I expected a nerd, a guy who locked himself in a basement for weeks on end with one reading lamp and a giant thesaurus. Consequently he encourages writers to take risks in their work, to have characters make sacrifices, to create action that makes for unanticipated plot turns. He demands rewrites, even though it means more work for him. This man does not collect a paycheck and go home. He also doesn't shield them from the financial and emotional realities of the path they have chosen.
Most professors are professional bullshitters.
I've seen him ream students out in class for using improper grammar. Not because he's anal, but because he cares. Never again will I forget a comma. But the perfectionist is balanced out by a good nature, a sometimes crass sense of humor, and unflagging enthusiasm for his subject. By now, everyone has a Tim O'Brien story.