Had a professor tell me my writing was "too safe" and it totally changed how I approach drafts now

This was back in 2018 at a community college in Ohio, I think it was Comp 2 with this older guy who wore bow ties. He handed back my first big essay with a C and wrote "you're playing it too safe, take a risk" in the margins. I didn't get it at first because I thought good writing meant being correct and following all the rules. So for the next paper I deliberately started with this weird personal story about a road trip detour instead of a boring thesis statement. He gave me an A and said it had voice finally. Now I always tell myself to write the messy version first and clean it up later, otherwise I just produce something that's technically fine but says nothing. Has anyone else had feedback that forced you to totally rework your process?

3 comments

3 Comments

olivia_moore1mo agoMost Upvoted

I see it a little different honestly. Not every piece of writing needs to be a wild personal story to have value. Sometimes playing it safe means you're actually focused on clarity and making sure your argument holds up, which is its own kind of skill. I've read too many "risky" essays that just felt messy and unfocused, like the writer was trying too hard to be interesting instead of actually saying something useful. There's a middle ground where you can have a clear structure without it feeling dead, and for me that came from learning how to make a boring thesis statement actually say something specific instead of abandoning it completely.

charlescraig1mo ago

Totally agree with @olivia_moore on finding a middle ground. A clear structure with a focused thesis beats a chaotic "risky" essay every time, since the best writing makes its point without losing the reader. It's really about making that boring thesis work harder for you instead of tossing it out the window.

spencer_coleman1mo ago

Tell that professor to try "risky" parenting and see how quick he plays it safe.