Okay, this may be a bit narcissistic of me, but for those who watch me and have read my works, I would like, if you can find the time, for you to tell me what you like about my works, and what you don’t. I’m not looking for a long dissertation. Heck, some of you could likely summarize it in three or less sentences. The point is, I’m in a creative rut, and thought maybe if I heard what it was that people liked about my work and what they didn’t, from a general standpoint, it’d help me to reevaluate my writing and get back into things.

Honestly, I’m just looking for a little help here, anything to help get me out of this creative rut I’m in. What elements of my writing do you enjoy? Are there any consistent elements that always seem to fall short to you? Do parts seem uninspired? Are there comparisons in stories you can point to and say, “you did X better here than there”? Are there things that have made you groan? Are there passages that struck a chord with you? If you enjoyed my work, is there a way you can define why you enjoyed it? If there are pieces you disliked, can you explain why?

I want you to give me honest, blunt feedback. I’m not looking for encouragement or tutoring, I want to learn where I’m strong and where I’m lacking, so that I can shore up the latter and further hone the former. In part, I want to know why you chose to hit that “+Watch” button. Detail is great, but even just your thoughts, if it’s hard for you to quantify your thoughts and feelings into words, would be greatly appreciated.

Is it simply the subject matter you like? Do you find that the characters seem real, relatable, and understandable? Or do they feel contrived? Does the setting seem too vague or glossed over? What about the pacing? Does the dialogue work?

Ideas aren’t the problem either; I have plenty of ideas. It’s the craft I’m having trouble with. Ever since doing that lit for art trade (which I enjoyed quite a bit), I’ve been having difficulty writing anything. I’m thinking I need to work on my craft, of word choice, plot, and pacing, but I feel I am unable to look at my work objectively enough to analyze it properly. So I ask for a little of your time to think back on my works that you’ve read and tell me, from a standpoint of the quality of the writing, what you thought. I guess to put it in a short fashion: I would like you to critique me as a writer of short fiction.

For those of you who decide to take a few minutes and give me your thoughts, I thank you in advance. After doing something for somebody else, and feeling the pressure of needing to meet a professional quality, I feel I honestly need the help of you, my readers, in order to work on my craft and improve as a writer.