I’m not the type of person who walks into a restaurant alone and sits down at a table with a group of strangers, but tonight, I made an exception. The occasion wasn’t one of those social networking-inspired group dinners in which unconnected people get together to make new friends. Nor was it a salon-style gathering where the affairs of the day are discussed.

It was the monthly meeting of the Boston chapter of the National Writers Union. I joined NWU a few months ago to make contacts. NWU provides many services, including consultations for writers about to sign a contract with a literary agent or publisher.

New to the organization, I figured I should attend some events to get acquainted with the membership. We met at Christopher’s, a casual dining restaurant in Cambridge, Massachusetts. A group of half a dozen writers at different stages of their careers sat around the table giving each other encouragement and tips on markets for getting work published. They welcomed me as soon as I arrived, interested to know what I was working on and enthusiastically discussing their own projects.

Every so often it’s good to step away from the laptop and meet with other writers who are going through similar experiences, dealing with rejection and trying to remain hopeful for publishing success.