Guide for Hosting Write-Ins
Making them fun and productive
What Is A Write-In?
A write-in occurs whenever novelists gather to work on their novels or novel-related tasks. In between bouts of furious typing, daydreaming, and nitpicking our word choices, we commiserate over what’s left to do, brainstorm, and cheer each other on. The point is to get out of the house, away from distractions, and writing. Fuel, interesting strangers you can put in your story, and socializing with fellow writers is a bonus.
How to Host A Write-In
Choose a time that is convenient for you.  If others can attend, that’s great.  If not, you’ll have dedicated writing time.
We recommend a minimum of two hours, but a maximum of four. Most writers’ brains start to go numb about then.
If you want to gather in person, pick a public place. Public libraries, coffee houses, or Barnes & Noble stores are all good choices. If you don’t want to get out of the house, people can gather online at places like Zoom or Discord.Â
For in-person events, if you know that a large number of people plan to attend the write-in you are hosting, as a courtesy try to give your venue a heads-up and if needed, make a reservation. You may want to approach management anyway for advice on the best times to schedule events and they might even be open to publicizing it. Libraries are especially good at this.
If you’re meeting at a location, we recommend that you choose a place you know or have scoped out ahead of time. The ideal place has a decent amount of table space and plentiful outlets.
Announce your write-in! Share it with your writer friends, post it in your local discord, or maybe put up a sign in the coffee shop. Good details to share are: date, start time, duration, location (including address or cross streets), and how to recognize you. Will you have a sign? Rock a laptop with a blue case?
Pack a bag of useful things to help out other writers. Useful things can be prompt lists, a power strip, an extension cord, games, a timer, and a ‘writer at work’ sign.
For virtual write-ins, prepare a few web browser tabs with timers, prompt lists, or maybe inspirational videos depending on your desire. Also, consider a fun background.
Grab your bag and show up five or ten minutes early with your writing tools and stake out a table or a few chairs. You’ll want to sit somewhere to recharge dying laptops and where everyone can comfortably type.
For virtual write-ins, we still recommend logging in a few minutes early. You want to be the first one there!
As people arrive, feel free to have participants introduce themselves and their goals for the write-in.
Get writing! Or editing. Or outlining. Or anything you need. You can be as active a host as you want, but here are some ideas.
Encourage community building by regularly asking participants questions about their projects, but make sure there’s enough time to make progress on their goals.
Encourage goal-getting by establishing a quiet write-in, where socialization is at the minimum but productivity is high. Online, you can announce this by sharing your screen with a slide saying you are silent writing or an ambiance video. In person, you can do this by frequently interrupting conversations or running word wars.
Run games (link to game post). Games are short bursts of activities that are usually played silently, but encourage small talk before and after them. Word wars are a common game, and can quite a group of rowdy writers. Other games, like word crawls, require a bit more setup but can be run without your active management.
Celebrate goals by giving small prizes to people who complete their goal, or encourage them to take an action like ringing a bell or throwing a huzzah ball.
Stick around and write until your time window is up (some participants show up late; it is sad to go to a write-in and not find the host who committed to be there), then go home.
Sometimes half a dozen people will show up, sometimes no one shows up. Either way, you can make a dent in your word count or other writing goals! It's EASY and anyone can do it!
Acknowledgments
This guide was originally adapted from Pomegranate's_Guide_for_Hosting_Write-Ins by samcadams and NewMexicoKid.