Woman Gets Heated Reaction for Suggesting That Her Friend Should Give Up on His Writing Dreams: ‘Super Wrong’

A woman is facing criticism on Reddit after sharing the story of a time she suggested a friend should give up on his creative dreams.

She posted on Reddit’s “Am I the A——?” forum, explaining that her friend later texted her, saying she was “disrespectful.”

“I saw my friend — we’ll call him Paul — at a party,” she said about her 40-year-old friend. “Someone asked Paul how his writing career is going. He works a normal 9-5 but has also mentioned he wants to be a writer. He’s been trying to take it more seriously and even taking classes.”

She added, “He said he has started submitting short stories to literary magazines but hasn’t been published yet. In his words, he’s had ‘around 50 rejections and counting so far.’ ”

While other people encouraged him, she took a different approach.

“I’m not super familiar with the writing world, but 50 rejections seem like a lot, and from my point of view, it could mean something,” she said.

She remembered asking him, “At what point do you stop submitting and focus on it more as a hobby since you haven’t had any luck yet?”

Her comment surprised him.

“He seemed a little shocked but joked, ‘At the 200 mark maybe.’ Later that night, he (maybe slightly drunk) sent me a text saying my comment was disrespectful and hurtful,” she said.

Wondering if she went too far, the woman asked Reddit, “Am I the a—— for suggesting it might be time for him to give up on getting published?”

Many readers thought she was wrong.

“Lol, you are super wrong here,” one person replied, explaining the publishing world. “50 rejections are nothing. Acceptance doesn’t measure quality, but how well your submission fits what the publisher wants at that time.”

“Also, writing more helps you improve, and submitting more helps too. Paul is handling this responsibly by keeping his day job and working on writing at night. You’re the a—— mainly for not knowing what you’re talking about,” the Redditor added.

Another reader wrote, “Your friend doesn’t need you to put down his dream. He needs encouragement. REAL friends do that.”