In the Stars

I had a rough session with my writing group on Monday night. The heavy helping of tart criticism dished out that night lacked even a small dash of sweet praise. Hard to swallow and difficult to decipher. How do I sort out the comments that will enhance my own voice from those that are well meaning, but make me sound like someone else?

Tuesday morning I reached out to a few writer friends who value me and my work. They celebrate with me when the writing flows and offer support when it doesn't. Their advice, listen to your heart.

This morning when I ended my newspaper ritual with the horoscope, I found the same advice in the stars:

"Virgo - Negative feedback can vanish if you take constructive criticism to heart rather than resenting it. Make allies of people who've proved to be trustworthy."