To my dear friends, family, and those of you supporting me,

Starting in November, I will start and finish a novel that I've planned for a very long time- The Lazarii. I will be writing a minimum of 50,000 words, which means about nearly two thousand words a day. While this might seem ambitious, I am confident that by focusing on Lazarii instead of being distracted like usual by short stories and other miscellany, it is entirely feasible to finish The Lazarii in one month.

Writing in itself is a form of social action (certainly Voltaire suffered enough for his work). Some people volunteer, while others work within the organization. I admire those with the courage and determination to do so, but I also recognize that my abilities simply don't lie in that arena. So by writing Lazarii, I hope to not only fulfill a personal goal, but also help others in a way that best suits me.

NaNoWriMo is free, and is run by a nonprofit organization: The Office of Letters and Light. The money raised goes straight to helping build programs to spread literacy in classrooms and across the world, as can be seen from their highly transparent expense budget. By donating, dear reader, you can help contribute towards events in libraries, cafes, living rooms... the sky's the limit! 

There is an estimated 300,000 novelists working through NaNoWriMo this year, so why not support us? If you want to do more for the region of Hong Kong, China, please let me know, as I'd be happy to help. In fact, if writing goes as planned and I win NaNoWriMo, I will be volunteering to become Municipal Liaison next year! *crosses fingers*

Every dollar donated will act as encouragement to me, and to so many others. Reading, writing, literature... this is the central core of me, and I hope that completing NaNoWriMo will be one more step towards self-actualization. But no one can walk alone. To my friends and family, thank you for the support you have already given me throughout these years. As I ask you to support you once again, please know that you have my sincere gratitude; I'd be lost without you.

Every dollar I raise will keep my spirits high as I write my way towards the realization of my creative goals. More importantly, your contribution will help The Office of Letters and Light build a more engaged and inspiring world.

A solemn promise: I will update this page regularly, once a week being ideal. Please also find updates at the writing blog The Pretentious Cognoscenti, founded by myself as a writing collective for fellow Hong Kong writers in secondary school or older (virtual tea and real cookies, an excellent combination).

I will also post links to other inspiring pages from time to time, such as that for Shweyga Mullah. Knowledge is nothing without empathy.

With Love, 

Elizabeth Cheung