Timing is Everything

The cosmos has a great sense of humor. On the very day I received my Bachelor's degree in creative writing (with a minor in sociology), I got this reply from the person critiquing my short story:

"I think you're trying too hard to be artsy, too wrapped up in fancy-ing up the telling of the story. Just tell it. Spit it out. The goal is to communicate. If you confuse readers by doing hard-to-follow flashes forward and backward or any other tricky stuff, they'll go read something easier, like Hemingway. When you grow up to be Vonnegut, go for the gusto. For now..."

That might be insulting if he didn't go on to give me better advice in three pages than I got from 178 college credit hours and $25,000 in student loans. In spite of the tone of the above comment, he does think I'm good. The email ends with: "Press on. I wouldn't have spent this much time typing at you if I didn't think you had the goods."

So there it is: an unbiased professional with no reason to blow smoke up my backside actually telling me I have the goods. Strange as it may sound, that carries more weight coming from a virtual stranger, particularly this virtual stranger.