The feedback on my first story, The Missing Piece, was extremely encouraging, and I just wanted to say thank you to everyone who read it and especially those who let me know what they thought! I was nervous that there might not be many other people who would be interested in the kinds of stories I have to tell, but it's very gratifying to find out that there are dozens of us! :P The reception, comments, and messages have been so positive, including ones that had critical things to say. I think that was the most encouraging part -- all the feedback has been overwhelmingly constructive, and it's really encouraged me to keep writing.
One of the other great things I've noticed is that even readers who liked the story seemed to have interpreted it in different ways. That's terrific! One of the hardest things about writing the story was trying to make sure that readers could experience it just as Daniel did, without looking deeper into what was going on (especially because I was too afraid to have someone read it beforehand to give me feedback!).
At the same time, I also wanted readers to be able to see that Daniel wasn't seeing the complete picture. It was challenging to find the right balance between leaving some subtle clues about what Charlie was going through without hammering readers over the head with it. My goal was to make it so that that's there if you want it, but it's not completely necessary to enjoy the story. Personally, I see it as Charlie's story told through Daniel's eyes. But Daniel might disagree!
Thanks again to everyone who read The Missing Piece, and I look forward to sharing more stories in the future. If you like an even slower burn, romance, and music, you might like what I'm working on next (;
Arcadia