Writer Isolation

   

   As writers, we have a tendency to isolate ourselves while trying to conjure up an interesting story. I know not all writers do this, but the majority of the ones I know, do. It isn't always a bad thing when writing until it becomes a habit. That can have a negative affect on you and your writing. 

   It's important to have a place to write without distractions and the option of silence or soft background noise. I purchased an old boat at auction that provides me with a quiet place to write. When we spend too much time there, we lose the input of human interaction. While most of our stories revolve around make-believe worlds or fictitious versions of our own world, interaction between characters remains the same.

   How we relate to others determines how we write the relationships our characters experience. Men normally write their stories from a male point of view, and women write from a female point of view. Thar's one of many reasons why men have difficulty writing romance. 

   I had the opportunity this last weekend to participate in a men's retreat. I had never been involved with one of these before, so I had no expectations. It brought back memories of forty years ago. I was stationed on a ship and spent months in the company of a group of men. I realized just how much I'd missed the comradery and fellowship.

   It became clear to me that I was using the isolation as a writer as an excuse to avoid making new friends. I believe it's important to have a close friend who will share the truth with about how your story is developing. Family is nice but they normally don't tell you what they are really thinking. A close friend will also tell you if they think you've been isolating yourself for too long.

   If you don't have someone you would consider a close friend, I encourage you to reach out to those around you. Now that I realize what I've been missing, I will reach out to those I just met hoping to find a connection. You might be surprised, they might be searching for a friend also. And if it doesn't work, no problem, just try again.

   With two daughters and five grand-daughters, I feel my character interactions between men and women are fairly well written. I hope the interaction between my male characters improves as I spend more time with the men I've just made friends with.

Another short scene I hope you will enjoy.

Thanks for reading.

  

When the sobs finally subsided, she raised her puffy eyes to him and searched his face. “Jon was my only friend while growing up in the castle, and I killed him. Why?”

It took all of Aldan’s will not to fall into the emptiness that hovered just past the green expanse of her eyes. Brushing the tears from her face, he kissed her on the forehead and comforted her in the circle of his arms.

“You did not kill him, Odessa. Jon died because of the actions of a mad, power-hungry mage. If you had not taken advantage of the power made available to you, we would all be dead. How many would have died in this kingdom before he was satisfied? Rest now and regain your strength. Morning will soon be upon us, and many questions will need to be answered.”

Taking her silence for agreement, he carried Odessa to the base of the tower, that had already been cleared of bodies and laid her on a sleeping pad. Satisfied she was resting peacefully; he climbed up on the tower base and extinguished his light at a signal from Regis.

Re-energizing the defensive matrix with a quick spell, Aldan pulled out the small book, spoke the Words of Power, and watched the Tome return to its proper size. The rest of the night passed quickly as he studied a completely new set of spells. The idea of sleep never crossed his mind.