I’ve been doing some critiquing for friends recently, and that has been an eye-opening experience. As much as I know that I need to let people see my “serious” writing, I have only been able to bring myself to show it to a couple of people—and none of those people are writers. Husband, siblings—you get the idea; no one gets to read Lydia’s story. I’m very sensitive and always concerned that I’m going to take criticism too much to heart. I am the only one who has read my current work-in-progress.

I don’t have that issue with my prompt writing because there’s always the disclaimer out there that I pounded out those pieces in a very limited time and didn’t bother to edit or revise them at all. Those are not “serious” pieces, and we all know it. I’m just playing with words. I think I need to start taking that sort of attitude toward the stories I actually care about, because I really need the feedback, and I need the accountability of having to finish chapters for a critique group if I’m going to finish anything.