About 29 days ago, I promised my friend I would write a novel. I didn’t think I would meet that promise. I told all of you that I would write 75,774 words. I didn’t think I could. Yet, here I am. Bleary-eyed. Utterly drained. Exhausted. Enervated. Yet…after 29 days of frenetic writing, the ‘The Star Whisperer’ is finally done.
90,021 words in the end. I have never written so much in my life before. And that’s not counting the scripts, blog posts, website content, emailers, and ghost-writing that came in the form of work. I don’t know if I have any more words left in me any more.
What’s it about, you ask?
It’s the story of all of us. The story of Sara and Mina. The story of one friendship. The story of two families. The story of my self. The stories you have told me of yourself. The words I wrote that you wrote to me. The characters are personalities you showed me. Their lives are constellations of our orbits. They are us.
‘The Star Whisperer’ is the working title that Birdy has given to this YA novel. Don’t ask me why. It’s her choice and over the course of writing this book, I have realized that I don’t have much choice.
Me, mulling over the book: I think I am going to kill Sara.
Birdy: NO!! You can’t kill Sara.
Me: I am the one writing it? I can kill off any character I want!
Birdy: No. Killing Sara is going to kill the book.
Me: Why? It shows the healing power of grief. It shows that grief can be redemptive. It shows that Sara gave some light to Mina.
Birdy: You can show redemption without killing her. You can show light without death. There’s enough misery in this world and in you. Don’t spread it more.
Me: Speechless.
Birdy: So, now go back and write.
I have no idea if this will be published. But my PR Manager, Birdy, is on it. If this book ever sees the light of day, I have only her to thank – having read all 90,000 words, having coerced, cajoled, and supported me, there’s only one dedication if it is ever published. And yet, her real work begins only now with the rewriting and the revisions. And these screen shots are raw. They are absolutely unedited. I am probably going to puke over these words later and beat myself up…
This is as much a labor of love from her as it is from me. I don’t think I alone wrote this novel. At first, it looked like I was alone. Then, Birdy joined in with our endless discussions on the characters. Then, a third person swept in.
So, in the end, three people wrote it. Without the third person, there wouldn’t have been this book. Who’s the third? Smile. Read the book. That is, if I am around.
Yay! You finished the book. That’s the first and hardest step.
With you, Birdie and third person on the job, I have faith that your efforts will produce a stunning first novel.
‘The moon on a diet’ great description.
My Dear Smitha –
Dave here. I’m intrigued by your need for heroic stuff recently. Walking 800+ kilometers, writing 75K+ words, running marathons, doing countless sit-ups and Gods know how many pull-ups. It all seems so large, challenging, overwhelming.
But then, I’ll be 77 years old in a month. Different perspective from this age, I guess. Really, I think it is simply that I’m dazzled by your energy, ability and determination.
Knowing you, your productions will all be accomplished and done well. Can’t wait to see how they come out.
With affection and respect,
Dave