This is great, The London Writers' Salon sounds like a cracking idea. When I meet people, I always think that asking them about what they like to read, rather than 'What do you do for a living?' makes quite a nice connection and gives you a real insight into a person and could help form your own new writer friend.
Thank you, yes, I’m finding the Salon so useful for helping me to commit to writing every day! Asking someone what they’re reading is a great way to connect, thanks for that suggestion.
I would love writer friends but so far have dismally failed to make any & I've been writing novels for some time. I think you have to be extremely lucky to find someone willing to make the time to start any sort of friendship.
Even the friends I know have no time. Everything is reduced to a silly text with a picture once a month. You reply. They text back a cute 'wow' or 'great'. then that's it. Your quota of interaction has been consumed. The minute women have kids it's over.
Ah, I know it can be tricky, especially in real life, to find someone to write with. I've been on the lookout for a suitable group to join for years before stumbling on the nonfiction meetups. I think the online virtual groups can be really useful here, such as the London Writers' Salon I mention, or ones on Substack even.
Great post as ever Kate - and thank you so much for the kind mention! I love the friendship between Muriel and Doris.
I find Substack (this highly civilized corner of it anyway) remarkably courteous and supportive - bar the occasional inevitable exception it is a lovely place to be.
Ah, thanks, Laura! And you’re welcome for the mention; it was funny that I was already planning to write about writer friends when you mentioned Daphne and Agatha.
And yes, I have (mostly) had a good experience on this platform and have met some incredibly supportive and kind writers and readers, such as yourself :)
I hear ‘writer friend’ and immediately hear ‘collaboration’ which makes my inner control freak/lone wolf bristle 😬😂. But the two aren’t interchangeable. I love writers supporting each other. My favourite writer friends (a man and a woman) are probably Nancy Mitford and Evelyn Waugh.
Haha I hear you, Julie. I’m an introvert too; it took me several attempts in fact to actually go to a meetup. It’s a bit like the word ‘networking…’ yikes! I think online groups are a good first step.
Just reading this morning about Spark and Lessing in the Abandoning Mothers chapter of Monsters, so perfectly timed to dig deeper with your excellent essay, Kate. Absolutely with you on the value of women supporting women. I write with a friend multiple times a week and we have both noticed the huge impact this has had on our enjoyment, commitment and confidence ✨
Oh, that book (and chapter) is so good! How funny that I wrote about what you were reading this week, though! I love the sound of your friend meetups :) I don't tend to have friends who also like writing to meet up with one-to-one (yet) but I do meet up with my daughter (who is also a writer) around once a month for what we've come to call our "writer chats". We sometimes write together, but usually just end up chatting about what we're working on and sounding ideas out. It's invaluable!
I was wowed by the serendipity too, thank you!✨ Your writer chats sounds wonderful and you’re right it’s invaluable to be able to sound out your ideas. I’d love to do the same with my girl one day ❤️
Reading about these writer friendships makes me think of the behind-the-scenes support some authors receive. I've heard whispers about R. Solace, an agent who fosters such close-knit creative relationships.
I love this! It’s so fascinating to see the friendships between these female writers - and how they correspond to the connections we make in our own lives :) the London Writers’ Salon sounds great, thanks for sharing x
"I’ve been working on an essay—not for an assignment or course, but just because it brings me joy to share words and to consider ideas around my reading and writing interests."
Exactly that, Kate! The intrinsic pleasure of finding the just right words to express what you hadn't completely grasped before you found them. And if someone else resonates to that? Well, it's just grand! I'm decades past my last writing assignment (yay!) and the experience just keeps getting better.
This is great, The London Writers' Salon sounds like a cracking idea. When I meet people, I always think that asking them about what they like to read, rather than 'What do you do for a living?' makes quite a nice connection and gives you a real insight into a person and could help form your own new writer friend.
Thank you, yes, I’m finding the Salon so useful for helping me to commit to writing every day! Asking someone what they’re reading is a great way to connect, thanks for that suggestion.
I would love writer friends but so far have dismally failed to make any & I've been writing novels for some time. I think you have to be extremely lucky to find someone willing to make the time to start any sort of friendship.
Even the friends I know have no time. Everything is reduced to a silly text with a picture once a month. You reply. They text back a cute 'wow' or 'great'. then that's it. Your quota of interaction has been consumed. The minute women have kids it's over.
Ah, I know it can be tricky, especially in real life, to find someone to write with. I've been on the lookout for a suitable group to join for years before stumbling on the nonfiction meetups. I think the online virtual groups can be really useful here, such as the London Writers' Salon I mention, or ones on Substack even.
Mmm, I might try one more time!
Great post as ever Kate - and thank you so much for the kind mention! I love the friendship between Muriel and Doris.
I find Substack (this highly civilized corner of it anyway) remarkably courteous and supportive - bar the occasional inevitable exception it is a lovely place to be.
Ah, thanks, Laura! And you’re welcome for the mention; it was funny that I was already planning to write about writer friends when you mentioned Daphne and Agatha.
And yes, I have (mostly) had a good experience on this platform and have met some incredibly supportive and kind writers and readers, such as yourself :)
💕
I hear ‘writer friend’ and immediately hear ‘collaboration’ which makes my inner control freak/lone wolf bristle 😬😂. But the two aren’t interchangeable. I love writers supporting each other. My favourite writer friends (a man and a woman) are probably Nancy Mitford and Evelyn Waugh.
Haha I hear you, Julie. I’m an introvert too; it took me several attempts in fact to actually go to a meetup. It’s a bit like the word ‘networking…’ yikes! I think online groups are a good first step.
I think I’m an ambivert but very protective of my own space.
Just reading this morning about Spark and Lessing in the Abandoning Mothers chapter of Monsters, so perfectly timed to dig deeper with your excellent essay, Kate. Absolutely with you on the value of women supporting women. I write with a friend multiple times a week and we have both noticed the huge impact this has had on our enjoyment, commitment and confidence ✨
Oh, that book (and chapter) is so good! How funny that I wrote about what you were reading this week, though! I love the sound of your friend meetups :) I don't tend to have friends who also like writing to meet up with one-to-one (yet) but I do meet up with my daughter (who is also a writer) around once a month for what we've come to call our "writer chats". We sometimes write together, but usually just end up chatting about what we're working on and sounding ideas out. It's invaluable!
I was wowed by the serendipity too, thank you!✨ Your writer chats sounds wonderful and you’re right it’s invaluable to be able to sound out your ideas. I’d love to do the same with my girl one day ❤️
Reading about these writer friendships makes me think of the behind-the-scenes support some authors receive. I've heard whispers about R. Solace, an agent who fosters such close-knit creative relationships.
Interesting!
I love this! It’s so fascinating to see the friendships between these female writers - and how they correspond to the connections we make in our own lives :) the London Writers’ Salon sounds great, thanks for sharing x
Thanks! I love reading about writer friendships. The Salon has been so good for my writing lately! Definitely recommend checking it out.
"I’ve been working on an essay—not for an assignment or course, but just because it brings me joy to share words and to consider ideas around my reading and writing interests."
Exactly that, Kate! The intrinsic pleasure of finding the just right words to express what you hadn't completely grasped before you found them. And if someone else resonates to that? Well, it's just grand! I'm decades past my last writing assignment (yay!) and the experience just keeps getting better.
Thanks, Baird! I think if you get it, you get it! Here's to sharing writing ✍️😊