Husband and I each received one of these lovely bits of weirdness from his Grandmother last Christmas. (His in a bit more manly fabric.) We were stunned and not entirely sure what to say to the 90+ year old manufacturer. Oh yes, Grams made them herself.
She namelessly sat on a bookshelf for several months gathering dust. Eventually I decided on Janet. She just screamed Rocky Horror Picture Show. Then last week I was working on NaNo stuff and realized I needed that little freaky doll and I needed her now! Since then she’s gotten a couple of workouts and really been quite helpful!
I even found the perfect place for Miss Janet all nestled in my basket of writing supplies with her hair sticking up just enough to make her presence known and ready to head out the door.
Rally, what better item to bring? She’s soft, makes little noise when applied to hard objects, and is safer for my public image then cussing in front of relative strangers. Okay, I’ll test that last one out at the first Write-In.
Last year I never understood the question “what totem” are you using for NaNo. Do people just carry strange little stuffies and statues around with them? I’d think to myself. Twelve months later and I’ve joined them.
As for the rest of my basket. My netbook is the only thing I HAVE to take with me. I’ve got mostly unnecessary research printouts and blank paper in the notebook. There are notecards if I really need to be tactile laying something out or for my occasional need to write something totally unrelated to what I’m typing. You know, the thing that isn’t going to leave your head until you do the brain dump . And finally a pencil pouch with miscellaneous pens and markers.
That’s about if for my writing kit. What’s in yours?
samwebb 
I really don’t have a writing kit as of yet….I’m sure next year, though, I’ll have an update 🙂
Ooh, you’re already planning on next year. You are well and good sucked into the NaNo madness.
Laptop, tea, my headphones, my Elmer Fudd hat, my notebook.
Why a hat is my totem, I’ll never know.
An Elmer Fudd hat sounds fun – and functional! Gotta keep the head warm!
I’ve never made on but I know pens that I really like, a notebook or two and blank cards. But a totem I don’t have. Maybe one of my son’s dragon dolls since I’m writing a fantasy this year.
The dragon sounds perfect. Now to get it away from the kid…
My school laptop, earbuds, and Halloween candy are the only things that get me through Nano. I don’t have a totem, though.
You still have Halloween candy – that’s pretty good! Have fun with NaNo!