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I dedicate this another win to God, to my family, friends and everyone  also to the hive blockchain throughout this another achievement!!!


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Last Friday, February 16, 2024, marked again a defining moment in my journey. We had this big event which is the Divisions: Festival of Talents where I am one of the contestants in the field of "Sulatanghal-Playwriting" contest. This time, I didn't join as a student leader, but because of the  pride representing my school in another Divisional Contest against other competitive and top schools in our City. Even though that I am a writer where making some stories of my own is my hobby and I am used to this kind of events because I am always been selected by teachers to represent our school in many different contests, I am still in nervous on this one because it's my first time joining a different field whereas we will be given a specific topic then write a story behind it. The venue is within the speech lab in our school and we're just sitting with our laptops for four hours straight doing the stories in our own. 
 
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#### THE PREPARATION:

The preparation phase for the "Sulatanghal-Playwriting" contest was undoubtedly one of the most challenging experiences I've faced and not so easy. It began unexpectedly when I was approached on Tuesday of that week in our classroom and asked to participate in the event, which was scheduled for that very Friday. The suddenness of it all hit me like a ton of bricks – I had barely enough time to process the request, let alone prepare for a writing competition. How could I possibly prepare to craft a compelling story on that day worthy of competition in such a short timeframe? The pressure mounted with each passing moment, plus there are a lot of things that I must do like doing our research papers, assignments, schoolworks in our organizations, and group activities like man, I am really really bombarded of many things:>

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Thankfully, my coach came to the rescue with some valuable advice and clues on how to craft compelling stories. Even though I consider myself a writer, not a best or good writer though because I'm just a beginner, I knew I had a lot to learn. But with determination and a quick grasp of the concepts, I dove headfirst into the challenge.



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After finishing my homework each night, I dedicated every spare moment to gathering data and researching tips for creating winning stories. I devoured articles and dissected the formats of successful narratives, learning as much knowledge as I could and reading some of the works in recently years to this kind of contest.


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My goal initially was just to place second or third on this; I didn't dare dream of clinching the top spot because yeah, I am against the top schools within our City. Yet, despite my modest expectations, I poured my heart and soul into my writing, determined to give it my best shot. Little did I know that my efforts would pay off beyond my goal. Winning first place was a shock, but it was also a testament to the power of hard work and perseverance. But perhaps the most challenging of it all was my battle against self-doubt. As the deadline drew nearer, doubts are coming in – would my story be good enough on the day of the event since it is an on-the-spot category? Could I truly hold my own against the competition? Yet, in those moments of uncertainty, I found strength in the unwavering support of my friends and family, who rallied behind me with words of encouragement and belief in my abilities.


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And I am so thankful for them!! 


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#### THE DAY OF THE EVENT:

Like any other day, I began with my morning prayers, thanking God for another day and seeking guidance for the upcoming contest. With a deep breath and a hopeful heart, I embarked on what would undoubtedly be a day to remember.

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Knowing that the contest required four straight hours of intense writing, I made sure to fuel up with a hearty breakfast. After all, a hungry writer is never a productive one, so I eat a lot of foods to not only prepare my mind, but also to prepare my stomach!

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With my stomach satisfied and my spirits high, I made my way to the school early, arriving around 7 am to warm up and mentally prepare for the challenges ahead. As I entered the venue, I couldn't help but notice my classmates and schoolmates bustling about, each focused on their respective contests – from sineliksik to STEMazing and everything in between. Though they didn't win or even go in third place, their dedication and efforts deserved recognition, and I offered my heartfelt congratulations to them for representing our school with pride. 


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As I go to the speech lab, the atmosphere crackled with nervous as the facilitators briefed us on the contest rules and revealed the theme: "love and despair." My heart sank slightly at the realization – crafting a one-act play centered around just two characters would be no easy feat, especially for someone more accustomed to broader narratives just like me!

As the clock struck 8:30, signaling the start of the contest, I quickly start to gather ideas in my mind and going into the task at hand,weaving them into a storyline that would capture the essence of the theme. Then after a while, I decided to start typing on our laptops with my story titled "Maghiraya kana, Aking Manawari" – a story of love and loss from the depths of my imagination. No other things are allowed but only laptops with deleted files and with no internet connection.


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Coming from my recently watched with anime, where tragic endings often reign supremacy, I crafted a narrative centered around a boy battling cancer and the girl he once loved. As their intertwined fates unfolded on the page, I couldn't help but use the power of killing the main character to evoke emotions and provoke thought huhu TwT

But as the final moments of the story came together, I couldn't shake the feeling of uncertainty – would the judges appreciate the unconventional ending? Would my gamble pay off, or would it cost me the chance at victory? With a nervous laugh, I reminded myself that in the world of storymaking, anything is possible – even unexpected twists and turns just like in many stories.


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As the contest drew to a close, my coach says that the announcement of the winners will be announced in Monday because of the reason that it takes time for the three judges to read the stories of many other schools and to decide who's the winner. Fast forward to Monday afternoon, when I was just laying around resting, my coach sent me chat through messenger and when I read it, I was not in the third place nor in the second place, but I am the in the first place!! 
In that moment, time seemed to stand still as the realization washed over me – I was now headed to the REGIONAL LEVEL!!, representing our city against others in the region and compete to the big universities.

The magnitude of the achievement hit me like a tidal wave HAHAHAHA, overwhelming me with a flood of emotions. To think that just weeks ago, I had never even imagined competing at the regional level, let alone winning not one, but two divisions in the span of this single month of February because I also recently won in Divisions Journalism and will now also go to the regionals in journalism, two big achievements in just a month!! It was a surreal moment, one that I would cherish for years to come. 


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I thank God for this new achievement of mine! New gold added to my collection ✨
So thank you guys for reading this blog of mine today!! I hope you enjoy it and wish me luck for this upcoming activities in schools especially the upcoming Regional events!!!! May God bless us always 💖

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