It is true that constructive criticism helps create a better writer, but this is not a forum for that. I perhaps wrongly assumed this was a place to share a story, not workshop one.

I would have thought comment on the story, if the reader enjoyed it, would be welcome, but if not to the readers liking than perhaps saying nothing would be prudent.

To find use in technical comments the writer must have trust in the commenter otherwise none of us would be able to develop a voice as we are pulled in multiple directions.

But, as I said earlier, here we must agree to disagree.

As an aside: I disagree with BT that we should be “readers first” as if readers aren’t critical judges of our work – they may not have the terms or the words that fellow writers in a group would put forth, but they will pick up on the things mentioned and judge the quality of the writer accordingly. Nor do I agree that the writers don’t want critical feedback.

I don’t get why people think that critical comments are a disservice to the writer. I see them as a compliment. Once I get over the ego-hit, I am actually grateful to those who take the time to tell me what they didn’t like about my writing – even the pedants and the nitpickers show me ways to improve. As long as it’s not attacks on the writer, but feedback about the writing, it’s invaluable perspective. Much more valuable than non-critical praise (however good that makes us feel when we hear it).

Thick skin and honest self-awareness are as important to a successful writer as the ability to craft a sentence. Those that take the time to provide critical feedback here do the writers a service, and this would be a poorer site without it.