What is Trance Writing?

A few months ago, there was an event organized by Rohit Gupta, the Mumbai based writer. The event was called The Great Mahakali Write-A-Thalon and had a number of participants from several countries. The idea was to finish a novel or a screenplay in 58 hours time. Sounds weird? Try it out and you would know.


Following are a few excerpts from the FAQ page of the Great Mahakali website:

"I believe that the any writer who writes in this contest fresh, with honesty, will stand a better chance of winning. That's the "zone" I'm hoping that writers will get inside mentally, a sort of trance.

This is the way the human spirit works. Cheaters hide and conspire, but honesty burns and shows up as a cosmic force, it explodes in your face.

So stop worrying about this shit. The only thing to worry about is what you'll tell your grandchildren - "I once wrote an entire novel in three days. There were these writers all over the globe, see? We all began writing one Friday morning like it was the end of the world......."

"We are doing this to push our apparent limits as writers and see where it leads us. The possibilities of super-intensive writing are exciting, that's why."


It's addictive. It's insane. And it gets your blood racing. Maybe it even raises your Kundalini. But, the best part, of course is, it brings the writer and the story hidden in the recesses of your head. Kudos to Rohit!