Tag: meetup.com

Crowded Rooms and Insecurities

Last night I attended my first writer’s Meetup in San Francisco, along with eight other writers. We met up at the Crossroads Café on for an hour of writing and another hour of  socializing. Everyone I met was very nice, but I was reminded once again of what an introvert I am. I really, really, really hate meeting strangers. When presented with a group of people I don’t know, I literally want to crawl out of my own skin to find the nearest exit. Oddly, most people I meet would never guess this about me. People who know me laugh when I tell them I am a shy person. That’s because I work hard at appearing confident, even when I feel like I’m wearing all my insecurities  in blazing red neon for the world to see.

I’m one of those people who constantly strategizes around my insecurities. I plan ahead so I know what to expect in most situations, and I am a creature of habit once I find my comfort level. Hence, writing at the same Starbucks for over a year. The truth is that being around people exhausts me, but you can only stand so much of your own company before you need to get out and meet some people. Living in a city where I know two people – both co-workers – means I have to push myself to get out there.

I’ve done it before. I used to be one of those people who never spoke in class, even when I knew the answers. When I started the grad program at CSU, Fullerton I made a deal with myself: in every class, I would speak at least once. With practice, it became easier. At the end of three years, I had accomplished a lot that I was proud of. I was President of Acacia (English grad club) my second year of the program and coordinated a graduate student conference. I started the Creative Writing Club and launched the inaugural issue of a literary journal. Of course, I didn’t do this alone. That’s the point. I made friends who helped me to accomplish all of these things.

In know from experience that having friends empowers you to do more, become more. So, here is my new mantra…. I will get out there, despite myself, to find a new adventure in an amazing city that is my new home.

Crowd Writing

I’m a soloist when it comes to writing. It’s not really a group activity for me. Even when it comes to writing copy for work, I need to go off on my own to let the ideas flow. However, I’m in a new city and I want to get out of my apartment and meet some people. What better place to start than meeting other writers?

So, I’ve joined a San Francisco Meetup.com Group called “Shut Up and Write!” A rotating group of hundreds of writers in the Bay Area get together at various cafes for marathon writing sessions. The groups are anywhere from six to twenty writers gathering with laptops and ipods. Every hour or couple of hours they take a short break to socialize, grab a coffee, and share their work. My first meeting is tonight. I’ll let you know how it goes.