In this specific example: if you think you'll be Hollywood famous because you wrote a short story, that's a problem. If you write a short-story to try to become Hollywood famous, that's fine. The problem is spending 4 years of your life and $50-250k to learn something you didn't even need to in order to try to become Hollywood famous, something that was unrealistic in the first place. At least writing a short story is presumably something you like doing and it's not really costing you anything. That's a free option then so why not try for your goals, even if unrealistic?
The scam is in having to spend time, effort and money first, presumably as a prerequisite before you can get something when that something is unrealistic in the first place. It's the same scam dating coaches sell to men. "Pay me money first so I can teach you special knowledge so you can start having sex with hot women". That's a scam. Just like paying for an education to become a Hollywood writer is a scam. Both these outcomes are things that don't require special knowledge to do and both these things are unrealistic outcomes for most people. The people who realistically can get either of these options will already have the options available to them without any special knowledge.
The scam is in having to spend time, effort and money first, presumably as a prerequisite before you can get something when that something is unrealistic in the first place.
Not what I'm saying though.
In this specific example: if you think you'll be Hollywood famous because you wrote a short story, that's a problem. If you write a short-story to try to become Hollywood famous, that's fine. The problem is spending 4 years of your life and $50-250k to learn something you didn't even need to in order to try to become Hollywood famous, something that was unrealistic in the first place. At least writing a short story is presumably something you like doing and it's not really costing you anything. That's a free option then so why not try for your goals, even if unrealistic?
The scam is in having to spend time, effort and money first, presumably as a prerequisite before you can get something when that something is unrealistic in the first place. It's the same scam dating coaches sell to men. "Pay me money first so I can teach you special knowledge so you can start having sex with hot women". That's a scam. Just like paying for an education to become a Hollywood writer is a scam. Both these outcomes are things that don't require special knowledge to do and both these things are unrealistic outcomes for most people. The people who realistically can get either of these options will already have the options available to them without any special knowledge.
100% agree