Write-Ins, Writing Buddies, and Moose

The single most awesome part of NaNoWriMo, to me, is the social aspect of the community. Of course, there are the forums, where I rule supreme (mwah-haha) which are absolutely invaluable for getting support, ideas, and camaraderie.

But where NaNoWriMo really shines are in-person meetups. All around the world, people meet other Wrimos, and just plain have fun.

Here in Macon, Georgia, where I live, we get together at least weekly. We have a ton of spirit, and even have a mascot. A moose. The Macon Mooselings chose their mascot because (of course) there are no moose in Georgia. Why else?

Mascots are great fun, and many regions adopt one. Penguins, pandas, pangolins (well, I don't know about the last one, but they should be a mascot). Mascots give you something to stick in your novel when you're stuck, something to snuggle at night when you're getting ready to go to bed, and something to entertain you when you're procrastinating. (No, that is not a moose handpuppet by my side. It's not!)

Having a regional identity helps build more than just community. In our region, we have an incredibly high win rate among those who comes to meetings. The equation is simple: Wrimo + Write-In = Winner

Having buddies of any kind during November is a huge help. Even if you can't make a real write-in, why not see if there's a virtual one around? Some of the larger regions have dedicated chat rooms, and love crash-visitors!

You can browse the NaNoWriMo forums for writing buddies, if you don't have any of your own. What is a writing buddy, you ask? The easiest answer: Whatever you want them to be. Many people add interesting people in the forums whose word counts they want to track. Others add mutual friends and challenge each other to competitions! Sometimes, a writing buddy is just that—a friend, someone to talk to and support you.

There's usually a thread in each of the genre lounges for writing buddies. You can even find a whole thread of them in the All-Ages Coffeehouse for a more broad base of people.

The experience of writing in a group is one not to be missed. Usually, writing is such a solitary thing, and NaNoWriMo provides us all with the opportunity, finally, to not be alone. I've made some amazing friends through NaNoWriMo—friends that don't mind being ignored for 15 minutes while I finish a scene.

Or who understand why it's so funny that you're stuck at 911 words, and know the feeling.

So what sorts of writing buddies do you have? Tell us your awesome writing-buddy stories.

– Heather Dudley

Photo by Flickr user snigl3t