate my guts for telling you what is poetry, and what is not poetry.
What is literature, and what is trash writing.
You’ll probably hate me for calling out your so-called poetry.
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Because to real writers, or to writers who know what true literature is, I probably don’t bear much weight.
Because they already know and understand what I’m saying.
They might even truly believe the things I say.
And maybe, they’ll say the same things that I say when they get a chance.
Or when they’re not anymore afraid that they’ll be hated like me.
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So, why do I stake my reputation as such by writing, and posting, about (good) writing online?
Why do I make the effort to teach literature and writing?
Well, because… why don’t our better writers and teachers do?
There is a lot of hunger to write among netizens.
(I guess because we all can’t TikTok our way, and we can’t all pose like callboys with our abs sexy and firm like washboards.)
And so, people write.
They cobble a few words, and post it as poetry.
And to me, that is not right.
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Some people will say that I should just shut up, and let others be.
Well, that’s some people.
And some people ain’t me.
If I am assaulted by bad poetry online, I have the same right to assault back bad poetry.
I have a vision.
God has appeared and spoken to me.
I was told that I have been given great power.
And such power has great responsibility.
I cannot wait for our better writers and better teachers to teach us about good writing if they don’t feel like doing it at this time.
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I mean, who are we to demand that our better writers and great teachers teach and mentor us to be good writers for free?
And so, because the vision was given to me, I have to do it myself.
Never mind that I will earn the ire of the wannabes, and the reputation as “that Ilonggo writer” who did.
And thus, I began my free online creative writing workshops.
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I understood that not every body is privileged to study writing.
And some want to learn to be better.
And some simply and foolishly follow blindly some blind mice.
Anyway, the vision; thus, my mission.
But I don’t want to argue with newbies and wannabes.
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And so it happens that I’ve developed a new philosophy, a new mantra:
I am not here to hold people’s writing hands, and stroke their ego.
I am not here to baby the newbie writers.
My loyalty is not to some frail egos of people.
My commitment is to good writing, and good literature.
Take it, or leave it.
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I did give you a teaser last time on writing with a condom.
And I really thought I could discuss it on this issue.
But I felt compelled to explain why I’m doing this series.
So, this is just an intro for now.
Condoms and the subject of poetry next time.
Thank you for understanding!/PN
