Zooming with writers, two great books for inspiration

           A group of writer friends and I started a weekly half-hour Zoom meeting about a month and a half ago.  Our intent was to nudge each other to write, an ironically elusive pursuit for writers, even when we’re isolated or quarantined. We’re committed to the end of 2020, a little boost to lift us to the end of a ragged year.
            A number of excellent and unexpected benefits resulted:

1. A relieving reminder that we're not alone. In his phenomenal book, The War of Art, Steven Pressfield calls the ironically prevalent avoidance tactics that obstruct writers from writing “Resistance.” Most of us read or re-read this gem of a book, this artist’s kick-in-the-pants, and exclaimed over its power. Whatever your creative ambitions, read this book.
2. The smiling faces and incisive thoughts of other writers. Heart-lifting, no matter the topic of conversation.
3. Vicarious satisfaction! When your friends have a great writing day or week, it is both celebratory and hope-inspiring to cheer them on. Affirmations in the other direction are pretty nice too.
   
4. A renewed recognition that to cultivate our craft, reading is as important as writing. Along those lines, we have all become more intentional in our reading. I have become a newcomer (belated) to Marilynne Robinson, a brilliant sculptor of language. Housekeeping was recommended to me as my Robinson starter book. I won’t say it was easy to read, but it was breathtakingly deft and worth the attention. Here, says her book, these are the elevated heights to which good writing can take a reader.