As I near the finish line on my first fictional novel, *The Escape Key*, I’m feeling more isolated than ever. Part of me craves solitude while I write—especially so I’m not constantly getting up to let the dogs in and out every hour. Those interruptions don’t help; they slow everything down to a crawl. But another part of me misses having a friend to celebrate with—the kind of friend I’d jump up and down with when something big happens. For now, I’ll celebrate with my dogs a