Having a writing buddy

The last couple of months, I've been participating in a number of writing challenges including the Chapter Book Challenge, Blog Your Book in 30 Days, and Camp NaNoWriMo. These challenges have been fantastic for getting the words down on paper as they all come with a deadline a supportive group of participants, but this month, I have an extra secret weapon.

This secret weapon is a writing buddy!

It all started by accident. We are both working to pitch a manuscript at a conference next month, so we need to get our drafts finished.

We started checking in with each other whenever we had done writing and it's helped us keep on track! If we haven't checked in for a day or two, then we'll ask the other how the writing is going.

Working this way, we have both hit the half way points in our manuscripts, and are on track to finish our manuscripts in plenty of time for the conference.

The groups that exist for the challenges have been wonderfully supportive, but having this one on one support has been invaluable.

The similarities between us have helped in the support we are giving each other. As well as writing for the same age group, we are both juggling kids with writing, as well as everything else that comes with having busy lives. Because of the kids, we are sending messages with word counts at strange hours, but it works for us.

I used to be jealous of people who would get together regularly with writing buddies and spend lovely weekends together writing, now I have my own writing buddy. While we don't spend time together in the same place, we still encourage each other and get our writing done!

Melissa Gijsbers lives in Melbourne with her two teenage boys and pet blue tongue lizard. She writes flash fiction as well as middle grade novels.

You can follow her writing journey at www.melissawrites.com.au and www.melissagijsbers.com