Finding Your People

We are all blessed with a few friends in our lives that we cannot do without at some point or another. Friends are necessary. However, writing is by default a lonely endeavor. Lonely out of necessity. You can’t hold a conversation between your own head and a blank page while talking to your cubicle mate.

We cannot tell the precise moment when friendship is formed. As in filling a vessel drop by drop, there is at last a drop which makes it run over; so in a series of kindnesses there is at last one which makes the heart run over. -James Boswell, Life of Johnson [September 1777]

What is a writer who needs to be lonely to write and also needs friends to live supposed to do? I recommend getting friends who write.

Easier said than done as most of us writers guard our time and ideas like a dragon it’s treasure hold. But there are a few places to find writers and snag a few friends of your own.

Twitter- start informal by following other writers, notice who comments on things you like and try to open a conversation. Don’t be creepy. Kind and friendly is plenty. Find me @HSDeurloo on Twitter to start.
Writing Groups- These are local people you can meet with who share your passion. Believe me it’s much harder to skip on a writing goal when your friend keeps on your case about it.
Reading Groups- Folks who read can tell you if your writing is on par with what’s on the market now. You should also be reading so ta-da it all works out.

Writing friends come with so many perks it’s worth the extroverted trip to find a few good ones.