In Tulsa, Oklahoma, every other Monday at around precisely 6:35 pm, a group of about seven to ten writers gather regularly around the cozy mismatched furniture of the Shades of Brown coffee shop to sit quietly in a shared space for nearly two hours before staggering out one by one into the busy shopping area known as Brookside. The Whitty Writers writing group shines like a beacon of community in a profession that has historically glorified the beauty of isolation in the cliché of the mad artist. We even have sweatshirts.

And before we go any further, we should address the question we get asked the most when wearing said sweatshirts: yes, as writers, we know that witty is spelled w-i-t-t-y and not w-h-i-t-ty, but our group was founded by our fearless leader, Dolly, in the heart of the historical Kendall Whittier neighborhood of Tulsa, Oklahoma. Additionally, the group also met regularly at Whitty Books, a sadly no-more community bookstore just around the corner from where I live in the Kendall Whittier district.

Why do we perform this regular ritual as writers? While writing is often a solitary endeavor, it doesn’t – and shouldn’t – be a lonely one. During our silent writing meetings, our group spends twenty minutes deep in our own thoughts with a focus on our own words and then we’ll break for five, ten, or if we’re being honest, fifteen minutes with more general discussion where the floor is open for members to propose plot problems, writer’s block, or just share in general what they are working on. The participants of the Whitty Writers group bring all kinds of materials to work on, from short stories, to novels, to poetry, and even song lyrics. These breaks of brainstorm sessions are often invaluable. Not only for those presenting their hurdle, but to analyze and propose new ways to tackle writing. One time one of these discussions led to a horoscope exploration for an MC, which then led to all of us going through our characters to find their star signs. Mine was an Aries.

The word community is often thrown around, particularly in the artist realm, but the importance of finding community as a writer cannot be stressed enough. Many in our group identify as LGBTQ+ and this quiet refuge of a safe setting deep in the belly of a bright red state can offer tiny slices of hope when needed most.

Our group met the Monday following the US Election – like many, we spent the week in a near daze, unsure what our future would look like. But on that evening, as we gathered around the table once again, coffee and tea in our hands, looking at one another to give comfort where we could, there was a calmness in taking a moment of silence together where we were allowed to be scared for what the future would hold for our community, anxious that things might get worse before they got better, and sadness in knowing what we hoped about our fellow man wasn’t the reality in which we lived anymore. Despite all of that resting in our minds, we sat there, opened the floor for people to get it off of their chest, and then, as the clock rolled around, we opened our laptops, pulled out our notebooks, and began to write.

Because that’s what we do. When we’re stressed, we write. When we’re devastated, we write. When we’re unsure what the future of the country will look like for those within the queer community, we write. And for all the Whitty Writers, we know that we will have this little carved out safe space to gather, every other Monday, to support one another and just spend time removed from the outside world.

How do I find a writing club? Great question! There are several ways to go about finding a writing club. You can look on social media platforms like Facebook, to see if there are local writing groups. If your city has a subreddit, that’s a great place to look. Additionally, don’t be afraid to check with your local library and bookstore to see if anything is organized by them. If you can’t find a writing club in existence, start your own. The key is consistency. If you distribute the information on when and where for other writers to join, they will show up. There doesn’t have to be a huge commitment involved – not every club needs sweatshirts – but just find a table big enough for people to sit with computers and notebooks and let people know that the space is open for all.

If you’re ever in Tulsa, Oklahoma on a Monday night, near Brookside, stop by the Shades of Brown coffee shop. Chances are you might stumble upon a group of writers, silently staring at the collection of words in front of them, taking refuge in simply being together.