A couple of weeks ago, I met up with a fellow writer. We first got to know one another in 2024 and bonded over, what else, writing.
Since that year, we’ve met up several times and texted one another even more. Always nice to have another writer to talk to about writing, and all the aches and pains (and thrills too) that come along with it.
This latest meeting two weeks ago, however, was a special one.
But before I get into that, let me share my writer journey that eventually led me to this special meeting.
Writer Oh Writer Where Art Thou?
For the longest time, I’ve been struck by how lonely the writing process is. Naturally, I often wondered how great it would be to have another fellow way-finder on this often isolated, even dismal journey of writing. To talk about the struggles of a blank page (often thanks to a blank mind!), or the inability to find the crux of what one wishes to say after paragraph upon paragraph of drivel.
But also a writer to celebrate with. To pat one another’s shoulder for a piece well-written. Especially if it’s vetted, approved and subsequently published by a recognised platform. Or a brilliant idea that descended as it were from the ether. One we can’t wait to sink our teeth into and write up a storm!
Still, the above would be nothing compared to the infinite possibility that would result when two writers come together and collaborate on writing projects. For as the adage goes: Two heads are better than one!
Right?
The more pertinent question though is, where can one find such a fellow writer? One who shares and resonates with you, your writing and by extension your outlook and values in life?
Looking For Writers In All The Wrong Places
Followers of my blog may vaguely recall that I had attempted to start a writers community before. Twice in fact!
In 2020, I formed a loose connection on Facebook with three writers who were also dads like me. Sadly that connection was short-lived. We were situated in opposite ends of the globe, and were at very different phases of our life journey. Culturally, geographically and experentially, we were too far apart for the connection to stick.
Then, in 2023, I tried again to organise a writer circle. This time with folks in my own country, and who had attended an online writers course together with me.
For a brief moment, I was successful. We met monthly, talked about books and our writing projects. We even invited a published memoirist to share her writer experience; from pondering to print.
Unfortunately, after marking our first anniversary in 2024, my writer circle quickly dissolved. In part because I was the glue holding it together, which, over time, proved exhausting. I was always the meeting organiser. The go-to resource person. The one who texted the most, sharing articles to read, events related to writing. You name it I did it.
None of the other members in this writer circle did more than follow along, rarely appearing for monthly meet-ups I called for, or simply not writing regularly if at all. Which kinda defeats the purpose of a writer circle.
So eventually, I gave up, crawled back into my little writer cave to lick my wounds and mope.
Still, my desire for connection, for a fellow writer to commiserate with on this lonely journey called writing, never really died.
Cue that fellow writer.
Writer Writer Burning Bright. In The Darkness Of The Night.
I got to know Leslie Koh exactly two years ago this month, when I attended a writer’s workshop where he was one of the facilitators.
Having earned his stripes years before as a bonafide writer and journalist with the oldest and largest mainstream newspaper in our country, Leslie was clearly far ahead of me as a writer. (Even now, Leslie still writes regularly for his former employer)
Clearly someone I could learn from. So I was grateful we connected.
In time, we even realised we had lots in common. We were just a few years apart in age, both working part-time. We had the same alma mater (he graduated a few years after me), shared the same faith, wrote regularly, and believed deeply in the craft of writing.
Over the past two years, we connected and commiserated about our writing, sharing lots of articles and thoughts about the craft. We traded writing topics and ideas, shared writing drafts and laughed at funny or silly things we read. And, of course, gushed over wondrous writings too.
So it seemed only natural that, after two years of this, our special meeting two weeks ago was, well literally, written in the stars!
Together, Let’s Write More About Living With Less
Looking back, we were probably already doing what we did when we met two weeks ago to brainstorm writing ideas.
All that texting and chatting we did since 2024 were simply two writers exchanging ideas, and in so doing, exchanging life.
The meeting was really more to formalise things, to a degree. To pull together ideas and bring them under one shared roof.
The only question? What “roof” was that?
As we chatted, we realised that, since we were men in our 50s who are semi-retired, roughly a decade ahead of the official retirement age in our country, we were primed to talk about how best to prepare for this slower pace of life as we hit the 60s and (God willing), beyond.
Seeing how messed-up the world is now — the ongoing wars in the Middle East and Ukraine, the online rubbish and noise that we (adults and youngsters alike) doomscroll through daily, the rising cost of living and declining populations nearly everywhere — it’s time to seriously talk about ways to restore clarity and sanity. To talk about the benefits of downsizing and simplifying our lives.
Who better than two dudes who decisively took the path less travelled (by our peers) to chart the journey we’re on now for everyone else?
So with this vision and theme of retiring early and “living with less” as our “roof”, Leslie and I will embark in the weeks ahead on a series of original essays to be posted (for the time being) on this blog. These essays will hope to cover a wide range of topics across society and relevant to the theme of living with less.
Conceptualised by us and drafted by either/both, may our collaboration birth something that will speak aptly to these times.
And be an ode to the craft of original (read no AI) writing!
Wish us well, okay?
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Thank you so much!
Yes! Really looking forward to this!!