<p>Would it be really bad if, for the optional question about something I created, I wrote about a novel I tried to write?... It has nothing to do with math or science, and I never actually finished it, but the attempt definitely did something for me.</p>
<p>I would write about that for sure, but do you know if MIT uses that prompt as the optional essay every year?</p>
<p>The essay questions have been essentially the same (with slight variations in wording) for at least 3 years now.</p>
<p>You should definitely feel free to write about a novel -- the essay doesn't have to be about something math- or science-related, it just has to be something you created. You could write about a robot, an airplane, a novel, a souffle... anything that came into existence because you put your mind to it. :)</p>