The Importance of Other Writers

What kind of writer are you? Hermit or socialite? Is your writing a solitary occupation or do you seek out the company of other writers?

I used to be a hermit. Was this because I was a childhood writer? None of my friends wrote stories, so I grew up feeling it was normal to be the only one. As an adult, I carried on writing in isolation.

Then I went on a writers' holiday. During that week in beautiful Port Gaverne in Cornwall, I discovered the pleasure of being among other writers. After that, I looked for a writing group to join. My first attempt wasn't successful. The group was huge and I'm just not a huge-group sort of person.

My second group some time later was unsuccessful for different reasons. It was a much smaller group and the members made me welcome. Did it bother me that my arrival brought down the average age by some 40-plus years? Now sure, if I'm honest. I never really had time to find out, because the group met on weekday afternoons and, of course, I was at work then, so I could attend only by taking time off, which wasn't feasible long-term.

I went to some of the Writers' Holiday weeks, organised by Anne and Gerry Hobbs, when they were held at at Caerleon, and they were terrific. What I still admire about those weeks was that everyone was interested in everyone else's work. It didn't matter whether you were a bestselling author or a brand new writer, everyone was taken seriously. The atmosphere was friendly and supportive and the only thing wrong with those weeks was that they weren't fortnights.

This past twelve menoths I haven't been able to go on any writing courses. A family member has been in and out of hospital and we haven't been able to commit ourselves to anything. And I must admit, I'm getting fidgetty. I want to be back among other writers. Yes, I go to the monthly meetings of the Wirral & North Wales RNA Chapter and, yes, I have a lovely writing friend living locally and, yes, I have writing companions I met through NaNo and Twitter; but, as valuable as all these people are to me, I still feel the need for a few days away on a writing course/holiday/retreat... anything.

I have set my sights on the RNA Conference next summer and I'm hoping that the RNA friends I have made through Twitter will all be able to make the trek north to Lancaster. You see, I'm still not a huge-group person, but I'll feel a lot braver about it if I know some people beforehand.

So that's me - the ex-hermit. Which are you - hermit or socialite? Is the company of other writers important to you? Do virtual friendships fully answer that need or do you have to have real-life companionship too? And do tell me about courses/weekends/writing retreats you have been on - I can't go on any myself at present, so I'd love to enjoy them vicariously through your experiences!