interlude on my writing

"I thought you were going to be chatty," the guy admitted, "But, it's okay."

I responded, "I don't really know you."

"But, I thought you were going to talk nonstop from your emails," his accusation continued.

"Well, I was answering specific questions when I wrote," I said.  

I couldn't go into the fact a lot of my verbal energy was tied up processing information about him... and my enthusiasm was waning with each input of information.  I was calculating his voice too high, his word choice juvenile, his vagueness circumspect, and his subject matter vapid.

He then complained that I wasn't laughing at his jokes.  

I was thinking: "Those were jokes?"

I'm relieved to report that I haven't heard from him since.  This was one of my best, most productive, most encouraging exchanges of all time.  This dude made me feel like a writer.  This isn't to dodge his bullet: I am inept on the phone.  But, I think no more than normal.  The unfunny dude was telling me that he really liked my writing.

It's a win-win.  I got encouragement and time to act on it!