I’m thrilled to announce that I’ve finished the first draft of my next psychological thriller! I began this project in 2022 and initially wrote 37,000 words. However, in January 2023, I had to abandon it. My commitment to Penguin Random House Southeast Asia for The American Boyfriend took priority, involving a year-long promotional, marketing, and publicity campaign across two to three continents and 144 events. It was worth it—the campaign won the Singapore Book Awards 2024 for Best Marketing Campaign!
Despite the abandonment, the story never left my mind. Even while on tour, I couldn’t stop thinking about it. Once I wrapped up my commitments, I picked up where I left off. Between March 31st and August 23rd, I wrote an additional 54,000 words, bringing the manuscript to a total of 91,000 words.
Many people have asked how I managed to get it done. I’m sorry to say there’s no shortcut, AI assistance, or magic tool—just a lot of hard work. I sweated and dripped each word from my 2019 MacBook, the same laptop I used to write The American Boyfriend. I’m a bit superstitious and believe this laptop brings me luck.
I significantly reduced my social media activity and turned down nearly all social engagements for four months. If you invited me out and I declined, I apologize and hope you had a great time without me.
Now that the draft is complete, it’s time to let the manuscript breathe. Even manuscripts need a staycay. Wait for the buzz of the chainsaw in my next round of edits.
“Welcome back, my friends, to the show that never ends.”
– Emerson, Lake & Palmer
Stay tuned for more updates!
