The Compliment

Posted on | February 18, 2006 | 2 Comments

It’s amazing how a few, kind, sincere words can boslter your confidance. I got the following e-mail from a classmate in my Creative Fiction class. I had to e-mail the class my story last night, and Terri felt compelled to write this after reading it. It should be noted that this came in at 12:40 am this morning!

Erica,

The piece is too good for me to wait until Wednesday to tell you. I
started reading and couldn’t stop.

I’ll think about what specifically makes it so strong and will comment
on the hard copy you get on Wednesday. But I know it has to do with
fierceness, with incredible details that are absolutely cinematic, with
sensory images that stay with the reader long after the reading’s done,
and with the amount of personal history you weave into such a small plot
of land. And then there’s Amy … such a real person.

I won’t go on and on, though I already have. But I couldn’t hold back
until Wednesday on something this fine. And while I don’t want to share
how strongly your piece struck me at the expense of any other
classmate’s work … I can assure you that I didn’t email anyone else
past midnight on a work night to rave about their writing.

Thanks for sharing it with us,
Terri

I really have to say that I am honored, and pleased and now wearing a perma-grin because of this e-mail.

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