Marilyn's Musings

By Sheila Webster Boneham Writing is a solitary pursuit. Even those of us who like to write in a cozy coffee-shop booth surrounded by a human buzz are alone in the work itself. (I could argue that we’re never alone, of course, because we have all those other voices in our heads, but I’m not sure I want to mention that.) We move into the work itself alone and naked, armed only with our minds and our writing implements. Writing is a quest of the highest order. But writers also need people. Our work needs people. We need readers, editors, caregivers, brainstormers. We need people who encourage us. We need people who say, wait, this isn’t working, but maybe you could try this. (For most of us, these people should not be spouses or blood-relatives. ) We need the members of our tribe. Some of us are lucky enough to belong to excellent critique groups that meet frequently and regularly. Finding or assembling the right group can be a challenge, but once you do, the benefits of mut...