You may remember how Cean (a.k.a Teoh Choon Ean) had us totally flabbergasted when she managed to win third prize in the Utusan Group Literary Prize in the Young Adult Novels category for Nine Lives, which she wrote in just six days.Well, I'm happy to tell you that she's just won second prize in the same category for her latest teen's novel, Magic Eyes, which she took rather longer to write ...
Seven days! :
... out of which 3 days were spent writing on a PDA with a sliding keyboard using my thumbs because as usual it was the penultimate last week of the contest that I had an inspiration and my husband's brother passed away 2 days into my novel attempt and I did PDA typing for 3 days in front of his coffin cos I was at his wake and funeral. I also quietly asked for his forgiveness and didn't mean to show disrespect but I had to be there and I had to finish my story in time and I had just those few days. It was feverish typing and also mourning with the family and you will find the influence of that event as the story has a cremation as well and I actually was so sad I killed the protagonist and in my re-submit I decided to 'resurrect' the boy i.e he didn't die. And yes, as usual I sent in my first draft (for some reason it works for me). However if you ask me how to write a novel, I'm afraid I am still puzzled how novel-writing is accomplished cos what I had done was just...er...tell a story I want to tell and the words just came out straight onto the keyboard, no crazy outlining and planning. Maybe that's why I am able to write a novel in 6-7 days. By the way I found out that Ray Bradbury also wrote his Fahreinheit 451 in 7 days and Isaac Asimov has written some novels in a week too so I am not that strange after all.Looks like she's hit on her winning formula. Just hope she hasn't featured anymore squished cats!
The Awards Ceremony is this Friday 20 June graced by 2nd Finance Minister at Hotel Crowne Plaza Mutiara, kind of fast and I am still trying to pinch myself awake.
Regards and LOL Cean
(Congrats to all the winners and if you click on the picture, you can read about all of them.)
10 comments:
No, I'd rather have more squished cats. And other animals as well.
Some of the best writing may actually be from first drafts. It's when you start to revise, and try to make it better, that it begins to fall apart.
That's what I think, anyway.
Wow, I wished I could write that fast.
Congrats to Cean!! Listening to her at Seksen's then, I think she writes lovely prose [even as such near impossible epeed]. I do hope she writes more, and like she mentioned to me that day at Seksen's, there's a need for good local English writing especially for the young Malaysians teens, and in my view, she more than fills the gap! Congrats!
Wow! That's super fast! I'm really inefficient compared to her. ;)
Seven days?!
Merciful god. It normally takes me that long to prepare a single page of anything (superfluous drivel included) :-S
... Oklah, maybe I'm exaggerating.
Three pages of superfluous drivel tops (*x*)
Anyhoo, congrats to Cean!
Congratulations to Cean! I'm glad to read about the PDA typing here... We were seated together at the Popular Awards recently. She had just pulled out her PDA from her bag and was about to tell me about it when the event started. Thanks for filling in the blanks, Sharon.
Wow A PDA.. that must cost thousands.
Choon Ean,
Incredible to hear such amazing comments on your talent. Remember me, Lean Ai from zoo Road & St Georges? my email lean_lim@tiscali.co.uk. Please contact.
Congrats for latest prize
lean ai
lean ai - i will drop cean a note so she sees this
Thanks Sharon, hope Choon Ean picks up mail. After being in UK for nearly 40 yrs. think lots to catch up on our careers.
Trying to get one of her books on Amazon to read on plane !
Rgds
lean ai
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