Hey SE Readers. Joan with you today. It’s time for another writing question.

All of us have people who have impacted our lives. Most of the time, we think of people who have had a positive influence.

Yet other times, a person may have made negative remarks that we took to heart. Encouraging words can go a long way. Discouragement, if not overcome, lasts a lifetime.

For example, one of my best friends changed her college major because of negative remarks made by a professor. This “teacher” had the audacity to call my friend’s writing worthless in front of the entire class. “Ann” left that day with her tail tucked between her legs and changed to her major to math.

But the desire to write never left her. Years later, she began writing again.  She didn’t give up. Finally came the day came when a nationally published magazine accepted one…