By Richard Jay Parker
The world is changing very quickly but has the perception of writers altered?
Ask most people what they think of when the term writer is used and many will describe a recluse, locked away in their office with a large glass/bottle of something nearby.
It's the image of writers that has been perpetuated as long as I can remember but is it particularly accurate in the 21st century? Penchant for alcohol aside, is the pariah of so many fiction stories very relevant now?
Most writers I know are very plugged into social media, blog regularly and have a more immediate relationship with the readers they want to reach. It no longer seems to be a matter of choice, writers have to be more involved with the promotion of their work through websites, forums, Twitter as well as physically meeting people at signings, festivals etc
Most writers I know thrive on this and get the sort of valuable feedback from readers and reviewers that they wouldn't have had access to before.
So because of this is the writer and the process of writing becoming less anti-social?
Writing itself is still a solitary pursuit but when you have an internet connection to a group of individuals who share your passion or are interested in what you're doing it is certainly a way of spurring yourself on...or distracting you.
It's something writers have to balance during the creative process. I know some writers who have to disconnect from the Internet while they write.
But once the work is done for the day it's great to know there's a community waiting to share your experiences.
It is possible to disconnect, grab the claret and be the cliche but the majority of us are gradually suffocating it.
But maybe just one more glass of claret before I go back to the keyboard...
Visit Richard at: http://www.richardjayparker.com/
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