A hypothetical: Let's say you have put your heart and soul into a piece of writing...

[Writer]

you have SLAVED over it, putting all your might into perfecting it. Several drafts later, you hand what you believe is a pristine version to a person whose opinion you respect.

The person responds by saying, "I think it is fine, much improved."

What would you interpret that to mean? Enthusiastic? Less than enthusiastic? Something else?

[CaliforniaPeggy]

1. My dear Writer!

I have been there!

I take it to mean that they enjoyed the piece.....but not as much as you'd hoped they would......

*sigh*

[Writer]

3. So... my believing that he's less than enthusiastic is all in my mind?

Or that he liked it, but not all THAT much?

[CaliforniaPeggy]

5. I'm with Southpawkicker............

More info is needed..........just how does the person usually react?

Some folks are very understated.....for my husband, for example: When he says something is acceptable, that's high praise!

[Writer]

6. Here's the exact quote:

"I think it is fine, much improved. You should go ahead and submit it. Good luck."

[CaliforniaPeggy]

8. Sounds to me that he liked it enough to recommend

That you submit it.........

Do it! Or show it to someone else you respect......

More input never hurts, you know!

[SPKrazy]

2. I'd Have To Know More About The Person

and how they react typically to such things.

Some people aren't very emotional, and others will gush about things like that.

From the information you gave, I'd suspect less than enthusiastic, but like I said, I'd need more information to make that assessment.

[Writer]

4. He tends to be understated...

but he's told me "very good" on things before.

Actually here is the entire response: "I think it is fine, much improved. You should go ahead and submit it. Good luck."

[SPKrazy]

7. That Doesn't Sound So Bad

maybe he had other things on his mind?

I know that there are times I've felt like I'd really done something well, and then didn't get the response I expected, but it didn't mean that I hadn't done well.

Also, none of us bat 1000, we have more creative moments and times when we struggle to make contact with the "idea fairy". I wouldn't sweat it, it probably means less than you are imagining.

Let it go is what I'd say.

[ChoralScholar]

9. Well, if you were to bring me something

in a critical setting, I would be much the same way. In fact, you'd have to specifically ask me to stroke your ego if you wanted much more than that type of response.

But then again, I inherited that in Grad School.

What was your reasoning? Were you seeking approval, or genuinely looking for healthy criticism?

[Writer]

11. Honestly a bit of both...

I have a somewhat complicated relationship with the person in question.

But really, I needed to know that the piece was good to go.

[some guy]

13. I would say

accept that the complicated relationship may be a factor, either in how the person responded, or in what you hoped to hear.

So let that go.

Accept the "should submit it" part, and if you agree it is ready to submit, call it agreement, and submit it.

Unless you really want to delve into all the underlying truths of the complicated relationship (and I presume you don't, since I am suspecting this person isn't Mr Writer ( I don't remember the specifics of what you've posted on that relationship ) you need to accept that the other person may occasionally feel a need to pull back at times when you might want them to draw closer, and be content that the person respects you enough to not add to the complexities. There is a line neither of you should cross, maybe the person felt you were too close to the line, so pulled/held back to keep the "proper distance" between the two of you.

( did that make sense? )

[Writer]

14. Wow.

You are rather cryptic but amazingly astute in your observations of the relationships in my life. Perhaps I should back off from this thread? You're starting to freak me out a bit.

[reyd reid reed]

10. Let it go.

There's no point to getting yourself all worked up and in a dither over one person's opinion. It's just that...one person's opinion. He might have been having a bad day or whatever...this isn't the opinion that really counts anyway. He's not the editor that you're submitting it to.

Go with your gut. In the end, your gut, your skill and your imagination are what counts. Writing is so subjective, anyway. What appeals to one, another might hate. What one thinks is soulful and lyrical, another might find dull. That's one of the things that makes it what it is.

If you think it's ready, sub it. If you don't, then work it some more.

Whatever you do, don't let someone else's lack of enthusiasm determine YOUR course.

[HCE SuiGeneris]

15. I couldn't have said it any better,

even with my usual 10 revisions. This is exactly my take on how to value your work, not on how to value your relationship with said person. Very well put reyd reid reed!

[Oeditpus Rex]

12. It's a hell of a lot better than

"We have read the submitted article and regret to inform you it does not meet our current requirements."

Not to mention "You SUCK!" from people who couldn't write anything more detailed than a check.

[EFerrari]

16. Something else.

We can't expect other people to get it. When they do, it's cool.