Congratulations on taking first step to improving your work. Remember, there is always more to learn and practice helps. On Critiquing Being critiqued and critiquing others is about trust. Whether you are trusting someone to read your work and be honest with their feedback or someone is trusting you with the task, each side must be being willing to be honest and let go of judgment. It is not about stroking your ego or someone else's. Narcissism is not allowed in the critiquing world. You don't benefit by people telling you your work is good - that only makes you feel good. You benefit by people telling you what works and what needs improvement. In the critiquing world, it's about the craft of writing so if you want a pat on the back, a cookie or an ego stroke then let your family and friends read your work. When getting your work critiqued, the intent of the reader is to help and support your talent. Always reme ember...