Done!

It's a little late to say this, but I'm done with the first draft of my book.

Long done actually. Now I'm moving into several revision stages that will see the cutting out of deadwood, and the addition of vital points. I've sent it out to a few people for reading and for honest feedback, and to these people I express my utmost gratitude. There are some mistakes which I, as the writer, would never have managed to catch if not for their discerning eyes. The contribution of valuable ideas also helped me a lot, and I have to thank them for their help.

Now I realize, what I've always really wanted to be isn't a programmer, or anything like that. Certainly, I'm technically inclined, as can be seen by my nerdy disposition and my obsession with any physics concept that could potentially turn your brain inside out (like quantum mechanics, time travel, relativity).

I've always wanted to be a writer. My English has, I think, always been at an acceptable standard, and I love to read and write. I'm a real sucker for a good story, especially for those that engage the mind and not just the heart. It probably all started when I read Tolkien's books. And given the ceaseless encouragement of my teachers, and even my classmates (when my teacher made me write an article for Straits Times in exchange for waiving detention for the whole class), it has never stopped ever since.

However, it fell into a period of stasis for a while. I didn't read or write much in my secondary school days. I used to make excuses such as "no time". Last October (I think, maybe earlier), I was suddenly spurred on to write a novel, given the hearty encouragement of one of my friends.

This novel is the culmination of several years of ideas that I've always wanted to put into a story, inspiration from several TV shows and books that I've watched and read, and many sleepless nights, cups of coffee and bars of chocolates. My writing style is influenced heavily by Douglas Adam's non-sequiturs, Terry Pratchett's hilarious sarcasm, and Tanigawa Nagaru's cynicism (in Tanigawa's case, indirectly, for I simply read translations of his work). Though Tolkien was what really caused my love for literature in the first place, I have moved past the highly descriptive style that he enjoys, preferring to enter the ground of the short, the terse and the succinct.

All this will show in my novel. Whether it is going to be published or not, I really have no idea, and to be honest, I don't quite give a damn. I wrote it because I had a story I wanted to tell. I will be seeking an agent when I have the time, and hopefully I will be able to find one with connections in New York. If there's a story you want to read, but cannot find in any book, then be the one to write it.

For those who have expressed interest in reading it, I thank you. Even if I haven't sent my work to you, I cannot express how much it means to me that there are actually people who desire to read it. It's what keeps me going. There are subsequent novels in the planning stages, and I do not plan to stop any time soon.

If you've read this far without skipping, it means you can stand my verbose writing and are willing to read it. To end off, yet again, thanks.