Community is important for writers. Today, Cory Doctorow talked about the need for writer community in Critique and Writing. Especially for new writers, “[b]eing part of a group of writers who expect you to regularly turn in new work adds a very useful bit of external motivation that augments your still nascent self-discipline.” So it was with me.

I struggled largely in isolation until I found a publisher that was interested in my work. Perhaps as important for my growth as a writer, was a bi-weekly Zoom meeting where authors with the publisher got together to talk about what they were doing. They just called it the “Virtual Writing Group” but I called it the Island of Misfit Toys. We were all so different. And odd. And we each brought different strengths and weakness to the group. It was very helpful as I struggled to get my feet under me as a new writer.

For four years, we met regularly to discuss things. We talked about writing and publishing. We planned for upcoming conventions. We shared triumphs and sorrows. It felt like a helpful, supportive community to me.

Then, suddenly — without announcement or discussion — after the Seattle Worldcon in August of 2025, the publisher abruptly cancelled the meetings. We haven’t met since.

As I had described, I had a mixed experience at that Worldcon due to an unfortunate interaction with another author. Did that event contribute to the collapse of the writing group? No one has ever told me.

From my early days as an author, my writing community has broadened considerably. I belong to several writing communities now in SFWA and Straw Dog Writers Guild. I started attending the SFWA Writing Date. Then I started my own group, Straw Dog Writes. Most recently, I was invited to join the Procrastinating (aka Bearded) Writers Group.

For the past year, I left the recurring event for the Virtual Writing Group in my calendar wondering if it would start back up again. Every couple of weeks it’s reminded me of the community of people that I once belonged to. In August, I watched the anniversary of the last meeting come and go. But tonight decided it was time.

Tonight, I removed the recurring event for the Virtual Writing Group from my calendar. I don’t understand what happened. But it’s time to quit dwelling in the past and look forward.