Paula R. C. Readman’s Reviews > You don't have to be a genius... > Status Update

You have hit the nail upon the head! The cake was not offered -- we ate it ourselves -- complicating my relationship with the girl by introducing cake would have seemed like pressure and not have been acceptable or part of my role. I was learning about boundaries. Did she recover? I don't know -- that was the problem with training (and possibly the modern profession) -- one moves on before the job is done! As to unanswered questions -- that is my life for nothing id truer than the more you discover, the more you realise how little you know.

I just feel there’s a lot of unanswered questions that you set up in the telling of your experiences. You could’ve finished of the scene by saying the staff had the cake and you didn’t know the outcome because you were moved on. I’m as a reader become engaged but then left unsatisfied. I understand clearly you can talk about individual cases but you need the round of the ending of the scenes you set for the reader. As a reader I’m investing my time in reading your book so when I reach the end I want to feel I’ve completed a journey. Introducing the mention of the cake and the girl with Body dysmorphic disorder left me wondering whether something amazing was about to happen or what… I have learned a lot from read your book so don’t misunderstand me.

Thank you so much for your comments -- I am writing a sequel at present and will be more mindful of not frustrating the readers -- I always find it difficult to imagine how readers will receive what I write -- there is a difficult balance between telling all and allowing the reader to finish the story themselves!

You’re very welcome. The readers want to read the story not write it, that’s our job as the writer. Yes, there’s a fine balance between what we leave out, but you mustn’t leave your readers trying to work out what’s happening on the page. There’s nothing worse that a confused reader especially if you want them to read your next book.

I've just finished an Anne Bronte novel and she illustrated what you say perfectly! I should perhaps read more fiction as you say, it is different and I can learn from it. This is very relevant to what I am writing now as I chose to write this new memoire in the present tense -- this makes it more immediate and in the voice of a young person but it makes it very tricky to allude to what happens 20 years on!! I may well have to start all over again. Thanks for your very constructive comments, Diana

You’re very welcome. As I said before I started reading your books. I would be very honest with you. I have posted the review on Amazon too. I stepped outside my comfort zone reading your book. Good luck with your new book.