My Dream Story Of Success

 My Dream Story Of Success

A photo of me taken during the Honoury Student Award Ceremony

Success to different people meant different things. To some, it would mean achieving straight 'A's for every exam and tests. For others, it's snagging the job with the highest pay, then obtaining a glamorous mansion, luxurious sports car. Yet to a few, it is finding the right spouse, and building a happy family.

However, to me, success means creating novels for my readers to enjoy. Yes, I want to be a (storybook) author.

Ever since I was young, I had the joy of reading storybooks. I loved Enid Blyton when I was 8 years old. Then I loved reading fantasy, romance, action and adventure books. However, writing is not as easy as reading would be.

You can look up words in the dictionary if you could not understand, but does that mean that you could form a sentence using the correct grammar?

FAT CHANCE.

When my mother found out about my writing problem in Standard 5, she sent me to a Kindergarten English teacher, who tirelessly taught me. Soon, my writing skills became better (grammatically, of course) and I was able to score high and well for the English subject. Subsequently, English became my favourite subject, all the way until now.

However, when one progresses to Lower Secondary without any friends, one has to start over. After six months, and carefully thinking about the financial realities of an author, I decided to be something else... but not a doctor, or a policewoman, or a firefighter. Neither was I a teacher, or a businessman. I did consider taking up Law as a lawyer, after 'Legally Blonde', but I knew this well; my interests were not there.

Even so, I participated in many English Writing competitions. Subconsciously, I was heading toward Emerald City on the verge of the Yellow Brick Road. At the end of Form 4 (in Science Stream), I decided to ask God for help on the path for my future. I told him to let me know what path in life that I was supposed to take by using the End Term results.

When the time finally came, the most outstanding result I got was 100% for English, yes, with all the essays getting full marks. One would not be able to achieve such great results just like that, but I did... somehow. Anyway, this event alone did not show me what God wanted me to be. I had;

80% for Biology,
60% - 65% for Chemistry and Physics,
70% for Bahasa Malaysia paper and,
Marks for other papers were easy to forget

Faced with this, I was even more bummed, but eventually forgot about my heartbreaking marks. Before the immediate start of the school holidays, I came home and received a phone call from my [ex-]Library teacher. Excitedly, she told me that the essay I submitted to Scholastic Writer's Award in mid-year had bagged the Grand Prize. And this was between Malaysia and Singapore.

Oh, btw, I did scream my eyes out. Only after I remembered that I had sent that essay entitled, "If I were a Boy." however. 

*shakes head* and I'm not one for screaming. No, I can't even scream on roller coasters!

Oh wait, did I mentioned what the prizes were? Well, I did get some *cash* [ahem], and publicity, but most importantly, that essay of mine is to be published, for the whole nation [and Singapore] to be read. When I first realized this, I was very very very, infinite times; very, embarrassed and excited. I could not eat, sleep, or even sit still to play games. I had to pace it out, talk gibberish and laugh.

To me, this was success...
Only a very minor part of it.

I have yet to achieve my major goal of publishing [at least] one novel, written by me. Then take the world by storm. Like J. K. Rowling did. Or Stephanie Meyer. [even though I did not read their books]. Well, of course I thanked God of answering my prayers! Without a doubt, this was what I wanted to be; and what I was supposed to do… In my context and my Book of Life, anyways. [haha~]

So now, with 5 more months to the SPM examinations and after so many "university roadshows", I finally know what course I wanted to take; Creative Writing Course. But because it is not available here, [due to financial constraints, as well,] I had thought of taking up Performing Arts. However, after a lecture by a certain person and my Mother, I’ve decided to ignore society’s calling for a professional field and write freelance instead. I would, most probably take a course in collage and in university, but remain fully committed to my dream. 

Having lost it once is enough. I do not want to lose it again.