#MyNoWriMo - Because all manuscripts don't get written in November!

If you are a writer you probably know about NaNoWriMo. Unless of course you have been living under a rock or have been writing away furiously in your Writing Cave. In the latter case, you probably have no need for a NaNoWriMo!

Of course for lesser mortals who are juggling day jobs and household chores and dreaming about writing that wonderful novel that has been playing out in our heads, NaNoWriMo is just what the Muse ordered. A whole month you can prep for (and it comes in November) and work on your manuscript. The sheer thought of millions of writers plugging away at their manuscripts all over the world is itself hugely inspiring.

But.... (yes, the dreaded 'but') life always doesn't always turn out as planned and for many of us, writing simply doesn't happen in November. So, what's the alternative? Well, what if you could create your own Novel Writing Month and join hands with some writer buddies for the much needed writing support? That's an idea worth exploring, thought Saiswaroopa Iyer, a writer-friend. Says Saiswaroopa,"November is not one of those months where I get to sit back and write. Hence, I set out to make this month of May as My Novel Writing Month. It's fabulous that Sudesna supported my tweet calling upon other interested writers and I got connected to some really awesome writers--and all girls! Can it get better?"

So Sai's idea of a MyNoWriMo (My Novel Writing Month) in May caught on and five of us joined in to a month long writing session in May. Better still, unlike NaNoWriMo where everyone has to write a 50K word manuscript, we have decided to keep it flexible. So each of us will choose her own word count and the idea is to support each other in meeting our writing goals.

Meet the Six Writer Buddies of #MyNoWriMo. Wish us luck and I hope you will follow us on Twitter to keep pace with our progress and cheer us on....

Saiswaroopa (Last Book: Abhaya)

I am the kind of writer who lets her stories and characters brew, ferment and refine themselves in her mind before I find the confidence to type the story away. But in the course of writing my second novel, as I tried to cultivate a discipline of writing, I tasted the magic of being focused and persistent till the end. As someone who would like to challenge herself on every project, I want to write a short sequel to my debut Epic/Puranic fantasy Abhaya for my third work of fiction. Tentatively titled, Daughter of Mura, it traces the story of the orphaned daughter of the commander of Narakasura who was killed by Lord Krishna and her pursuit of vengeance.
I hope the sequel gets written during this sprint. Really excited to pursue this new way of writing.

Twitter handle: @sai_swaroopa

Sudesna Ghosh (Last Book: Just Me, the Sink & the Pot)


I did NaNoWriMo in 2016 for the first time. The result was a first draft of my romance novella (to be published). I joined the movement because I was inspired by all the enthusiasm on Twitter. Also, I wasn't getting much writing done with personal strife.

When Saiswaroopa, author friend I met on Twitter, thought of #MyNoWriMo, I found her enthusiasm contagious and said yes. My latest book, Just me, the Sink & the Pot, is self published and I have been amazed at the support that indie authors provide each other. 

I am taking advantage of that network and attempting my first draft for a children's story that I plotted in mid April. It is like having a gym buddy so that you get your workouts done. I'm going to get my word count running.

Twitter handle: @sudesna_ghosh

Devika Fernando (Last Book: The Prince's Surprise Bride)

I'm a German (and half Sri Lankan) romance novelist with currently more than 10 self-published books. My main focus is contemporary romance on the sweeter side, and I love writing about different countries and ethnicities. 

I recently released my first three royal romances, but during #MyNoWriMo I will be working on a sequel to the 'Forbidden' books, a romantic suspense series I coauthored with Amazon-bestselling author Mike Wells.

I write every day and try to be very disciplined about it, but I love initiatives like NaNoWriMo or #MyNoWriMo where authors get together and motivate each other to strive even harder.

Twitter Handle: @Author_Devika

Ruchi Singh (Last Book: Jugnu) 

#MyNoWriMo has come at the right time for me. I am really excited and looking forward to work in the company of such accomplished writers. 

Unlike my past projects, I have decided to keep things simple this year and concentrate on an unfinished manuscript. The objective for this month is to complete the novella I had started during the November 2015 NaNoWriMo, which was abandoned due to Jugnu, my latest release. 

The focus is on total entertainment folks!

Twitter Handle: @RuchiWriter

Adite Banerjie (Last Book: No Safe Zone) 

Many years ago I had participated in the ScriptFrenzy initiative which used to be a scriptwriting version of the NaNoWriMo. It had been a fun and frenzied month and along with a writer friend I had managed to put down 100 pages of a first draft screenplay.

However I haven't had much luck with NaNoWriMo and despite several attempts November just doesn't seem to work for me. So, just as I had finished plotting the idea for a new manuscript, Sudesna pinged me about #MyNoWriMo. Serendipity, right? So here I am, all raring to go on this new ride!

Twitter Handle: @adite

Vandana Shanker (Last Book: Dust of Ages)

My first books (a non-fiction and a fiction) were published the traditional way. The last novel 'Dust of Ages' was a long one - about 110K words which I published as a series on Amazon. It is a historical set in India during 1857 and self-publishing has been quite satisfactory.

I would most probably be working on a historical again - this time set in the 1890s during the Great Game. But then it seems quite ambitious and I might work on my romance novella in May. But the good thing is writing alongside everyone. 

Twitter Handle: @VandanaShanker