I spent the evening talking with a dear friend, who in addition to being an all-around wonderful person also happened to read one of my stories with an insightful and critical eye.

Her feedback was pointed and thoughtful and provocative, leaving me to realize that my characters don’t always behave in keeping with who they are and how they have been presented. While I imagine there are some writers who when they get these sorts of honest reflections end up dismissing them with excuses and re-negotiations and explanations. Or at worst, saying the reader “didn’t get it.”

Well, she got it, and she got it right.

So while it’s too late for me to get to fixing all the broken parts and smoothing over the rough edges right now, I’ll go to sleep in the comfort of knowing there is always tomorrow to make the story better.

I am appreciative to a degree that I cannot fully express but will certainly try. I bet the best way for me to do that will be to ask her to read for me again full well knowing she’ll rise to the challenge to demand more.

Thank you JCB.