2/28/22 Sh*tty First Drafts

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1. 

   Laziza Naimova

   February 27, 2022 at 5:33 pm

   1. Lamott says that the perceptions most people have of how writers work is different from the reality of the work itself. She refers to this in paragraph 1 as “the fantasy of the uninitiated.” What does she mean?
   1) Lamott means that the people who assume that writers don’t write first drafts, and that they just sit there and magical ideas of greatness pops into their brains are false. Also people who have never written a book, or have any experience with the writing world believe this as if it were a Harry Potter film. Great writers write first drafts, its not a myth, but just something you got to do.
   2. In paragraph 7 Lamott refers to a time when, through experience, she “eventually let [herself] trust the pro cess – sort of, more or less.” She is referring to the writing process, of course, but why “more or less”? Do you think that her wariness is personal, or is she speaking for all writers in this regard? Explain.
   2) I honestly believe that she is talking about all writers. I say this because in the 1st paragraph she explains how many writers force themselves to write something astonishing, and it transform into a cycle that writers go through. Writers fuss and fight with their writing and at the moment don’t think of it as being a cycle or repeating thing, but it is and they feel as though they won’t do good, or have fear that it will be dreadful. Lamott says more or less because in my I think that she is hesitant, and uncertain that her writing will even be good, or she will finish it.
   3. From what Lamott has to say, is writing a first draft more about the product or the process? Do you agree in regard to your own first drafts? Explain
   3) I believe it is about the process, because that is how many writers write. They go through a first drafts, a second, and a third that’s just how it is. And I do agree….Now. I say this because I didn’t write first drafts before but now that I am thinking about it I will because it needs to be done. I think if I took more time doing the fundamentals of writing my outcome will be great work.

   Summary: Anne Lamott brilliantly writes about first drafts that are completely “incoherent, hideous” and most notably “shitty.” She admits that even professional writers sit at their desks in despair, with fear in their eyes, hoping that God will somehow send them a message that will help them write their next story.

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2. 

   Sabina Akhi

   February 27, 2022 at 7:58 pm

   1. Lamott says that the perceptions most people have of how writers work is different from the reality of the work itself. She refers to this in paragraph 1 as “the fantasy of the uninitiated.” What does she mean?
   She means that when writers sit down to type up their first draft it is almost never same quality of polished work that they end up publishing. In fact, most of the time, writers will type up a really terrible first draft. The idea some people have that writers can just spit out perfect writing their first time around is what she is referring to as “the fantasy of the uninitiated.”
   2. In paragraph 7 Lamott refers to a time when, through experience, she “eventually let [herself ] trust the process – sort of, more or less.” She is referring to the writing process, of course, but why “more or less”? Do you think that her wariness is personal, or is she speaking for all writers in this regard? Explain.
   She says that she trusts the writing process “more or less” because, even though writing that awful first draft can kickstart your writing, it can be disconcerting to have to transform a paper that is written so poorly into a decent piece of writing. Lamott says herself that, “’[Her first draft] would be so long and incoherent and hideous that for the rest of the day I’d obsess about getting creamed by a car before I could write a decent second draft.’” This stress of having to halfway trust that your shitty first draft will eventually become a coherent paper is a feeling that is shared by all writers. I say this because I often feel it myself when I have to write a first draft.
   3. From what Lamott has to say, is writing a first draft more about the product or the process? Do you agree in regard to your own first drafts? Explain.
   According to Lamott, writing a first draft is more about the process. She says that a good start to writing is, “getting something – anything – down on paper.” By writing a first draft, a writer is essentially sifting through the mess on the page and picking out the good ideas and phrases and using it all as a basis for the second, better, draft. With regard to my own first drafts, I would have to agree that it is more about the process. When I write my first drafts, it feels like I am vomiting on the paper. I write, unfiltered, and usually end up with a complete dumpster fire for a draft. However, from this trash I always find it easier to articulate my thoughts and pick out the most important ideas that I want to convey. Writing that first draft may not be pretty, but it is vital to the writing process.

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3. 

   Joshua Belknap (Post author)

   February 27, 2022 at 9:29 pm

   Hi everyone,
   You can set up your Perusall account (use the code BELKNAP-7YHZ6 to join the class) and make annotations and add comments to Lamott’s essay, which is posted on the class site. Let me know if you have any questions.

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