Choices

Very much like waiting for that perfect shot to happen, writing — and writing a compelling story at that — is a discipline that takes time, and requires the gift of patience.

It also needs the right pieces that would come together flawlessly, in order to arrive at a very strong .

The truth is, good stories aren’t hard to come by. Heck, if one is creative enough, a journalist can rehash any tried and tested story and still come up with something fresh. It’s just all in the details.

Aaand… I have to admit, this is where I do not shine.

In my years as a writing journalist, I always felt that it takes me forever to “arrive” at a certain subject, or resource person, or any other crucial element for my story, because I was always holding out hope that there was “something better” out there.

Upon introspection, I realized that my fear of failure (of “not getting the story right”, or missing out on something that could have been easily done) was preventing me from enjoying the process of making stories, which in turn, makes me lose faith (at times) in what I do.

And so, as a resolution, I promised myself that I would try my best to not spend so much time second-guessing my decisions. It’s a work in progress, but I can say that I rest more easily now that I do not always doubt my choices anymore.

Disclaimer: This essay was written as a requirement for the Diploma in Visual Journalism program of the Asian Center for Journalism at the Ateneo de Manila University.