Depending on the nature of your "dark" thoughts, I would suggest keeping your dark writings to yourself. Regardless of the class policy; if its dark enough you might get unwanted attention... from the cops... with a warrant to pull up your floorboards. So save yourself the trouble of having to relocate your skeletons; keep your writings under lock and key.

Sound advice. Looks like you are warning the OP not to put her "Tell-Tale Heart" into her public writings. (:

I mean OP could just explain the situation to the teacher. Im sure they would understand...but personally I wouldn't care if the teacher said not to. I would anyways

The police station wouldn't issue a search warrant just because OP has a creepy imagination.

^ its a judge that issues search warrants, not the police station

Yeah but the cops write them for submission

he said to consult him, that doesnt mean he said it's an absolute no no

Haha I took a creative writing class a few semesters ago and for our final assignment I wrote a screenplay about a female serial killer and one of her victims. It was loosely based off of the comic "Johnny the Homicidal Maniac." It was pretty disturbing and half the class had to critique it as part of the final. When it came time for them to do so, there was an awkward silence and I got more than a few worried looks from my other classmates. It was a pretty awesome screenplay though, in my opinion. Write what you want. The teacher shouldn't be able to tell you what you can and can't write. It's a CREATIVE writing class, for goodness sake!

Absolutely!! I have two blogs, one of which I use to talk about my struggle with alcoholism.

I know this is what I was thinking!! What kind of creative writing teacher would censor their students?? Sounds like a terrible teacher.

Consult usually means he wants to remind them to keep it PG, or talk with them about seeing a therapist. Disturbing pieces in creative writing classes are often only noticed as a pattern after a suicide, he's only being proactive about helping his students.

(They don't have to know that, you're ruining my inspirational message.)

that's what I was thinking too, OP should share their writing with the therapist!

I don't think this teacher is worth the time. I would suggest that if it's within OP's means that they find another class.

Teen suicide is also a major issue in many areas, the way students express themselves can show them to be at an increased risk. Or like so many college professors, he simply wants a creative justification for the dark twist on the assignment, to help assure the students understand what was assigned and that he's not going to have to grade some off topic 50 shades knockoffs all year.

Or that it doesn't cause one of the other members of the class undue stress. You may be fine writing your story about the Victorian woman who, after being stopped from killing her child, threw herself off a bridge, but your classmate, whose mother had postpartum depression after her second child and committed suicide, leaving them to parent their sibling..... Yeah.

Wow, 23, YOU should be in the creative writing class.

I'm a walking panic attack. I go nowhere without my sedatives, and I go nowhere 6 days a week anyway. Coming up with ideas for things that might cause a panic attack? That's easy.