The act of writing is a solitary one. I would move to a house in the middle of the woods to finish writing a book and be all the happier.

The number one question most authors ask is this, “Does good writing require solitude?” The answer is no, not necessarily.

Writing is personal and writing leaves a distinct and communicable trace of how one chooses to spend their time.

What makes writers different is that our lives include another layer that exists, somewhere between above and below everything else. It is the world of our writing. And, unlike the crazily activity real world, our world of stories and ideas and dreams is brought to life by stillness and solitude.

SOLITUDE

Solitude has a different feel to it. Think of a space free from intrusion. It is like a bubble of time out of time, protected from the outside world. It’s a place where you can set brush away your worries. In solitude you can sink and stretch into your own skin, grounding yourself while reaching out to the edges of your thoughts. Solitude is a powerful creative catalyst because it cuts your ties to the busy world so that you are free to step fully into your inner, creative world. Stillness is a powerful creative catalyst because it is the path you follow to go deeper into your creative world.

Only in solitude and stillness can you travel deep enough into your own story to see the true shape of the tales you want to tell.

When writing starts to feel lonely, it can be a sign, a warning, that you’re writing something that is not an extension or a manifestation of you, or that has stopped being so. When writing flows, when ideas and words engage us, when characters entertain us, there’s no such thing as loneliness.

Unleash the novel inside you

with compelling characters,

intricate worlds,

and fine-tuned prose.

“Linda has published twenty books. She blogs about the publishing world, posts useful tips on the challenges a writer faces, including marketing and promoting your work, how to build your online platform, how to get reviews and how to self-publish. She has mentored many authors and edited their work.” 

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