Greetings and salutations. It is I, Graham.

  We’ve both talked a bit about how we support one another, and I’ve talked, probably too much, about how I couldn’t write without Clevenger. What we haven’t discussed is the consequences of such a symbolic situation.

  Writers have such fragile egos. Who am I kidding? Most people do. But writers and other artists put so much of themselves into their work. Work that they are now putting out on display, for others to love or hate, praise or ridicule. You want it to be well liked, well received. A few months ago we had an incident where it was not.

  Back in October we were wrapping up our final scenes for Book Two. I had finished my scenes, and Clevenger was wrapping up his final scene. It was a pivotal scene, important not just to Clevenger’s character but to Clevenger himself. Of course, while he was writing this scene, I had started editing Book One. So when I read over his new scene, I did the dumbest thing ever.

  I critiqued it.

  I didnt just critique it, I was in editing. mode  and i went after his scene as if i was editing it. This was a colossal, insensitive mistake. This was a first draft. He posted it with the intention of letting me look it over and ensure there weren’t any major issues with theme and setup. That’s not what I did. He was understandably hurt. And once I realized what I had done, I couldn’t apologize enough.

  Of course we got over it and moved on. We are too good of friends not to. And the lesson was taken to heart. We are not each other’s critics. We are each other’s cheerleaders. We are each other’s supporters and motivators. When we move to editing, will we make the harsh decisions that will be needed? Of course. But during the writing process, we are here to lift one another up. Ivr learned that I need Clevenger in order to write. And we learned the hard way that he needs me, as well.

  So learn from us, and take this to heart. Lift one another up. Verify that they want critique before giving it. You don’t need to lie. But you can leave the more “opinionated” opinions for later. I hope everyone has been having an excellent Holiday Season.

Don’t forget to love one another.

Graham