Nanowrimo 08, a Summary

To say it has been a rollercoaster is false. I found it exhilarating, though I will be the first to admit that it was like driving on the Malaysian highway; some parts were done speeding, other times I was cruising, and some days, I just stopped to take a rest.

The road was not smooth; like the usual Malaysian roads, there were bumps that made the journey a slow ride, but overall, it reminded me of roadtrips with my family, I just closed my eyes, took a nap, while my parents drove. Most times, I would look out and stare at the scenery, seeing familiar landmarks. Sometimes I’d see random additions to the scenery, left behind by others or made by the highway concessionaires in an effort to “beautify” the highway. Our trip were usually fast, as we did not usually take side trips, or if we did, the trips were leisurely, yet we often reached our destintion earlier or right at the estimated time.

That was how it felt to do Nanowrimo this year. I set a daily goal, but most of the time I was not really in the driver’s seat. I took notes on where we were going, I took photos, sometimes I gave suggestions on where we’d go when we were stuck, but on the whole, they drove themselves. Yes, my muses were the ones behind the wheel. For most part, all I did was simply to chronicle our journey.

Did I say our? I meant to say their.

A fellow writer pointed out that I anthmorphise my characters and my muses. They become real, living people that lived in my head. There were actual parts when I sat there, looking at what I had written and then I turned to my side. No one was there, but I could close my eyes and see the muse there, grinning at me, or just leaning against the wall being nonchalant. If I ask them what had just happened, they would always have the same reply.

“Just keep writing. We’re not done yet.”

When I said I was being musewhipped, I mean it. I’ve not felt this joy in writing for a long time. At least this time I know how it’s going to end. It’s no longer scene by scene, but I need to get started on actually finishing the novel.

And with that, I’ll see you all later. Need to get back to writing. 😛