North River Arts Society Writers Workshop

Unmoored, adrift, unsettled, to borrow Heather’s word from her previous post: that’s exactly how I feel if I don’t write on a regular basis. Fortunately, over the past few years, I’ve managed to carve out some time each day to devote specifically to writing. As a result, I feel a powerful sense of momentum in my writing – it’s physically easier to sit down and get right to it, plus my mind stays involved in the story when I’m away from the page. And it keeps me (relatively) sane.

What I’ve also found extremely helpful is being involved in writing communities, such as the Writers Workshop. There’s nothing quite like sitting in a room with other writers, sharing the successes and struggles we encounter along this nonstop, sometimes solitary, sometimes roller-coaster-like journey. As much as our families and friends try to sympathize, they can never truly empathize with the writer’s life unless they’re living it, too.

When we last met, several of you acknowledged that you’re either returning to writing after a long interruption or “finally” making good on your promise to yourself to sit down and write once you retired. Hopefully these monthly gatherings will help all of us get settled into the rhythm of writing, giving us goals and deadlines to shoot for, perhaps a little inspiration, and the all-important camaraderie and solidarity of communing with writers like ourselves.