My friend across the street is a writer. Like me, she gets up early. Like me,...

My friend across the street is a writer. Like me, she gets up early. Like me, she turns on a light when she sits down to write. Sometimes, she beats me out of bed. Sometimes, I beat her. But in the darkness of early morning, we both get up and look for the light of the other person.
There is something indescribably comforting about this: it is like sailing on a dark ocean and spying another ship. Your heart leaps. You are not alone in this deep and mysterious sea of a story. Someone...