Another reason that some writer-teachers tramp on people's aspirations is that they figure if the wannabee can be discouraged, they should be.

There was a column at Word Player that was essentially an essay on how much you (the reader) sucked as a writer and would never be a success and should just give up and pack it in. At the end, he makes the point that you need to get used to hearing that because you're going to hear it a lot. You need to learn to shrug it off and prove them wrong.

In my opinion, you'll get enough of that. Why do people who should be inspiring you have to trample you too?

"Should" be inspiring? Aren't they trying to teach you the facts?

Edit: Okay, I'm not good with the inspiring either. But you do get it from the most unexpected directions. My own parents, who are perfectly nice people, said okay, you want to be a writer, but have a backup career lined up, okay? Which is not entirely bad advice.

Should may have been a bad word to use. I just couldn't think of another. But if you want people to write, why quash them before they've even got their legs under them? There's plenty of people out there to do that.

Went back to clarify. Me and my itchy trigger finger.

Come to think of it, it must be pretty frustrating trying to teach writing, too.

Barbara Hambly can't write for them! She has to write another Antryg story!

It doesn't say that she is writing for them, does it?

I thought they gave her as an example of who they would like to publish.

Nope, read back, she's in the first four authors listed whom they say they "have under contract."

Ah -- skimming as usual.