Interaction Required

Hi! Remember me?
Yes, it's been awhile, but I'm still here...plucking away. My family and I are struggling. Although we now have jobs and can pay our measly bills, we're still living in a 22ft travel trailer with three dogs. For those of you keeping count, that's three people + three dogs divided by 22ft of cramped space and stale air. Dog hair and B.O. are the biggest issues. Obviously when I'm not writing, I'm cleaning. And might I say, "Thank God for a good vacuum!" And Swiffer Dusters,
And disinfecting wipes,
And (last but not least) air freshener!
Although my life is anything but settled, I'm still writing. I have commandeered the tiny, fold-down table in the trailer as my desk territory. I have my laptop. I have my printer and I have a coffee pot. What more could a girl ask for?? Well, perhaps a door. You know, a door that is attached to four walls providing privacy when said door is closed.
But I digress.
We're as settled as can be until we can afford a house of our own. We'll get there...eventually.
Now I'm turning my efforts toward getting to know my new town and community. It's easy for me to make friends. Harder to keep them once they find out how...eccentric I am. I think Salem will be different in that department. There are plenty of people here who are the same brand of eccentric as me, if not more so. That's why we chose Salem. It seems to be where "my kind" migrates.
We've been here four months and I've noticed my need for interaction is growing increasingly urgent. I need to be with other writers. I crave stimulating conversation on the subject I've devoted my life to. I cannot tell you how hard that is to find. Once I do find it, I weep for the person on the receiving end of my deluge. Think about it: I've been holding all of this in for...how long?? Months? No, years! I'm going to be a chattering time-bomb of repressed ideas, expressions and dreams.
How can any writer contain themselves with such riches?
Easier than I can, apparently.
Since I've been in Salem, I've met two women who have always dreamed of writing a book. One of those women has a list of story ideas waiting to be written...but she doesn't do it!
How is this possible?!?
When I was starting out, there was no way I could ignore my muse until a later, more convenient time. You don't argue with your muse! A writer is ruled by their muse, so much so that it robs them of sleep, gets them in trouble at work, makes them pull to the side of the freeway when an idea hits them.
I have another example that irks me. The other day, I watched the Lifetime movie about J.K.Rowling's story. If the movie is accurate, she wrote all seven Harry Potter books and left them sitting in a box (albeit a decorative box) for ten years before she let anyone have a peek at it.
That would drive me insane!
I want everyone to read my books. At this point, anyone will do. And Heaven help the person who shows a glimmer of interest in my work. I'm shoving stories at them left and right. "Here, read this. You'll like this one. Here's a short story. Do you like Fantasy stuff? Try this one."
Sure. I sound desperate, but the truth of the matter boils down to two things:
1.) As Stephen King said in his book "On Writing", everyone needs their Ideal Reader, someone who will read their stuff and be perfectly honest about what they read.
2.) Writers need the interaction of other writers. If they're anything like me, they might implode if they don't get the interaction they need. More so if you're an introverted writer. You could be a literary genius, but if you don't get out there and meet people, no one will ever know you exist.

I thought that was the end of my post, but as I reread, I felt the need to add a critical piece of advice. When you're talking to a writer who is spilling their creative guts to you about their work, listen to them. Don't shut them off or find some way to get away from them (unless they're creepy, and you know what I mean by creepy.) Perhaps they're just like me. They haven't had a kindred spirit to talk with. Once the initial barrage is over, your relationship could have the potential for give-and-take.
Too often I've met writers who don't care about anybody else's stuff. Their work is all that exists to them. Sure, your time is valuable, but you might be looking at your Ideal Reader. The motor-mouth you meet at a party could be your most valuable critic in the future. Give 'em a chance. You never know...

Grain of Salt or Complete Overhaul?

I've recently had my work critiqued and annihilated twice. I've been eager to find a critique partner who writes the same genre as I do. I need someone to read my work with fresh eyes and give me an honest opinion. Unfortunately, I'm getting a little too much honesty. People can be downright cruel.
I try to take their advice under serious consideration; look at it with an open mind you might say, but when I go back and read my work, I fall in love all over again. I just don't see what is so awful. I love my writing. I think it flows nicely. I love the dialog (this is my strong point and I've never heard anything to the contrary.) I read it over and over and I simply cannot see anything that would constitute a public flogging.
Yes, I want to improve my writing.
Yes, I want other writer's opinions of my work.
Yes, I have every intention of taking their advice to heart and making the necessary changes to make my novels appealing to the masses.
But I have to admit, folks: I'm in love with my stories and my characters and as we all know, love is blind.
What's a writer to do when they can't see past the end of their keyboard?

The Genre Swamp

99.9% of the time, the work of genre fiction writers does not fit neatly into one designated category. Not knowing exactly where you belong can be so frustrating. Especially for a writer. For example: I like to say my novel Wallflower is a Paranormal, romance, mystery, fantasy. Although that sums it up for others to understand what they're about to read, it doesn't help the author to know how to market it.
As an author seeking representation, do I categorize Wallflower as a Paranormal Romance? Sounds fine, but what about the fantasy aspect of it? Fantasy commonly uses things like gnomes and fairies in some invented kingdom. My story deals with a girl who's half ghost and half tangibly real on modern day Earth. Although it has a fantastic theme, it doesn't really fit the general Fantasy genre.
And what about the mystery in my story? My two protagonists get themselves in trouble when they inadvertently connect a series of assaults and killings to one man in their own hometown. Does this mean I should query agents that represent Mystery?
It's enough to pull your hair out.
No one's book fits neatly in one box. So how do you sort it out?
Two words: Critique Partner
In this department, I am lacking. As of now, the tiny town I live in isn't exactly bursting at the seams with writer to writer interaction. That's why I'm so thankful for the internet. A world of fellow writers awaits at my fingertips and believe me, I've scoured the planet for my perfect match.
I was beginning to think that I was an anomaly, that no one writes the same sort of stories I do. But I've found new hope in two new websites I've recently discovered.
I'd like to introduce you to Crit Partner Match.com. This website is like a dating service for writers, only you're not looking to marry them, you're looking to find a like-minded critique partner. I've spent hours upon hours lost on this site. Aside from finding a CP, you can post questions on their forums, start your own blog and join study groups and contests. Very much worth your efforts.
Last, but most definitely not least, is a new beta site called Bookcountry.com. Started by the well known publisher Penguin Books, Book Country offers a vast network of resources for writers. This site concentrates on sharing your work with other writers for reviews and critiques. You can post some or all of your work on your profile. Others can find your work using the impressive "genre map" that tells the reader exactly where your book fits in.  Aside from sharing your work, the detailed profiles they offer help you find like-minded writers to connect with all over the world.
As of now, this site is free to join. Be sure to tell a friend and help this site grow, but be warned: you will spend hours glued to this site. There's so much to see and take in that it will easily eat up your afternoon, heck your whole day. (Just ask my husband. He went without dinner all week.)
I've babbled enough, but I'd like to finish by saying that I'm no closer to finding out where I fit in. I'm hoping that with the feedback I receive from these two sites, I'll be better equipped to target the most appropriate agents.
TTYS