#212 The Far Side of Writing

There's an old Far Side cartoon with retired cartoonists sitting on a porch reminiscing about the old days.  One cartoonist, with his arms spread wide open, says to the others, "I once drew a nose this big!"

I've always liked this cartoon, probably because I have a big nose that only a cartoonist could love.  Now that I'm a full-time writer, however, this particular cartoon has taken on a new meaning for me.  I devote much of my time to my craft and only some of my time on self promotion.  I spend NO time with other writers, sharing the burdens creativity, solitude, insecurity, and hours trapped inside my own head can create.  I follow several writers on Twitter and will spend time perusing their tweets.  I take comfort in their messages and enjoy the occasional line back and forth.  I like the online culture exercised by hundreds, even thousands, of indie and traditionally published writers.  But it isn't enough.

I've joined a writer's group in Dallas, but the focus of this group is writing.  Not the writer.  We spend our time critiquing and discussing publishing like Sunday morning bible class.  I still go occasionally, and I'm happy to discuss stories with other writers.

But I'd like something a bit different.  I'd like something more personal.  I'd like to get to know other writers and share in their experiences as I would want them to share in mine.  I want to drink wine or beer and discuss the writer life.  The act of writing is a solitary endeavor.  But it seems to me that writers like to live and experience things.  So I'd rather be out with writers experiencing life instead of cooped up in a room discussing the proper way to write a query letter or the importance of active verbs.

I've begun searching meetup.com for other writers interested in something similar, but have only found writing groups focused on critiquing.  I've not yet posted my own meetup group, and don't know that I will.  Writers are a tricky breed, the porcupine of humanity, and I'm not sure how to coax one out without risk of serious injury.