#SparkNA: What does it take to be BRAVE?

Some two months ago, I joined Mina Esguerra's #SparkNA class. Basically, as a member of the class, there are assignments you'd have to pass, and hopefully, by the end of it all, The Anvil Spark team would like your manuscript, and get it published. Last Saturday, I submitted mine.

Sounds easy? Of course, it's not. There's still a chance that you won't get published. There's still a chance that people won't like your work. 

One of the things that we were asked to do was to write a Main Character who's BRAVE. He/she doesn't have to wield a sword, or be the generic version of a "hero" to be brave--but you have to write your MC in such a way that he/she would exude bravery; that when people read your story, you're able to tell them that one doesn't have to conform to what society expects, but could be a better, more extraordinary version of himself. At least, that's my take on things.

Was my MC Brave? You bet. She's not your typical brand of heroine. She's not goody-goody, let's take her home to mom, she's instantly amazing. I bet you wouldn't like her right away. But, she always stands for herself, and she doesn't conform to society. 

Now, was I brave enough?

Let me tell you something. In the duration of the class, there were times when I felt like giving up. There were times when I just wanted to shelve my story. I could be hypersensitive sometimes. I could be my own worst critic. Sometimes, when I feel like no one wants to listen to my stories, it's like...why the hell would I still write, right?

Well, the doubts really came. There were times when some of my classmates and I would talk and we'd be like, could we still do this? At the end of the day, we'd just cheer each other up, and remind one another that WE CAN DO THIS!

That's basically what I told myself the whole time: YOU CAN DO THIS. YOU ARE NOT GOING TO GIVE UP NOW. NOT NOW. 

I guess, in the end, when you have a story to write, you should go ahead and write it. Stories in your head are meant to be written; they're meant to be OUT THERE. Now, I don't know whether the editors would like my work or not. I only have the best hopes. But, what matters is that I gave it a shot. I didn't give up.

You could be brave if you allow yourself to. You could be brave even in the most silent manner.

Courage doesn't always roar. Sometimes, courage is that little voice at the end of the day that says "I'll try again tomorrow". --Mary Ann Radmacher