Chapter 2 (1/2)
#MovingOnProject
“Writing and moving on have one common: easier said than done.”
-x-
Tic. Toc. Tic. Toc.
The ticking of the clock was driving Jhing crazy even though the TV from the neighborhood was ear piercing. She can even hear all the way from her room how chaotic the two actresses fight for the male lead.
Still, it’s not enough.
She needed more time.
For Jhing, writing was easy. She knew she was born to weave letters and words, forming powerful sentences to delicate paragraphs, as each resembles life, and stories to be told.
But after she opened her laptop, clicked the MS word, and touched the keyboard with her fingers….. Jhing blanked out.
No words came out from her fingertips as if her veins decided to not bleed the time when she needed it the most.
The first few days of writing ended up in the trash bin. She had a few raw plots, some were from ages ago. All she needed to do is to rearrange all the ideas to make it a real story.
Like a chef, she needed to cook food using all the ingredients on hand; but in the middle of trying to cook, Jhing started throwing all the ingredients out in frustration.
Not enough.
“It’s probably writer’s block.”
When having writer’s block, which some people call ‘laziness,’ Jhing would binge-watch her favorite series… or maybe read a book; but that takes too much effort so she ended up watching one of her favorite series instead.
After a season and a half— Jhing’s brain is still not working properly.
Two weeks left before the deadline, and still, blank.
[I just need my second half and I’ll be done.] Fall answered when Jhing asked how her Novella was doing.
Fall wasn’t the greatest mult.i.tasker ever. She’s also not the type to have a long attention span. The reason why Jhing asked Fall was to hear the words‘I haven’t even started.’ They would then high five each other for becoming a cramming comrade for the deadline.
Jhing ended up disappointed.
No high fives for you, Jhing.
[I haven’t started mine yet.] Jhing admitted.
She was ashamed. Jhing has the time! She’s br.i.m.m.i.n.g with ideas! Her home is even the closest one to the company and the editors, and yet here she was… doing nothing.
[Why!?] Fall asked.
[I have lots of ideas but… I still can’t write ah. I already wrote and deleted for four times now. How were you able to write half of your ma.n.u.script so quick?]
Even if they were only talking through chat, Jhing can feel the pride leaking our from Fall when she said, [Outline! Try writing one cheat sheet per chapter until you reach the ending so you won’t get lost.]
[That’s too controlled ah.] she typed, [My ideas will be limited if I do it like that.]
And as a writer, no one wants to write with restriction. Every writer wants freedom.
[Dummy! Just use it as a guide! It’s fine if you don’t follow the story as it is, okay?]
[What’s the use of the outline if you don’t follow it anyway?]
A GIF of a girl rolling eyes animatedly was what she got as a reply. She could almost hear Fall’s voice saying, [Are you kidding me?]
[Just write!!!]
That’s what she tried to do.
And nope. Still nothing.
Frustrated, and coffee in her hand, Jhing stared blankly at the door of the elevator the next workday. She was also in a daze as she traveled to the higher floor where her office is. Jhing sat on her chair and glanced at the one and only family picture she had which was almost covered by the notes on the corkboard.
“Huh? Is there a funeral today?”
Jhing doesn’t need to turn her head to find out who owns that bubbly voice— July, her co-editor. While checking her email, Jhing tried to smile at her.
“Girl, it looks creepy!”
Jhing quickly frowned at her words which made July laughed louder. She just ignored that crazy person as she opens the latest ma.n.u.script she needed to edit. Jhing’s currently working on page 43. She was devastated when she saw the 300 plus pages waiting for her.
Fine! I know that! I know that I’m not a princess, but he’s also not a prince anyway ah?! I just wanted a fairy tale. I just wanted a happy ending to our story. Is there something wrong with that?! I ‘m only in love! We’re only loving each other but why does the world keep ruining it?! We already did everything but why, why can’twe have a happily ever after?!!!!
Aahhh! It’s deafening!
If this was a paper, there’s a huge possibility that Jhing will set this ma.n.u.script on fire. During the few months of her training as an editor to the company who published her own works, Jhing found out one of her pet peeves.
Shouting! Voices! All! Over! The! Ma.n.u.script! It! Hurts!
s.h.i.+t.
As she corrected the punctuation marks and toned down the ‘shouting voice!’of the narration, July giggled after Jhing posted a comment.
The exclamation point (ssssss!!!!) make the story childish, my eyes are bleeding pls stop.
Note: Dear Jhing, delete this comment after.
“If you forget to delete that note before sending it back to the author, you’ll get killed.”
Jhing sighed, finally changing the comment to: ‘Replaced the (!) with (.) for better reading experience, and it looks more professional to use (.).’
“Better,” July said.
“We should also tell them how to fix their stories.”
“You know humans, giving a bit of a negative feedback will get their b.u.t.thurt.”
Jhing held her head in pain as she replied, “My eyes felt b.u.t.thurt because of them, even my head stings.”
She wasn’t really the joker type of a person. Her humor wasn’t just dry, it’s already long dead.
RIP.
Ohh, at one time, that particular guy said she had no humor and she laughed because it’s true and—oh, s.h.i.+t.
Nevermind, it doesn’t matter.
The point is, it’s either Jhing’s humor got resurrected or July just laughs at everything.
“What’s wrong with you? You look cranky.”
Or July just wanted to laugh at Jhing’s crankiness.
“Nothing.” Jhing sipped her coffee, trying to drown herself in anger.
“Ows? Seriously, what happened?”
With hesitation, Jhing peered at their surroundings. Everyone has their own bubble. Most of them are chatting leisurely because the bosses are in a meeting.
Defeated and frustrated, she confessed, “I haven’t started my novella yet.”
July frowned. “Why not? I was even excited to edit yours!”
“I can’t write anything. Writer’s block.”
As Jhing thought about what she did this past week, ie: nothing… she felt really weak. This is a big project. To be part of this project was a good thing, your novella have a chance to get a movie adaption.
Once picked, she’ll be one step closer towards her goal to become wealthy. She could then buy all the things she wanted after giving her siblings a bright future and her Mom a good life.
But look at her brain getting emptied out.
That bright future? It became dark as the night.
“Did you try writing a story based on a real-life experience?”
And with that being said, his face instantly appeared inside her mind—that goofy smile on his face that she wanted to forget… Jhing started choking on her coffee.
“Real-life? Experience? And what more, romance? I don’t have anything like that.”
Of course, July didn’t believe her. “Nothing at all? Not one bit? Even if it’s just a mere half romance?”
s.h.i.+t. That man keeps running through her mind!!!! It can’t be! Jhing quickly drinks her coffee once again. She almost spilled the drink all over her clothes but she didn’t notice it at all.
No! Stop!
“Agh, whatever!”
At break time, Jhing didn’t join the others for lunch out to try outlining her Novella. She started writing the first chapter and typed:
Strangers, life of guy and a girl who intersected at the coffee shop at this particular time. Few days, weeks and accidental stares after, the guy finally stood up from his usual place, went to the girl, and said ‘hi.’
Jhing felt her eyes blurred for staring at Word for a long time trying to continue what she started.
The total word count was 48, including the ‘Chapter 1.’
Wait!
50 words, okay?
That includes the ‘Chapter 2.’
Then nothing.