Author Life Musings: Writerly Friends Gather Moss…or Something Like That

The life of a writer is generally considered a lonely one. I was thinking about it the other day, trying to figure out what exactly makes it so (you may wonder why that takes some thought. Well, ask an introvert if they think they are lonely, and you may get a more complex answer than “yes,” including, but not limited to, “no”). And here are the reasons I came up with: We tend to stay home a lot… really, that’s about it. We are actually a more social species than many people imagine. And, while we do tend to be the odd one out, we usually have plenty of friends.

Honestly though, most of us don’t mind not having a lot of people around or going out much. We actually enjoy staying home and not engaging in social gatherings. It’s probably why most of us became writers. However, while writing can be lonely in some respects, when we find our people, we stick together.

You know that saying “A rolling stone gathers no moss”? If you aren’t familiar with it, it’s an old proverb that refers to staying on the move and not getting attached to people as a way to live a relationally risk-free life. I’m pretty sure some people think writers see life this way. But the truth is, gathering too much moss (friends) drains our social battery like leaving your cell phone screen on bright while filming TikTok videos all day.

But I can assure you, contrary to popular belief, we writers gather plenty of moss. And by plenty, I mean like one or two other people. If we try to gather moss and don’t succeed, we simply try again once our social battery has been recharged (usually takes around three to five months). If we do gather moss, then we often go frolicking through the woods together, actually gathering moss, because why not. It might inspire a new novel. You never know!

So, to those writers or introverted creatives out there who would much prefer to stay home, I see you. I get it. Home is awesome! And to those who think we homebody writers and creatives never see the outside of four walls, we do. Don’t worry. But thank you for your concern. We love you.