Too Much of a Good Thing

 This month's Internet Writing Support Group was about a writing rule learned in school that messed you up.  This blog had an interesting answer:

I guess if there was something that messed me up, it was how supportive everyone was. Parents, teachers, classmates, everyone were always full of encouragement: You're a great writer! You should get your stories published! You could be an author!

Ha.

Ha.

Ha.

This answer reminded me of my own experience back in junior high.  In 7th grade I'd started writing stories first in English class and then on my own.  It probably started in notebooks but my school also had a whole lab of Apple IIe and IIGS computers with Magic Slate and Appleworks word processors.  Wow, the future is here!

Anyway, I wrote more in 8th grade and made the mistake of letting my teacher see it.  And she was all, "This is great!  You should get this published!"

I'm sure she was just trying to be supportive.  I mean, why not nurture the fat, shy kid with no friends' "gift" right?  Seems like a great idea.  And really doesn't cost her anything.

The problem is I was like 14 at the time and dumb and naive to take this seriously.  So I think, Hey, I should get this published!  And it should be totally easy, right?  I mean in TV and movies you just put your manuscript in a box or envelope, mail it to a publisher in New York, and you're on your way.

But like an old insurance ad said, "That's not how this works.  That's not how any of this works!"  In 1992 or so you can't just do that.  And, more importantly, my writing may be great for 8th grade in Midland, MI but it's dogshit compared to professionals who have been doing this for years or college graduates from the Iowa Writer's Workshop and so forth.  I'd have had a better chance taking on Mike Tyson for the heavyweight boxing title.

Rejections then were pretty much the same thing, only by snail mail if at all, but it probably stung worse back then.  I mean, my teacher said it was great, so why wouldn't they want to publish it?  But I'm stubborn and stupid so I think I might have actually tried a couple more times.

Anyway, the point is encouragement, no matter how well-meaning it is, can sometimes be a bad thing.  In cases like mine and the other blogger's, someone needed to dial it back a little and temper it with a little realism.  It'd be better to say, "This is great!  You have real potential!"  Or a little more backhand compliment, "This is great for a beginner!"  And then maybe provide the student with resources like books on writing, publishing, or just regular books to provide more perspective.  But that would require more effort than just a compliment, right?

Of course these days I might like more effusive praise than a 5-star "rating" on Amazon or Goodreads.  I'm just saying.