Teacher's Bad Rowling Advice

[Bêthberry]

Originally Posted by davem

What's interesting about this is not just that her teacher told an 11 year old girl that she should be writing about 'grittier', more realistic things', but that he considered stories about Elves & Faries' to only be fit for children under 11.

It seems Mr Eddy felt that stories about Elves can't be 'gritty', & that they have no place in the mental space of an 11 year old.

Methinks you doth protest too much. Surely that teaching strategy is completely transparent. Had Mr. Eddy encouraged the young JK to remain writing fantasy surely she would rapidly have tired of the activity. We all know that adolescents must in fact test and challenge their authority figures in the process of becoming their own persons. What fun is there in writing What The Teacher Wants You To, or, What The Teacher Recommends?

Frankly, I think we should applaud Mr. Eddy heartily for his sterling negative encouragement. Had it not been for him, Ms JK might not have had the gumption or motivation to go on and create Hermione, Ron and that Heddy Cropper fellow.