Shitty First Drafts – Dylan M.

According to the author Anne Lamott, first drafts are not about the product of that draft. It’s about starting the process of your writing and letting it lead you to new ideas. Sometimes it is just writing down your thoughts incoherently until you find the direction you want to go in. For example, when she says, “The first draft is the child’s draft, where you let it all pour out and then let it romp all over the place.” she means that organizing it comes later; the first draft is where all the creativity comes from because it doesn’t have to be as “Grown up,” or as polished as the upcoming ones.

One quote from Shitty First Drats that stuck to me was, “Very few writers really know what they are doing until they’ve done it. Nor do they go about their business feeling dewy and thrilled.” Even though there are writers that are paid to do this, they still struggle with beginning their articles or stories. Nine times out of ten, no matter how skilled you are, you need a first draft to get things going.