What you write here is true, I have no doubt. On a much smaller scale, Detroit was my 'literary city' long ago, and any career I might have had wouldn't have happened without that proximity to writers of note who helped me along the way, or often just gave me the energy to go on by grabbing some of their energy, osmosis-like.
It's that communal energy, that constant contact with more successful writers, that observation that they're real people, too. They all had to begin somewhere and their origin stories--how they got started--almost always involve lots of hard work, lots of disappointments, lots of doubt and threats to quit. All of those things we newbies were facing. And then we knew we weren't alone.
You can get that by reading about other writers' lives but you can't feel it in your gut like you can when you're talking to them face to face They look into your eyes and you know they remember just how you feel. Even if they're giving you a couple of minutes, it's enough. It's being plugged in, grabbing some of that energy, being able to go on because of it.
So, yes, location is important, but obviously not everyone can live in those cities with vibrant literary communities, and that's where these online communities come in. Second best, because we're not going to have those personal moments, but we can still talk about our challenges, our fears, our successes and give encouragement where we can.
Living in the middle of a forest in Michigan is wonderful for its peacefulness and beauty, however, it doesn't give me much in-person contact with the literary world. I'm thankful for what you and others provide online. Reading about other writers' challenges and how they've learned to overcome them is so helpful. Thanks.
Networking ability is important, certainly. But it also has to be the right kind of networking. Ironically, I had much better luck connecting with people at science fiction conventions away from where I live. The hometown convention wasn't a place to connect until I had made some headway in the genre.
And where I live currently? If I identified more as a literary-only writer, I'd be in. But as a speculative fiction writer with literary elements? No.
Living now in a teeny tiny backwoods town (5600 people), yes, I feel the lack of contact with a writer community and especially the media that could do a push. On the other hand I live with a writer :) and throwing ideas at the wall happens daily, soooo ... I also made good remote writer friends and we chat or FaceTime. It helps. This being said, I grew up in Brussels, did theatre stuff there and writer workshops. Getting that boost when I was younger still gives me fuel today.
What you write here is true, I have no doubt. On a much smaller scale, Detroit was my 'literary city' long ago, and any career I might have had wouldn't have happened without that proximity to writers of note who helped me along the way, or often just gave me the energy to go on by grabbing some of their energy, osmosis-like.
It's that communal energy, that constant contact with more successful writers, that observation that they're real people, too. They all had to begin somewhere and their origin stories--how they got started--almost always involve lots of hard work, lots of disappointments, lots of doubt and threats to quit. All of those things we newbies were facing. And then we knew we weren't alone.
You can get that by reading about other writers' lives but you can't feel it in your gut like you can when you're talking to them face to face They look into your eyes and you know they remember just how you feel. Even if they're giving you a couple of minutes, it's enough. It's being plugged in, grabbing some of that energy, being able to go on because of it.
So, yes, location is important, but obviously not everyone can live in those cities with vibrant literary communities, and that's where these online communities come in. Second best, because we're not going to have those personal moments, but we can still talk about our challenges, our fears, our successes and give encouragement where we can.
Also, Lev, there's a typo in your very last line.
Living in the middle of a forest in Michigan is wonderful for its peacefulness and beauty, however, it doesn't give me much in-person contact with the literary world. I'm thankful for what you and others provide online. Reading about other writers' challenges and how they've learned to overcome them is so helpful. Thanks.
Networking ability is important, certainly. But it also has to be the right kind of networking. Ironically, I had much better luck connecting with people at science fiction conventions away from where I live. The hometown convention wasn't a place to connect until I had made some headway in the genre.
And where I live currently? If I identified more as a literary-only writer, I'd be in. But as a speculative fiction writer with literary elements? No.
Living now in a teeny tiny backwoods town (5600 people), yes, I feel the lack of contact with a writer community and especially the media that could do a push. On the other hand I live with a writer :) and throwing ideas at the wall happens daily, soooo ... I also made good remote writer friends and we chat or FaceTime. It helps. This being said, I grew up in Brussels, did theatre stuff there and writer workshops. Getting that boost when I was younger still gives me fuel today.