Convincing friends to critique my writing was harder than I expected. Lots were willing to help, but  none wanted to hurt my feelings. First I had to explain how it helped me write better, then demonstrate I was able to accept the comments without getting upset, and then I showed my early readers the results of their work. Joan Barfoot was the first to critique my writing when I attended the HSW Correspondence program. I’ve kept all her notes and sometimes use them as examples to show my friends what I’m looking for. One of the greatest surprises about writing was how much time and effort my friends were willing to spend on my novel. I have friends who critiqued Fracture Line and The Final Gate and are now offering to do the same for Burnt (my third novel). Amazing.