So I have officially been torn another asshole. It was to be expected I suppose—a person never really knows how they are doing until someone replies no holds barred, but I’m not sure that eases the pain. Well, there isn’t any pain to speak of because I know it is all a matter of opinion. Let me explain.

I would like to be a writer (for those of you who haven’t figured that out yet). As such I write stories; recently I wrote a story for class. Our final portfolio consisted of turning in 10,000 + words in any form we wished. I chose one large story. We could include a SASE that our teacher might offer us a reply on what she thought, reply to us as an editor if you will. I received my reply today and boy, did she not like it.

It was amazing really. Maybe the most honest reply I have yet to receive regarding one of my stories, except no one seemed to hate it as much as she did. For that reason I am not overly distraught, she freely admits she doesn’t like genre fiction and since my story is heavily genre fiction I can delude myself into thinking that has something to do with it. Unfortunately, I am a firm believer that I should write well enough everyone should appreciate it even if they don’t like the story. I obviously failed that goal. But I have to thank her for the critique. It was refreshingly honest. She said, “I hated your story.” I can’t fault that. The part I can fault was her attempt to tell me what sort of person I am but hey, that’s all right. She was right (which says something for her powers of perception) but she has no clue that I already know everything she said. I’m a big fan of knowing myself. Helps cut down on surprises. I suppose it is the pedantry with which she wrote the letter—assuming she was telling me because she was the only one with balls enough to do so and I would never realize any of this on my own. Oh well, it was good of her to do so. If I ever forget my faults I now have a written record of them.

So now there is really only one thing left to do. Keep working on writing and send out to magazines. If all the editors hate my work as much as she does I can take that as a sign. But, somehow, I get the feeling that opinions will range far and wide. That, if nothing else, is a good reason to just say fuck you.