A week ago, one of the most incredible experiences of my life took place. I have been part of an online writing community for well over two years now, and I just had the opportunity to meet over fifty of my dear fellow writers–many of whom I had become quite close too–in person for the first time. We met outdoors for an evening and two full days in a part of the country I had never seen before. The fellowship and the understanding and the kindred spirithood was not quite like anything else on this earth.
Part of this magical gathering involved meeting an author each of us knew and loved. He was the reason our community existed in the first place, and each of us had taken one or many of his classes that mined great books for jewels of writing advice. During the gathering, each of us had the chance to meet him and have our books signed… but even better, to hear him answer some of our writerly questions in person. He shared a variety of thoughtful tips for worldbuilding, conflict, character arcs, and dealing with being bored and generally stuck, among other issues. It was amazing just to hear it all in person.
We also had the opportunity to write together, sitting next to each other at physical tables and chairs, as well as writing in spirit with friends back home who were unable to come. We sat in silence (or some of us did!) and in unison each added words to our own masterpieces, spinning more beauty and truth into the world. Each story was unique, but our goals were the same: to glorify God and to bring light to those around us.
And we read our writing aloud to each other as well, all sitting in one great circle around a firepit, one by one entering the middle of the circle to sit or stand in front of the others and share some of our most beautiful words. I heard bite-sized stories full of delight and wonder, masterful highlights from longer stories and novels, and poems rich with the power of words condensed and unbridled. Some pieces were funny and some sad, some calm and some dramatic, but each of them wonderful in its own way. They made an unforgettable patchwork of words woven together by writers who were growing stronger and more talented in their craft.
Much of what we did together, however, had nothing to do with writing. We talked, hiked, danced, sang, and generally enjoyed each other’s company, and we savored every moment of our joyous time together. Almost from the beginning, the happiness was mixed with sorrow and dread because we shared the same stinging awareness that this time was not forever. At the same time, we recognized it as what it was at its core: a tiny, tiny taste of the new heavens and the new earth, when we would all meet, even those unable to come for these days, and never have to say goodbye.
Those of you who know me well might be rather surprised at my eagerness to write a blog post on community. After all, I’m the one who insists on writing in a silent room, completely alone with my characters and my intensely self-powered discipline. But even the most introverted of writers has to admit after a while that community is a part of successful writing. We need encouragement and trust from people who want the best for us. We need honest thoughts on where our writing is growing and where it still falls flat. We need to know that no matter how rocky and wild the writer’s journey is behind those closed doors, we are not alone– that we have kindred spirits who feel and think deeply the way we do, who write for the same reasons we do, who have felt the same desperation and the same exhilaration we know so well. I believe writers need (in addition to plenty of alone time, of course!) both kindred-spirit-filled groups and individual close friendships with fellow writers who will build them up, encourage them (as forcefully as necessary) to write more, and support them no matter what.
“We read to know we are not alone,” C. S. Lewis said. And to an extent, that is also true of writing. Writing never, ever thrives in complete isolation. And as fifty-three other writers and I learned last week, a true writing community, or a true community of any kind, is a little taste of what our Creator meant us all to have… what we will never have on this earth, but we will indeed have someday. May each of us hold onto this hope until the day we come Home.
A Broken Altar 