Extroverting

jimhines wrote a very thoughtful post this week about being an introvert.

The most interesting part for me was how I am the complete opposite of Jim. I'm an extrovert. I need people. The longer I'm alone, the greater my energy loss. I can socialize 24/7 at a convention. The week after a con is usually very productive for me.

I'm in a down cycle at the moment. My life is pretty much just Caitlin and Lynne. I feel very lonely, and I've lost my drive.

I miss working in an office. I hated the work, but I loved being around the people. I'm envious of writers who have critique groups and writing dates.

One of the big benefits of working in an office was the ability to gripe or crow about the business with my colleagues. j_cheney wrote some very smart things about how writers really don't have a safe place to vent about bad days or the business of writing. You can do it online, but you have to hope that it doesn't get back to somebody who might take offense. That's one of the reasons that I love conventions. I can sit with my friends and talk about sekrit opportunities and crushing setbacks in my aspiring career. It's just not the same via email.