`:::No, I'm never 100% sure about anything ). But ``discouraging`` is a gerund isn't it? i.e. the verb ``to discourage`` warped into behaving like a noun? ``My discouraging a film adaptation``; ``his discouraging a film adaptation``; ``Erik's discouraging a film adaptation``; therefore: ``a reader's discouraging a film adaptation``? It's very ugly, but does seem right.    ()   `