unfair professor comment

[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.

[ree-Xi]

I majored in English and concentrated in Journalism.

In the literary world, there is a saying that basically says that despite one's intentions, an author's first novel is largely an autobiography. That's because we write what we know.

Perhaps the professor is worried that because that you used the same idea/character/topic for a second project. So he/she thinks that you either have no more ideas, or that you are working through something. I am pretty sure that by using very similar elements in two different pieces, you had opened yourself to his bringing it up. Sure he could have handled it differently, but the most critical professors are the ones I learned most from.

Never marry your work. Do your best and move on. If you got a sucky grade, ask for a rewrite. And next time, leave the bad mommy out of the story.

[SWTXBelle]

Personally, I would have said that you simply needed to try writing without the character of the bad mother. However, your professor, rightly or wrongly, sees the repetition of the character as a problem - whether personally or simply from the perspective of how it is affecting your writing. Apparently, the professor has misinterpreted it as being a personal problem. ree-Xi has given you some good advice. Do go talk to the professor, but try and keep your emotions out of it. Focus on asking how you can improve your writing - that's what you are paying the professor for, after all. Let any personal type criticisms roll off your back. He/she's there to help you with your creative writing, not to give you therapy.