Embrace Solitude

Writing is often described as a lonely profession. It’s not like other jobs. There aren’t many "from the trenches" stories to share that others can relate to.

A plumber can talk about the time he forgot to turn off the water and ended up drenched from head to toe or a teacher can talk about funny things said or done in the classroom. A mechanic can mention burning his fingers on an engine he thought was cool enough to dismantle and a police officer can talk about gasping for air after a foot chase.

Writers can talk about typos that tickled them, accidentally deleting chunks of a manuscript, polishing scenes and dialogue. Only another writer will understand why one sentence of dialogue feels like such a milestone. Writers flock to online forums, whether small private groups or large groups, because those are places they can interact with others who "get it". Online forums join forces with email, instant message programs, telephones and fax machines to keep a writer connected to the rest of the world. In today’s world, a writer must choose to embrace solitude.

It’s hard to create while reading emails and posting to messages boards. Log off and write. The messages will all be there when you get back.

Written by Angela