NaNoWriMo and Me
National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) is a fun, seat-of-your-pants approach to creative writing. On November 1, participants begin working towards the goal of writing a 50,000-word novel by 11:59 PM on November 30.
Valuing enthusiasm, determination, and a deadline, NaNoWriMo is for anyone who has ever thought fleetingly about writing a novel.
I first heard about NaNoWriMo in 2012 when I was going through a personal crisis. At that time, like all people who want to get on, I thought the only way to get things out of my system was to actually vomit it out and what better way than to write it as a novel? After all most first time novels are autobiographical in some way – if not as a whole – at least partly taking from the author’s own personal life or experiences.
So I began writing the novel, diligently regularly till somewhere down the line it fizzled out.
- Was it because I came to terms with my reality?
- Was it because I ran out of things to say?
No it was simply because I was not dedicated enough to go the whole 9 yards. Somewhere down the line I lost my drive and dedication and allowed the rest of the world to take over me and abandon the book.
So what’s different now?
Well, I think there is something in the Universe that is telling me to write.
And telling me to write a novel.
Well don’t we all have that Great Indian Novel just bursting to be let out in all our heads? Imagine as our PM loves saying if all 1.25 billion people begin writing a novel or actually do get done with writing the novel – how many novels that would be???
The world is already brimming with thoughts, ideas and novels that have been written before – so many that it would be impossible for any human being to have heard about each and every one of them , let alone have read them. But still there is always room for more because even if the core set of incidents remain the same, every human being experiences life in a different way. Each one of us has a different style of communicating thoughts, ideas and experiences. So each one of us deserves to write a novel – even if only 1.25 billion people begin writing a novel this November.
Actually, 1.25 billion Indians can’t begin writing, simply because sadly, ALL 1.25 billion of us aren’t literate. It’s true that despite everyone’s best intentions, schooling which is the basic right of every individual isn’t always accessible to every child. Even if the schooling is accessible, it may not always be possible : if you are disabled, differently abled or need special education which is not affordable or even doable. A case in point being the book I recently read ” One Little Finger” by Malini Chib. Those of you who are familiar with the rehabilitation of Spastics in India would have heard of her, particularly her mother Mithu Alur who was the pioneer in rehabilitating Spastics in India.
Child rearing is daunting for the most of us but faced with a child who has been declared a “vegetable” is beyond daunting – it requires a special kind of courage and determination. Malini Chib was blessed in that she was born to Mithu. Acknowledging her disability Mithu and her husband moved to England which was at that time the only place they knew of where they could attempt to help their daughter. Both parents soldiered on bravely, attending to their daughter and developing their own careers. Luckily the family had a strong support system to rely on. However, coming from comfortable backgrounds in India and unused to the rigors of physical labour involved in staying abroad made the family return to India especially after their second child ( a normal boy) was born. Though the parents divorced, it was not because of Malini’s disability and Malini found herself with two more wonderful people other than her parents whom she could rely on. Greatly encouraged by all those she met, Malini was able to rehabilitate herself and become a useful member of society – getting the education that she wanted and the means with which she could integrate herself to society.
Reading this book was a mind blowing experience because it brought home to mind that we all have a story. And every story can be told. Malini tells her story dispassionately like it is without reducing one to tears or making herself out to be a “hero”. So if Malini Chib who could write with just ONE LITTLE FINGER – the one little muscle that worked the way she wanted it to work, what’s holding me back?
Another thing I realised that I am now more conversant with the ways of the internet – I actually found out the advantages of being in a group, connecting with other bloggers and the way things work.
So here goes
For the past few days I’ve been receiving messages from NaNoWriMo , I’ve been reading about it on Corinne’s and Vidya’s Blogs till finally today I found that the link for WriteTribe’s ProBlogger Challenge ( to which I’m linking this post) was under Vidya’s blog post today.
Aren’t these signs enough?
Today I finally went back to NaNoWriMo to register my great indian novel and found out that I had forgotten my password. Within minutes I sorted that out and now I’m back on track.
This time, I hope I last the entire stretch and actually finish my work…
Good Luck to all those participating and for those who aren’t –
Get off that butt
Twenty- five Seven 