Writers are often alone, we need to be alone, clear and silent with our projects, listening for our muse, our characters, our direction. Whatever it is that you as a writer listens out for, you need silence to hear it. That silence does not mean the absence of noise, perhaps you like music, storms, rain, birds, nature, cello? It is what you need to put up a veil between you and the busyness of the world around you. There is bliss in settling in to write, in stepping behind this veil.

An online dictionary describes isolated as the following:

isolated/ˈʌɪsəleɪtɪd/ Learn to pronounce adjective adjective: isolated

1. far away from other places, buildings, or people; remote.”isolated farms and villages”synonyms:remote, out of the way, outlying, off the beaten track, secluded, in the depths of …, hard to find, lonely, in the back of beyond, in the hinterlands, off the map, in the middle of nowhere, godforsaken, obscure, inaccessible, cut-off, unreachable; Morefaraway, far-flung; in the backwoods, lonesome; in the backveld, in the platteland; in the backblocks, in the booay; informalunget-at-able, in the sticks; informaljerkwater, in the tall timbers; informalBarcoo, beyond the black stump; archaicunapproachable “railways are not flexible enough to be able to serve isolated communities”antonyms:accessible
2. • having minimal contact or little in common with others.”he lived a very isolated existence”synonyms:solitary, lonely, companionless, unaccompanied, by oneself, on one’s own, (all) alone, friendless; More

So where am I? I long for the silence of my writing time, the soft rhythmic sound of the dishwasher humming away behind me while I write my first blog post on this new site. I am at my desk which is a dumping ground for the life that goes on around my writing and I often guiltily struggle to squeeze in my writing time around it.

There is an oddity to being a writer that I don’t believe other people understand. Who else would: sit in a coffee shop wearing noise cancelling headphones blocking out the chatter while scribbling furiously into notebooks; who else wakes in the dark of night to type words (that make sense only at that point in time) blurry eyed into evernote and who else truly believes a rainy day with nothing to do but outline a new story is bliss. That to be alone is bliss?

I love my family and enjoy spending time with them, my other work is very people orientated and I find it tiring, the introvert in me often silently cries for peace and quiet, then after some rest she wants me to pick up the pen or open up the computer and begin, she wills me to create, to put words out into the world, words she doesn’t want fame and recognition for. She just wants to write. It edges her a place in the world and yes perhaps gives credence to her self imposed isolation.

Isolation is only a problem if it makes you feel unhappy. I will list below some websites that offer great advice in this area. The online world of writers has been the best thing to ever happen to writers since the creation of the quill, don’t be afraid to reach out to positive influences. I find listening to The Creative Penn Podcasts an important part of my writing journey, so much of what Joanna Penn talks about resonates with me and inspires me to strive forward, start there and watch your writing world expand.

If your isolation is about more than your creative aspirations you can find more information at Lifeline.org.