It’s been about 40 days since the completion of the Crowdfund campaign for Petro Book 2, and we’re sitting at 90 inked pages. It’s about halfway through the story, and things are about to get interesting.
It’s funny how things align, though. We had hurricane Hilary pass through the desert a couple of weeks ago, and Las Vegas has received record rainfall, which we desperately needed. A friend also sent me videos of flooding Hong Kong streets (from yesterday).
The big arc transition in Petro also starts with a flood. It is when things begin to unravel for our character, and the adventure truly begins.
Growing up in the Philippines, I’ve experienced my fair share of flooding. The country is an island, and flooding almost always occurs yearly due to deforestation, trash blocking sewage systems, and outdated infrastructures.
I remember leaving school early, drudging through flooded streets, and finding my way to higher ground to ride a Jeepney back home. The water was above my waist, and I held my backpack higher so my books wouldn’t get wet. Kids from other schools were doing the same, and it felt like a mass exodus from the school district.
When we lived in the rural areas of San Jose Del Monte, Bulacan (Philippines), the rain came down so hard that they had to release water from the dam. Doing this caused a flood throughout the neighboring rivers, and it just so happened that our house was next to one of these rivers. The water flooded our house and took many of our animals(chicks, ducks, turkeys) and bee hives.
Floods like these are common in the Philippines and make it difficult for people to establish stability and maintain a good life. It’s a battle against nature on top of trying to survive every day.
So, in Petro, while I try to capture those whimsical childhood moments, I also cover some of these tragic moments (although this is not the story’s focus). I also plan to create an appendix with references to imagery throughout the book for further reading. Hopefully, this will encourage you and the readers to look more into the little elements that have made it into the book.
Thanks again for reading. I hope you’re staying safe until the next update.
