Anyone who has ever delved into the beautiful world of writing knows how easy it is to procrastinate, to not find “the perfect moment of inspiration”, to live through those moments when you feel like your story will never, ever be finished. They also probably went through the feelings of being too tired to write, or having to write in solitude, in their own house, their favourite café, without anyone to talk to about their work. A community is very important for a writer. To me, the moment when I was introduced to the writing community created by the International Writers’ Collective was a Eureka-moment: I had finally found my people!

Aside from the usual creative writing workshops, the Writers’ Collective organises monthly write-together gatherings which I enjoy attending very much. The writers usually meet for a few hours during the weekend, sit down and write for about an hour and then they get to socialise. Interesting discussions about their favourite topic, writing, fueled by a glass or two of wine, last long into the evening and are a wonderful way to spend a Sunday afternoon. The muse might not visit during that hour, but that’s OK, you can always use one of the exercises that are provided for inspiration. What matters is that you will write something, even if it’s not your masterpiece — and writing requires a lot of practice, a lot of not-so-great pieces until you create that masterpiece.

The latest write-together event I attended was hosted by the Van Rossum bookstore, the place where the workshops also take place. It was a lovely sunny day, so we could write outside in the garden. I took pictures but I also wrote one page — not bad for just one hour of writing!

P.S.: If there are any (aspiring) writers reading this post: I hope I’ll meet you at the next event!