Me? Isolated?

Quiet descends.

Our two sons have returned to college after Christmas vacation, and the round of parties, meal planning and laundry has suddenly shrunk. It’s been leftovers and easy meals all week for my husband and me.

Many people believe writers work in isolation. In a sense, that’s true, yet I don’t feel isolated, even with the post-holiday letdown.

Last Saturday, at a meeting of the Orange County chapter of Romance Writers of America, I heard the ever-delightful Carly Phillips discuss how she consults with a critique partner and a plotting group on her best-selling novels. Also, over lunch, I enjoyed catching up with several writing friends, including popular Harlequin Spice author Jina Bacarr.

Tomorrow night, I’ll be attending a meeting of my critique group, the Fictionaires, which has about twenty members. This group – with a changing roster – has been around for more than forty years, offering constructive criticism as well as emotional support.

Plus, I’m teaching a writing course through the Long Ridge Writers Group. Through individual lessons submitted by mail or on-line, I meet eager students who share their insights and creativity. We may not confer face to face, but their personalities reverberate across the miles.

And that’s not all.

My husband once commented that I’d spent all day alone. That surprised me, even though I had in fact been sitting in my office that particular day, working on a novel – no on-line chats, no teaching. But my had hero flirted with me. My heroine confided her problems. Their friends and colleagues and relatives paraded through my brain, reminiscing and squabbling and demanding their own share of the spotlight.

What I really needed, after a day at the computer, was some peace and quiet.