So, what is an effective means to try to connect with people for work related stuff? Say, if you freelance and need a water cooler type group?
Donno of anything specific to the freelance writer community though.
Even better, try to start your own meet up for one of your interests! In any reasonably sized city it’s not hard to get 10-20 people to get started.
EDIT: I find it works best if the meetup group topic is really broad. Then you plan specific meetups with narrow topics that indulge your interest. That way you have a very diverse group of attendees to pull from.
Of course, things may vary depending on region. In places like Silicon Valley, maybe it benefits you to have more niche meetup groups.