We interrupt the current focus for a side note on GMing.
I am not a director.
I am not a storyteller.
I am not an author.
I am not a therapist, mentor, motivator, consultant, or purely a cheerleader.
I am, at best, a coach.
A GM-as-coach listens to what you say your PC does, but asks questions to make the actions more pointed and more "awesome."
This perspective on the role of a GM aids in challenging the PCs, aware that the whole endeavor really relies on player incentive. They are collaborators for a better experience, rather than the sole source of competition.
When it comes to character development, a GM-as-coach acts as a sounding board, an advocate, and a "compassionate critic" to both reveal and challenge your design and ways of thinking.
I want the players (and the PCs) to win, but winning doesn't mean anything unless they have a decent challenge ahead of them. So I have to build that challenge based on what I hear. Listening as a GM is really hard because I also have the whole "this is the idea I built the scenario upon" thing in my head, and I want to work that in and have my players help me explore the worlds I built for them. It doesn't mean that I don't listen to myself and what I want, either.
Broken down into ridiculous simplicity:
It is a GM's job to listen.It is a player's job to communicate.
(For one, communication allows the GM to not mistake inactivity for disinterest or anger. For another, listening means the player has the opportunity to put focus on what they enjoy...and they can choose not to express that, too.)