Yeah, yeah, I know. I'm the one who always tells you, "Be alone to create!" This is different, however. This is something about debunking the myth that it takes one person to write a book.

It takes a village.

Yes, you'll need a lot of "alone" time to write it, but you can't write it in isolation. You'll be talking to people about it, you'll need an editor, a proofreader, you'll reach out to friends and family for beta reading, to give you feedback. And so on.

Above all, you'll need to build your own tribe of YOUR readers who will continue inspiring you, by cooperating with you, on everything from story concepts to the final publishing date.

You see what I mean?

We tend to isolate ourselves, when we need to cooperate.

Cooperation is the new writing mode, via the Internet, but it's also as old as our cave times. The art of story began with the advent of language and with the sharing of stories around the fire. We came full circle, didn't we? We couldn't kill this need. We're social creatures. We die in isolation. We go mad. 

So seek out help. Share, share, share. Maybe a little bit at first, then more and more.

We must do it, for our own survival.

Illustration by Isabelle Arsenault