An island does not a writer make.. but Meetup.com might

Sometimes the inspiration just flows -- and other times it gets gunked up in the good ol' series of tubes. I'm not talking about you, Internet; I'm talking about the series of pipes, tubes, and whatever-else-is-in-there that makes up the creative part of my psyche.

And then, after four years of trial and error, I got it. I finally got it! The inspiration flows -- and with it, enjoyable, rewarding work -- when I interact with others. So yes, giving up the day job last year was the final step toward realizing my dream of writing full time. I don't regret that decision for a minute. But it was also the final nail in the full-time work at home coffin. Nowadays, I don't need to leave the house -- ever -- except for the occasional supermarket run for groceries and toilet paper.

Whoa.

So, what's my number one favorite source for inspiration right now? Meetup.com. Just in case you're not familiar with it, it's basically a social networking site where you can connect with and then join -- both virtually and in person -- groups of people with similar interests. Despite the somewhat date-y sounding name there is nothing romantic about the general concept, although there are meetups specifically for singles. No, this is just a great resource for finding a way to get out in good company and also a handy source for locating interview subjects, too.