Congratulations PYAA 2021 Wiinners!
Finally! After a long wait, the winners and finalists of the Philippine Young Author Awards 2021, namely Justice Aguinaldo, Gavin Cruz, Ellyssa Marin, Ryan Menchate, Madison Halili, Celine Mercado, Yana Clio Campos, Tim Campos, Adelle Sison, Kyler Sy, and Julia Bruzo, had a chat with us during their book launch to share their writing tips, inspirations and challenges to other budding authors and future winners of the Philippines Young Author Awards 2022.
There was a time in the year 2021, the teens – the Young Authors rather – were feeling lost and clueless about what to do next because of the COVID-19 Pandemic. To escape from the feeling of being stuck, the Young Authors found escape from writing. They took the pandemic and all that was happening as their inspiration to write their own stories wherein there are no limits and the characters have shared the same experiences as themselves.
Some of them put a futuristic twist on the story and some went to the past, but the messages of their stories are relatable even to readers of different ages. Gavin Cruz, the second placer and author of “Her Purpose,” said that writing something close to home or something that one has already experienced helps the writer become true to what he or she feels.
This honesty makes the readers feel that they are being heard because he or she has something in common with the author or the characters in the story, creating inclusivity. The Young Authors hope that with their stories, they can inspire and influence others.
The stories of the Young Authors are pure of sincerity, thoughtfulness and somewhat politically charged which skillfully explore different kinds of issues like human trafficking, societal and peer pressure, historical revisionism, mental health, and identity crisis.
The Young Authors did not just write to create a story but to also send a message that they, too, even at a young age, are well up to date on news and international affairs. Their stories spark hope to readers that everything is going to be okay.
They all concurred that we should not let writing intimidate us and to just write whatever we think of and if the ideas are not to our liking, just still continue on writing as over time we can improve and rewrite it.
And their secret? To believe in oneself.
They further explained that through having confidence, we will be motivated to explore our creative-writing side and to let our imagination and creativity flow and take us on a trek. Like what Yana Clio Campos (Finalist and author of “Arrows of the Mind”) said, “be as wild as you are” because it will help us become true to ourselves.
With fortitude and resilience, the Young Authors did not aim to win the competition but instead to write and share what they know – that are based on facts – with the future generations. Truly the workshop and competition and the guidance of Ms. Catherine Khoo have helped them put their imagination’s journey of exploration, discovery, and expression into a reality.
Are you ready to take a shot at your dream of becoming a published young author? Register here: https://catherinekhoo.sg/philippines/pyaa/
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