When I was a kid

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One day when I was in Year Seven, I got the dressing down of a lifetime from one of my teachers for not doing my homework - in front of the whole class. He basically said in front of 40-odd students:

-I was lazy
-I had to get over my obsession with a classmate (and yes, he used classmates name and classmate was in the class)
-My stories, while nice, were never going to amount to anything

To this day I can't think of a time when I was more humiliated. I was crying in front of the whole class (I can't really handle yelling) and he just kept going. I had no friends either, except for my dog, and it was in the morning so I had to go the whole day with it on my shoulders.

Recently I started publishing my best work on Blogger, and that day keeps playing itself through my mind. I'd love for my story to go viral and earn me $$$ and show that teacher he was wrong, but I'm worried I'm the one who's wrong. What if my story isn't good enough? What if I'm not doing enough to get it noticed?

I've posted it all over the place (including here in the Writing forum) but so far it seems I'm out of luck. I try to tell myself I'm only 7 chapters in and there's plenty of time to get noticed, but I worry all the time. Am I just impatient?

That teacher was wrong, regardless of whether or not you become a successful writer.

Today, young people are idolized. I see it in music, too. Competitions for composition are centered around the young. It is assumed that if one hasn't achieved success by age 30, then that person is doomed to be unsuccessful forever. This is ridiculous.

I think 25 is still quite young. And the older I get, the younger 25 is. Age brings with it a wealth of wisdom and experience that translates into creative work with deeper meaning. Even if a young person can write (or compose) well enough to win a competition, or get published or commissioned, etc. that doesn't mean that work is truly profound. Very, very rarely can one write with incredible insight at a young age.

Have you researched famous authors you like? Look into the ages they were when they actually achieved success. I think you would probably find that most were older than you imagined. We all know of famous young prodigies and then imagine that all extremely successful people were also young prodigies. Not so!

I like a particular poster I've seen: What others see as the road to success (a short, straight line.) The actual road to success (a long, very squiggly line that often turns back on itself.)

Keep working.

I have had terrible things said to me before about my music, and it usually lights a little fire in me. I do want to prove the naysayers wrong. (I already know they are wrong, but it would be nice to *prove* it.)

Unfortunately, there people working in the educational system that have no business being there. Any teacher who treats a student in the way you described should be terminated and never allowed back in a classroom.

Here Here (like in the British Parliament)

My mom taught me when I was prepubescent that I couldn't make it as a writer (my childhood dream) unless I learned to spell better. In high school, I was still having trouble with spelling and made errors with homophones, so I gave up on that dream. I only revived it within the last year (I'm 27).

Part of me feels like I lost a lot of time because I took her comments seriously, but now I'm just moving on.

If you have words in your mind that want to be put on paper, put them on paper. Even if no one alive today gives you positive feedback and your work doesn't sell in your lifetime, just keep letting your words out on the page. What people think about it and whether or not they value YOU highly enough to give your work a chance only matters if you let it.

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Last edited by AmethystRose on 10 Sep 2014, 2:52 pm, edited 1 time in total.

That says it all.

I'm pretty sure what made you feel so bad about that experience was the way he said it, not so much what he said. The way he said it was definitely wrong. If you've written that much then you're not lazy, so at least that part of what he said is wrong, too. I know that sort of thing isn't easily forgotten (and I've certainly had some bad teachers, too!), but try to strive for success as a writer for reasons other than to prove some a***hole wrong!

Thanks everyone.

The worst thing about this teacher was that he had his "favourites" who used to follow him around on playground duty and usually got favourable treatment. Suffice to say I wasn't one of those students.

I concur with ?VetegtableMan?. The way you were treated back then was wholly inappropriate.

Per the story I?m gonna say you should probably finish it before expecting it to be a hit. It takes a lot of time and rejection to become successful in writing. I always refer to the biography of JK Rowling undoubtedly one of the most famous authors in the world to prove that point.

The ?never amount to anything? is quite common I?ve heard it as well. Bugs the hell out of me too. Prove him wrong. If the story isn?t good enough just make it better. That's our greatest advantage we can change and become better.