I am a real ham. I love an audience. I work better with an audience. I am dead, in fact, without one.
Publishing your work is important. Even if you are giving a piece to some smaller publication for free, you will learn something about your writing. The editor will say something, friends will mention it. You will learn.
A question I get asked a lot is 'What is it like to play the straight guy all the time?' And I'm totally okay with it.