Harlan Ellison was one of our most prolific and influential science fiction writers. He published 1700 short stories and 50 books, Writing scripts for Outer Limits and Star Trek among other shows.  His work influenced James Cameron when he filmed Terminator, and that’s just a start.

But when he attended Ohio State University, a professor passed judgment and said he had no talent for writing. Ellison punched him and was expelled.

You’d think a professor wouldn’t feel the need to be so harsh and unequivocal–but you’d be wrong.

I’ve known Creative Writing professors who treat students like dirt. One was notorious for humiliating students by telling them their work was shit. He could make students cry or tremble with fear.  Another would only let favorite students read aloud, clearly sending the same ugly message to everyone else in her class. These professors are not anomalies: dissing student writing is a commonplace in creative writing workshops at the undergraduate and graduate level.  A good friend was told she would never publish because she apparently hadn’t suffered enough.  She had a story accepted soon afterwards.

I faced disparaging criticism in my MFA program. A story that I thought was a breakthrough was demolished by my workshop, and the professor delivered the coup de grâce. He said it was nothing new and the kind of thing I could write in my sleep.

I had a vindictive triumph, because soon afterwards it won first prize in the program’s writing contest which was judged by a famous editor. When I shared the brickbats from my workshop, she growled, “Don’t change a goddamned word!”  I soon sold it for a lot of money to Redbook, which at the time had 4.5 million readers, and the story launched my career as an author.

It’s a good thing to take writing workshops to develop and hone your craft, but not everyone commenting on your work comes from a pace of creative nurturing and encouragement.  Too many of them want to tear you down for whatever twisted reasons of their own.

You don’t have to punch out your professor, but it’s wise to listen to all criticism with your shields up, as if you were in Star Trek.

Lev Raphael is the author of 25 books in many genres, including the guide for writers, Writer’s Block is Bunk.  You can take creative writing workshops with him online at writewithoutborders.com.“Studying creative writing with Lev Raphael was like seeing Blade Runner for the first time: simply incredible.”
—Kyle Roberts, MSU Class of 2016