After reading " Shitty First Drafts," has your own perception of starting the writing process changed? Do you agree with some of the process that Anne Lamott entertains us with?
After reading "Shitty First Drafts," my own perception of starting the writing process has definitely changed. I am the kind of student who likes to get a usable paper the first time around, as I find intense revisions to be tedious. When starting a paper, I put a lot of pressure on myself to dive right into the the specified topic, which can be difficult if I'm not inspired or in the mood to write. Although I never considered using Anne Lamott's process before, I think that her idea is really interesting and could be helpful. For my next big assignment, I will definitely try to follow Lamott's steps and see if this makes writing easier.
As I was reading the article it came clear to me that I am not the only one whose first draft reflects just the fundamentals of my final paper. In the reading I thought it was clever how the author said a first draft is better called a "down draft", just a paper containing your thoughts in that one moment. The article also clarified my perception that the great authors we all love and enjoy just don't simply write, review and publish books. Instead they too have a first, second and third final draft before they send it to be reviewed. For now on when I start a paper instead of contemplating the final draft I am only going to consider my thoughts at that exact moment on the subject and then go back and begin to review and edit.
After reading the article “Shitty First Drafts” I think I will try the author’s way of writing for my next assignment. I usually try to make my first draft as detailed as possible, finding as much information as I can on the topic and including it into the draft. This usually takes a long time and in the end, my final product looks very different than my first draft, wasting much of my time. I feel if I use Lamott’s advice I will waste less of my time at the start of the writing process leaving more time to fix it up in the end.
Reading this article expanded my view on professional writers. I was under the impression that talented writers produced perfection the first time they write something. Understanding now that all writers have a process that starts lesser than what it develops to be makes me feel more relatable. I enjoyed reading the article "Shitty First Drafts" and I really enjoy the new found perspective it gave me.
I think this perfectly describes writers as they tackle their work. Starting is always the hardest part of anything, especially when it is something that will be shown to the public. By just writing anything down that you can, it helps not only with starting the piece, but also letting the brain wander amd think and discover. Sometimes the best discoveries are made by accident. I think this article shows what is at the hearr of many great works
I've always written first drafts but never gave them much importance: I always treated my first draft like a final draft and tried to make it as perfect as possible. I like how she introduces the idea that the first draft doesn't need to be perfect, you just have to get something written down. I also really like how she called the first draft the "child draft". The imaginations (and possibilities) of children are so limitless--it's ingenious to approach a first draft like a child would: anything is possible. Also, it's hard to remember that no one has to read your first draft unless you want them to. With that in mind, you can write without the fear of judgement.
Anne Lamott describes the writing process in such an entertaining way. Her self-deprecating tone is relatable and funny, which allowed me to absorb the material on a much deeper level. Lamott's article takes the stress and drama out of writing, making writers out to be just like everyone else. Although the content of the article is nothing that I have not heard before, Lamott made it more accessible through her humor and anecdotes. It will be a nice reminder for me throughout the semester to get everything out on paper first before worrying about stringing together the words as elegantly as possible. The first draft is the foundation for the final piece and is essential to writing successfully.
After reading "Shitty First Drafts," my own perception of starting the writing process has definitely changed. I am the kind of student who likes to get a usable paper the first time around, as I find intense revisions to be tedious. When starting a paper, I put a lot of pressure on myself to dive right into the the specified topic, which can be difficult if I'm not inspired or in the mood to write. Although I never considered using Anne Lamott's process before, I think that her idea is really interesting and could be helpful. For my next big assignment, I will definitely try to follow Lamott's steps and see if this makes writing easier.
ReplyDeleteAs I was reading the article it came clear to me that I am not the only one whose first draft reflects just the fundamentals of my final paper. In the reading I thought it was clever how the author said a first draft is better called a "down draft", just a paper containing your thoughts in that one moment. The article also clarified my perception that the great authors we all love and enjoy just don't simply write, review and publish books. Instead they too have a first, second and third final draft before they send it to be reviewed. For now on when I start a paper instead of contemplating the final draft I am only going to consider my thoughts at that exact moment on the subject and then go back and begin to review and edit.
ReplyDeleteAfter reading the article “Shitty First Drafts” I think I will try the author’s way of writing for my next assignment. I usually try to make my first draft as detailed as possible, finding as much information as I can on the topic and including it into the draft. This usually takes a long time and in the end, my final product looks very different than my first draft, wasting much of my time. I feel if I use Lamott’s advice I will waste less of my time at the start of the writing process leaving more time to fix it up in the end.
ReplyDeleteReading this article expanded my view on professional writers. I was under the impression that talented writers produced perfection the first time they write something. Understanding now that all writers have a process that starts lesser than what it develops to be makes me feel more relatable. I enjoyed reading the article "Shitty First Drafts" and I really enjoy the new found perspective it gave me.
ReplyDeleteI think this perfectly describes writers as they tackle their work. Starting is always the hardest part of anything, especially when it is something that will be shown to the public. By just writing anything down that you can, it helps not only with starting the piece, but also letting the brain wander amd think and discover. Sometimes the best discoveries are made by accident. I think this article shows what is at the hearr of many great works
ReplyDeleteI've always written first drafts but never gave them much importance: I always treated my first draft like a final draft and tried to make it as perfect as possible. I like how she introduces the idea that the first draft doesn't need to be perfect, you just have to get something written down. I also really like how she called the first draft the "child draft". The imaginations (and possibilities) of children are so limitless--it's ingenious to approach a first draft like a child would: anything is possible. Also, it's hard to remember that no one has to read your first draft unless you want them to. With that in mind, you can write without the fear of judgement.
ReplyDeleteAnne Lamott describes the writing process in such an entertaining way. Her self-deprecating tone is relatable and funny, which allowed me to absorb the material on a much deeper level. Lamott's article takes the stress and drama out of writing, making writers out to be just like everyone else. Although the content of the article is nothing that I have not heard before, Lamott made it more accessible through her humor and anecdotes. It will be a nice reminder for me throughout the semester to get everything out on paper first before worrying about stringing together the words as elegantly as possible. The first draft is the foundation for the final piece and is essential to writing successfully.
ReplyDelete