Post NaNoWriMo 2004
This is where my US$25/- to NaNoWriMo 2004 went:
For me, NaNoWriMo is not just about writing, or completing a 50,000-word novel in 30 days. It’s about community. Last year, the larger picture was that the global NaNoWriMo community raised enough money to build a few libraries in Cambodia. On the local front, I found myself a part of the Malaysian WriMo community. It was a big one, too, and I’m still in touch with three of the Malaysian WriMos I met last year.
I’ve also learned, thro’ NaNoWriMo, that writing need not be a lonely vocation. Sure, you’re alone when you write. But when you’re not writing, and especially when you’re stuck, it’s a good idea to go seek out other writers, just to socialise and to be reminded that there are others like yourself out there. Sometimes just chatting helps to unstuck whatever one is stuck in.
NaNoWriMo helps to bust other writing myths, too, including the one about how it must be perfect the first time you write it, and if it’s not, you must go and edit it immediately.
I strongly believe NaNoWriMo will help to build the Malaysian writing community. There are a lot of good writers in Malaysia who are stuck in all these writing myths that only NaNoWriMo can dismantle.
Can you tell I’m looking forward to NaNoWriMo 2005? It’s only nine months away!
