#WritersCoffeeClub 23 June 2025
What’s the worst piece of writing advice you’ve ever encountered?
The kind of advice that aims not to change or add details to a story in order to improve it, but to change the entire plot of a story. This would mean that the story is no longer mine, but that of the person giving the advice. In this case, the person should rather write the story with the desired plot on their own.
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@ianscraper I wrote a screenplay on pro wrestling. I was a pro wrestler and wrote from experience. I gave it to a script doctor who charged me $500 to tell me it's not realistic, ie. "This would never happen". I showed him evidence that it does (wrestlers paying for their own travel expenses).
One character was a Southern Black Man. He told me his vernacular was "racist" and to remove it. He tried to make it HIS story. Not mine.
Sorry to hear that. Were you at least able to use other comments from the person or did the $500 literally turn out to be out the window?
But I think it's good that you didn't let yourself be put off and published the story anyway!
Hannah Steenbock
Ian Scraper (DE / EN)
Rick Bauer