I know I’ve joked a bit about my writing class but honestly this class rocks. Our teacher is encouraging, she gives great feedback and she even brings us chocolates! I’ve had the opportunity to explore different approaches to writing, and the best part is that I’m writing a lot more than I did this summer, and that’s a good thing.
But (you knew there was a but coming) there is one thing that bugs. One guy. Not the class clowns that I had mentioned before but a guy that seems so dispassionate in class that I wonder why he even bothers to show up. He doodles, he sits in the back and he won’t read his assignments out loud and even expects our teacher to do that for him.
Okay so he’s being a bit of a rebel or perhaps he is trying to cultivate his writer persona. That’s fine but my problem with him is when we do critiques. He has had a few stories and poems published so I think he believes he’s immune from criticism.
He usually offers a lot of criticism to everyone. Oh how he will gush about how this should have been written this way or how that doesn’t make sense, but don’t try to give him any criticism on his stories. For every suggestion he counters with a “that wasn’t my intention” or “that’s not what I want.” Fair enough, when people give you criticism you can either take it or leave it, but you shouldn’t outright dismiss it. You should think about it, ask why and when you do your re-write you can use it or not.
I’m sorry but unless you are Gabriel Garcia Marquez, who in my book can do no wrong, then you can learn something from everyone. If you don’t want criticism, don’t offer your writing to the class because what’s the point.
