Writing—it’s a lonely business. Pecking away at your laptop after the rest of the family has gone to bed . . . jotting down ideas in a notebook during your lunch hour . . . planning that weekend retreat at an Airbnb to try and finish your novel draft.

We wouldn’t do it if we didn’t love it, and I think most (if not all) writers have a strong introvert streak that makes the solitude of the craft inviting. We might even take comfort in the myth of the writer as an untouchable genius, shivering away in an attic somewhere. (Bonus points if they’re underappreciated in their own time!) But unless we’re true hermits, there comes a point when we wonder if writing has to be so dang lonely.

Writing is no different from the rest of life: community is essential—not just as a source of meaningful relationships, but also as a context that can nourish our writing skills and enable better progress toward our goals.