Support

Thank you, Robert, for your thoughtful question, which I'm sure I'll return to again. As you wisely point out, finding internal support is the critical first step to finding it externally. In fact, it's a rite of passage for all writers. Coming out as a writer, taking your writing self seriously, leads to those around you taking you seriously. And that self-acknowledgment must come before there is evidence (publication). Writing is hard, but if we believe in ourselves, we'll keep working until we fully realize that novel or poem or essay. Proclaiming oneself to be a writer without external validation is a great leap of faith and courage -- and it's something we all have had to do. I can't think of one person who found success without first finding it within.*

I suspect that when you fully acknowledge yourself as a real writer, the opportunities will come for the writing support you seek. You'll be inspired to take a class; you'll go back to school and get your MFA; you'll start a writing group here, right now. (You can do that by clicking on groups above.) I do find writing classes to be a great way to form groups. You meet people at similar skill and commitment levels and you can check them out first. Since you live in Northern California, you could also join Left Coast Writers, which meets at Book Passage in Marin once a month.

There's much more that could be said, but I'd like to hear what others think. If you're registered with PNN, leave your comments here. If not, email your comments to calliopescall.831@pnn.com. They'll show up on the questions page and I'll paste them over here.