Had the chance to talk to some writing colleagues this week. Some new, some I’ve known for a while. One via Zoom, one on the phone, and the rest in person.

(Ah, the results of networking and making connections!)

While each conversation was specific to each person, there were a few common threads: what we were working on and how it was going, experiences and results of previous projects, and glimpses ahead to potential future work.

But apart from discussing actual writing stuff, there was also a mutual contentedness about just being able to have a nice chat and offer up some morale-boosting encouragement.

For most of us, writing is a solitary activity, so social interactions might be on the sparse side. As much as I enjoy a productive session that sees progress on my script, there’s just as much enjoyment from shooting the breeze with another writer (or writers) over a cup of coffee.

I’m extremely fortunate to have a lot of other writers live nearby, so I take advantage of that and meet in person whenever possible. (Highly recommended if you can)

If this isn’t the case for you, what’s stopping you from dropping another writer a line and inviting them to talk on Zoom? You’re probably already connected on social media, so why not take it one step beyond? It’s a great way to meet and get to know each other better, all from the comfort of home. And you might be surprised how receptive they are to the idea.

No matter how you do it, one of the unspoken benefits of talking with other writers is the pleasant reminder that YOU ARE NOT ALONE IN THIS. It’s more than likely they’ve gone through the exact same things you have, so they can relate. Maybe they’ve endured more, so you can learn from their experience, and vice versa.

Just as it’s important to try and maintain a regular writing schedule when possible, taking the time to step away, relax, and engage in a casual conversation can be just as helpful.

For all the writers involved.