I Hate Your Shit!

One of my favorite criticisms I’ve ever received about my writing came about 4 years ago in my advanced creative writing course. This is it.

“The subject matter of this story is highly offensive. And it is due to this fact,

that I have very little to say regarding ‘A Different Perspective.’ I could not read past the first two pages [of a 52 page story]. The abundance of profanity was distracting. The lewd and crass topic is severy detrimental

to your work. I say, detrimental, because any idea or concept you were attempting to express, was lost. If your ultimate point was something of great significance, you smothered it, poisoning it with your choice of language and subject matter. If your primary purpose was to shock readers, then you have succeeded. But in shocking this reader, I will never know if you had an idea worthy of serious consideration.

As a writer, story-teller and creator, you undoubtedly reserve the right to express yourself in any manner you wish. It is entirely your choice whether to use profanity or to write a story about vulgar sexual escapades. But, in doing so, you risk offending your readers, reducing accessibility to your thoughts, your ideas, your expression and your potentially inf

luential art. Also, you sacrifice the beauty of the written word. I am sorry but this story was a bit too much for me to take. Good Luck.”