When a friend who is interested in our travel plans asked if some places were better for my writing, I said not really. As long as I can get some kind of routine, I do fine with writing. Honestly, some of the hardest times are when my children are all around, but that’s not a time that I should be writing anyway. I need to focus on their being around, since that’s the important point. But, the rest of the time, all I need is some kind of routine and I can find time to write.
Now, that may be different for writing a first draft, but I don’t write a lot of first drafts. I spend much more time editing novels than I do writing first drafts.
The ways I’ve picked up writing friends: 1) joining a live group of writers and becoming friends with some, 2) joining an online group and becoming friends with someone who I met online 3) staying in a writer’s house to watch her cat and becoming friends.