Heard of it? It’s the National Novel Writers Month. Yes, where people all over the world (even me in Qatar) commit to writing a novel (50,000 words) in one month, starting November 1 and finish November 31st. Why do people do it? Some for the sheer community building of it; there are forums and blogs and veterans of this crazy month. Some for the challenge (new year’s resolution like it looms over us) and then there are likely others like me, who love writing, but in the quest to get better at it, have let some of the fun drain out of it.

Why is writing not as fun as it used to be?

Because I’m trying to break into the magazine market? 
Because i’m trying to finish a dissertation?
Because I’m mid-stream one novel project after having written sixteen chapters of another?

For all these reasons, and perhaps the most important one to me, the loss of spontaneity, I’m taking on NaNoWriMo.

I’m going to sit down everyday and come out with 1,500 words. 

And I’m going to let it be about whatever it wants to me. 

The title? 
“What Surprises Me Most”

Stay tuned to see what that will be.

And it’s not too late to sign up (November 1st isn’t until tomorrow!):  www.nanowrimo.org

Mohana Rajakumar

Mohana has a PhD from the University of Florida with a focus on gender and postcolonial theory. She is the creator and co-editor of five books in the Qatar Narratives series, as well as the Qatari Voices anthology which features essays by Qataris on modern life in Doha (Bloomsbury Qatar Foundation Publishing, 2010). Mohana has published several ebooks and academic titles. Check out her Amazon.com author page

    

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