What on earth is going on at NaNoWriMo HQ? Here's a high level summary compiled by an anonymous community member.
Write-in
A write-in is a NaNoWriMo or Script Frenzy event where writers gather in a central place to write and meet other writers. They are events of both productivity and socialization, and have existed as long as NaNoWriMo itself. The modern write-in is often coordinated by a Municipal Liaison but may be led by non-ML participants in a large region. Write-ins may be advertised in a regional lounge; many regional lounges also have Google Calendars or their own websites to post events on as well.
Write-ins may take place anywhere. Common locations include coffee shops, cafes, libraries, bookstores, colleges and universities, and a writer's home, but the options are endless. Ideal places include locales with plugs for laptops, wifi for distraction and updating wordcounts, comfortable places for writers to sit, and a friendly staff that is willing to host a bunch of writers taking up space. Food and drink are optional but don't hurt, and writers are encouraged to buy something if writing at a place of business. Write-ins are often held once a week at a standard, easily accessible location, but more exotic venues may be used for special events. Larger regions may have multiple write-ins per week, and large regions that let Wrimos host their own events often hold multiple write-ins a day.
There are as many types of write-ins as there are writers. Some write-ins include a social component at the beginning and end of a session. Others let writers come and go as they wish, and writers may stop to say hi as a writer arrives or leaves. Yet other write-ins feature word wars or impromptu pauses to talk through plot points. Write-ins are often not as populated as a Kickoff party or TGIO party and tend to be less formal with less structured activities. Wrimos are not expected or required to attend write-ins, but many participants find them to be a positive experience.
While write-ins often take place in physical locations, they don't have to. Virtual write-ins happen online with no need to be in a specific physical education. They are useful for organizing write-ins that span a large area, such as an Elsewhere region or an entire country. NaNoWriMo HQ hosts virtual write-ins once or twice a week during NaNoWriMo and Camp NaNoWriMo.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, NaNoWriMo's organizational position is that there will be no sanctioned in-person events for NaNoWriMo 2020 [1].
Write-Ins with Come Write In
Write-ins are part of the Come Write In program, where libraries, community centers, and other venues open their places of business to Wrimos.
While Come Write In hosts are not required to coordinate with a local Municipal Liaison, doing so is encouraged, as it's a win-win situation for everyone. Come Write In spaces get promotion on the regional forum, while the region gets more write-ins that the ML doesn't have to host (or even attend).
Unusual write-in locations
While many write-ins take place in food establishments and libraries, more exotic venues may host write-ins, usually for special events. Here's a list of some past unusual write-in locations.
- IKEA Showrooms (Many Regions)
- Disney World write-in (USA :: Florida :: Orlando)
- The Happiest Write In on Earth (Disneyland) (USA :: California :: Orange County, North
- Great Train Escape, a 12-hour write-in on an Amtrak train from San Diego to San Francisco
- Night of Writing Dangerously, which takes place in a ballroom, now discontinued
