Networking: The Writer's Meat and Potatoes

When you look through your list of persona contact, how many of those associates are a part of the literary community? Of that group, how often do you touch base with them just to "kick it", "shoot the breeze", or offer a complimentary service? How close are you to those few individuals? Do you know their spouses? How many children they have? What genre of writing do they favour? Their mother's maiden names? Okay, so maybe you don't need to be that "in the know" with them, but you should always try to keep a select conglomeration of writers, editors, publishers and the like close at hand for fortification and networking purposes? Why you ask? Well let me give you a personal example.

My husband is a mechanic who just so happens to be my story guinea pig. Whenever I share a concept for a piece with him or read to him something I have just worked on, I get the customary response of "Oh that's good honey" followed by a kiss on the forehead. No suggestions of sentence structure change, grammar correction, concept reconstruction - none of those things you expect when you share your work with someone. Or how about this one (I know you all have experienced this): you have been working on a story for two weeks straight and then hit the "wall". You know the one that has "Thou Shalt Not Write Another Word" painted on it in Day Glo yellow. At times like that I am almost in tears and cursing like I was born on a ship, but all Mr. Smith does is look puzzled saying "Well, it's not the end of the world sweetie." Is he blind? Does he not realize I have a deadline to meet, goals to reach, and a mission to be completed? No publication will accept two lines of story with "To Be Continued" at the end. This is the very reason to arm yourself with acquaintances of like mind who have been at this point too, and may have just the thing that helps you cope.