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Poised to publish, Doubts Arise
Searching for the criticism to polish the edges of hope.
Medium is populated with all manner of scribes, from poet to humorist, to scholar to essayist. The entire spectrum has a voice that resounds, unique and special, but therein lies the rub.
Being unique to our own ears is the equivalent of feeling all powerful and screaming, ‘Call me Ishmail!’ in the shower. It will garner nothing save an angry neighbor. (I’ve tried it and I only have one neighbor. His name is not Richard. Richard was looking for his horse or his kingdom — obscure reference.)
Rather than trust our words to the splattering of water, we often lash our family and friends with our wit and wisdom. Faithfully they peruse our ‘scratchings’ and respond with honeyed encouragement that would make Smokey the Bear climb a flaming tree in the hope of more succulence.
It’s sweet, but doesn’t really help us.
Though the effuse praise builds our self-esteem, we know that like the pebble in the your sandal at the beach, the truth will come out.
What is there to do? How should we approach the challenge of taking on the great white whale of constructive criticism?
Fiverr or similar freelance platform? It is an option, but the quality on fiverr can be hit and miss. Through trial and…