Mike, there's no hiding it - I love your humor and wit, but you have an unadulterated manner of saying what you mean and meaning what you say that keeps me coming back. It's clear you take a lot of time (or maybe that's me imagining because I could never throw in even 3 hours what you do) to write the way you do: you're a master storyteller. I truly hope deep down in your gut you do know this.

I'm a new writer - I feel I have the license to say, my writing is poor and needs a lot of work. I do know for a fact many pay me compliments, but I feel some are just incredibly supportive, loving tribe members. I do value them - they encourage me to keep coming back and if I didn't I wouldn't grow.

However, there is a part of me that wishes I had a way to know when does it suck and when I really did nail it? Truth is - I cannot grow without hearing that and as you said: yes it's painful, however, that's where my partner is incredible: he's painfully honest. It took me a long time to embrace the importance of that.

I'm realizing that Medium can be a platform to simply work the writing muscle and we have to go beyond this place and seek honest relationships that provide us the honest feedback we need.

I can't tell you how many times I've wanted to send out a post saying: "from now on, please do not read a story of mine unless you really are interested - and please don't clap it if you didn't like it" --

All to say: love this post! And yes - I cracked up several times - so thanks for the bonus laughter that we always get in your corner of Medium!

Be well - keep writing! And damn it - work on your book!!!!! 😜