Ramona,

I've clapped for you because I do think you are a good writer. And I applaud you for the skills you've learned over your lifetime.

I take my writing very seriously. I used to send over the occasional story to Indelible Ink. I primarily write fiction though, so most often what I wrote was not a good fit for your publication.

I've tried hard not to whine about how little attention I get here on Medium. I used to get more. Readers come and go. You gain a few loyal readers, you lose a few and sometimes people who should probably be interested in your work just aren't. People who probably should support you just don't. I guess they have their own agendas.

Then there is being old. I don't think what I write is of particular interest to younger people. My own daughter, who really, truly loves me, doesn't read my work. When I ask her about it, it makes her cry and feel guilty and still she doesn't. She's in her mid 30s and I'm 65. While I'm not clueless I suppose I'm not really relevant.

My daughter is politically active and I don't really write about a lot of current issues. She's an abortion rights activist and although I comment on articles about the current goings on pertaining to abortion rights, I don't write about it specifically.

People read what draws them in. You come up in my feed here on Medium and I usually read everything that you've published here but to be honest, I've for the most part quit clapping because I don't sense that you've really ever been interested in anything I've written except for what I published through your publication and initially, when I first made contact with you, I think you did read maybe one piece of my work not published by you. I'm not going to spend any amount of time and go back to make sure I'm right because I've written over 200 articles and stories at this point. It would be too cumbersome and I've got other stuff to do today.

Better writers than me have told me that I'm a good writer. I know I have a unique voice in this world. The notes I got from you when you were editing my work were helpful but not particularly complementary other than a perfunctory "I like this" sort of comment. I was always willing to make the changes you suggested because they were neither here nor there. I always felt like they were more a matter of your preferences than pertained to style or to correct mistakes.

I imagine you are somewhat surprised to be reading this. Maybe you got to know me enough to know that I'm pretty mild mannered. Usually ok to let things slide. Since you "officially" left Medium I see someone who is upset and frustrated so I thought I'd write this to hopefully, give you another perspective. ,

This big world is a lot more filled with those who write than it was when you first got started. The rules have changed.

In the last few weeks I've noticed and started following another writer, around my age, who has come on quite strong here on Medium. She writes about her kids, growing old, death, her husband. All of it seems pretty mundane. Certainly not as creative as my fiction! And yet her followers currently equal mine after only a few months. I think people just like how familiar she seems. A little bit like your favorite pair of jeans. Nothing special, nothing fancy, but easy to put on and take off.

Good luck with your writing Ramona. Don't give up! I know I won't (even if you never read a single one of my stories!)