[sageofages]

Originally Posted by penguincutie

This just happened to me today, and I'm sick over it.

I take creative writing classes. Today was a critique day. Unfortunately, my professor really did not like my story. This was fine... that's what critiques are for, to learn. However, she then decided to not only critique my story... but to critique ME.

Two of my stories for the class have involved mothers who were less than wonderful (and in only one of them was that mother the main character.) They are fiction; I have a great mom, and they have nothing to do with her or any other part of my life. My teacher did not like this, apparently, and ended my critique with: "You need to confront your issues before you write any more."

Maybe I'm just being ridiculous, I don't know. But for her to say something like this in front of the entire class... I'm still crying hours later. I mean, she herself has said in the past that we should be critiquing stories, not authors, and then to do this...? My friends want me to say something to her, but I just don't know if I can. Do you think this is a big deal? What should I do?

I also think it is a big deal if you are still crying hours later.

Since the old saying goes "write what you know" it appears your professor has made an erroneous conclusion.

Yes you should speak privately with her. Explain to her you were trying to stretch your fiction, creative writing ability into *unknown* realms, perhaps through research etc. Point out that since you don't personally know about any of the "poor mothering" skills you wrote about, perhaps she errored in her conclusion, because you wrote well enough that she obviously found it believable.

I don't think for a second that Jodi Piccoult knows first hand any of the material she includes in her remarkable books, but she sure researches the hell out of what she is writing. She is fabulous...and you could be headed that way as well.