New year is just around the corner, and I want to start it with a writing challenge that I have failed to keep twice (in different forms) in the past 2 years. I am challenging myself to publish a post each on every single day of January.

I am making this challenge public for some accountability and to amplify the humiliation, shall I fail (the chances of which are very high). I am giving the 31 topics below that I plan to publish in the 31 days of January. Now, while I will try to post in the order given below, my main priority would be to post something, anything (worth posting, in my eyes). Hence the order might not remain the same as given below and I might also skip some topics and post something else instead. Also, the titles of topics below are just tentative, it might change if something better comes in mind.

This 31 day challenge also presents me with the opportunity to push through some very old topics which have been clogging my draft list since years. So, you will also find that some of these old, but still relevant topics. If successful in completing them, I can concentrate on fresh new topics, from Feb onwards.

With that in mind, here are the 31 topics for the first 31 days of 2014 (I will be linking them as and when I publish them):

1. New Year’s Old Resolutions (screw it. I will make resolutions even if they never work. And I will make them public (and keep few private)).

2. Resetting Priorities (to make it easier to decide what to do in situations of conflicting requests, which happen quite often.)

3. Changing Traditions. Happy New Year (a musing of last year, edited and published now)

4. I am depressed (really, and for no particular reason)

5. Lessons learned from training and running a half marathon (a little late than desired, but this one’s important)

6. 8 months without FB (An honest introspection. Do I miss it? Will I ever return?)

7. Untitled Part 8 (Next installment of a novel like story about a stalker, that I am struggling to write from past 2 years)

8. Should we let people become God? (an old rambling about a topic close to my heart, told with Asaram’s case in the background)

9. A poem in Hindi (have 3 in draft, struggling to complete any one of them)

10. An Open Letter to a friend (it’s been a long time since I wrote an open letter)

11. How to talk to a girl you “like” WITHOUT falling in “love” with her ?(You will be disappointed, I am asking for advice here rather than giving it)

12. There was blood (a poem involving blood (loads of it) related to a nightmare I had)

13. Why I want a gay friend (A topic considered a laughing matter in our heterosexual society. But I write this with all the seriousness. You will have to wait for this one)

14. How to maximise the number of Likes you get (republished from the notes written during FB days, still relevant I believe).

15. Untitled Part 9

16. Be with those people (Uncle RavS gives advice to self and others)

17. A book review (have read about a dozen books in last 7-8 months. Have been thinking to write an amateur book review)

18. All Hail Buffalo — Part 2 (a sequel to the quite popular post of 2013, on special demand)

19. Meerut ke Keede (a totally imaginary story in Hindi, inspired by a real-life incident)

20. How to write a poem (a poem about how I write my poems :-)

21. When you lost respect in my eyes (and when you gain)

22. First episode of dream-podcast (have been planning this since 2 years) ##

23. A political satire in Hindi (keeping the topic secret for now)

24. The RavS and the art of changing looks (why do I take sometimes ridiculous avatars when I myself think it’s stupid)

25. Untitled Part 10

26. In Search of bliss (a very very old post, musing if there’s a formula for absolute happiness)

27. Ek ladki ko dekha to aisa laga (a satirical reprise of a popular Hindi song written with Pro, bordering on sexism. Republished from FB notes)

28. Experiences of working for an Indian IT services organisation (a rant from heart written almost an year ago, but never published)

29. 10 months of following a porn star (this is going to be fun!)

30. I am incredible (but not the way you think)

31. The 31 day challenge — A Review (whether I complete any of the above or not, this will be definitely written)

##UPDATE: I accomplished Mission Impossible 31!!

It was less than perfect of course. I couldn’t bring out the podcast that I so wanted. I even got 2 posts preponed (thus breaking the rythm of above list) to give myself a little bit more time . I had prepared the script too. But still for various reasons, I couldn’t publish the first episode. Instead of the podcast post, I wrote about my February Challenge.

But overall I am delighted. It was a tough but enriching challenge. And I am glad I didn’t let myself and others down.