STARTING A NOVEL: WHAT DO YOU USE?

Ah. You’re finally ready to do it. To jump into that other world of your own making. Your head is full of ideas. Your research done and things that you don’t know won’t show up until you actually WRITE the story. You sit down in a corner, and suddenly you notice that you’re missing your writing effects. Worst, you haven’t bought them. And you’ve got nothing of your liking since the last time you wrote.

For myself, I gotta have these:

1. Gel pens (black)
Slim gel pens, up to 5 of them. I write longhand for my first draft and I have this cursive penwomanship which I think is rather romantic and fast. Black gel ink make my words bolder in my mind, signifying that I am sure of what I’m writing about.

2. Automatic pencils
0.5 slim automatic pencil, my preference is the Sharplet. The pencil is for writing scenes which are very difficult to write, where everything wants to barge in into my head. Kasih Nan Agung’s difficult scene is the shooting in the jungle. Warisnya Kalbu's is the final battle episode. Impuls/Roh’s is Ahmad Fahim’s face-off with Seamus Conway. There are numerous difficult scenes for Merdekakan Cinta Ratna and Bukan Legasi Lalang. Odisi Tanah Kencana’s difficult scene is when Guruh broke the king-monster curse. Pencil allows me to rewrite without subjecting me to the pain all over again. That is what I have to do if I use the gel pens.

3. A bound 100 pages half an A4 notebook
My choice is the Camel notebook. I prefer a black cover. No spiral binding for me because I hate having to take care of loose paper getting out of the spiral. I prefer very small lines. My stories are short, so one book is enough.

4. Reference books
My must-haves are the Kamus Dewan, English-Malay dictionary (because sentences form in English in my head), baby names book.

5. Research folder
All through the year, I should have done my research. I cut articles, collect photo of muses, print out stuff from the Internet. All that are kept in a slim folder, ready for my perusal.

6. The Playlist
Music is very important. Every story has its own soundtrack. I will stack my Nokia cellphone with choice songs. This year’s songs are Owl City’s Fireflies, Daughtry’s Tennessee Line, Hayley William & B.O.B’s Aiplanes and anything Lee Dewyze. Sometimes the songs have no connection to the story but the melody must be just right to make the scenes play in my mind’s eye.

So, have I got all these? Mostly, but them gel pens, I have to get fresh ones.