Category Archives: “Shitty First Drafts” Response

Shitty first draft

Shitty First Drafts

 

5 observation

 

  1. Different stereotypes people assume to be true about writers.
  2. Everyone struggles with composing their first  draft even when the novels turn out to be on the bestseller list.
  3. Being vulnerable in writing allows you to express better in paper.
  4. Writing process is recurring cycle , no matter how bad your first draft is it can get better by using some of the writing techniques.
  5. Humorous tone in the first paragraph.

 

Compelling moments

 

  1. When she discusses how vulnerable like a child allows you to pour out everything that you are meaning to express inn your paper because children has no filter and they say whatever  comes to their mind.
  2. “The next day, I’d sit down, go through it all with a colored pen, take out everything I possibly could, find a new lead somewhere on the second page, figure out a kicky place to end it, and then write a second draft. It always turned out fine, sometimes even funny and weird and helpful. I’d go over it one more time and mail it in.”  i was compelled by her strategies and tactics she used in order to write a second draft.

 

Question

  1. There were few grammar mistakes so was it purpose to represent the title “Shitty first draft” ?
  2. Purpose

 To tell  all the writers not to feel bad about their “ shitty first draft” and  it’s okay to have it because everyone else does it too.

Shitty First Drafts

Observations:

  • All writers write shitty first drafts
  • Most writers don’t really know what they’ll write about
  • First drafts are meant to get out all of your thoughts on paper
  • Even the most terrible of first drafts can hide something good to write about
  • Professional writers have trouble with writing as well
  • To write well written paper, you would usually need to write about 2 drafts first

Compelling moments:

  • I found it compelling when Anne said she would panic before writing every review, even though she had been doing this for years and was well experienced
  • I found it interesting how this article was published by Anne Lamott and the article still contained a handful of grammar errors which shows how she still had mistakes in her writing

Question for Author:

Did she purposely write this article with grammar errors to convince readers that even professional writers write shitty drafts?

Authors Purpose:

I believe that Anne Lamott wrote this article to explain to the reader and all writers that everyone writes shitty first drafts. The article describes the struggles that a professional  writer like herself goes through writing reviews which helps the reading make a connection to their own experiences when writing.

Shitty First Drafts

The key items that I had observed while reading this passage was the importance of a first draft dealing with how to shape your final essay from a poor first draft that had been written just to get a main idea across. There shouldn’t be any more than 3 drafts in order to fulfill what an actual paper should look like. The author expresses herself by saying that she also has a hard time writing and the only way she can get into the groove of completing a well piece is to write a poorly written first draft. The author had a used strategies on her first drafts such as writing about the same topic for three pages. To excel at writing we should definitely have more than just one draft, and on the first draft collect many ideas to gain more thought process to do better.

While reading things that had caught my attention on the authors past events with rough drafts were how she would attack the paper .The author would start and wouldn’t stop until finished all beginning with the warm up sentences to the last page of her piece.

What was Anne Lamont’s drive to keep rewriting drafts from the start?

The purpose of the this reading was to explain to the reader that writing isn’t easy and it takes time and the more you can revise the better the outcome of the work.

 

Shitty First Drafts By Angel Vallejo

This article was very relatable and well written. I love how in the beginning says even great writers write bad first drafts. It makes you want to read more because instantly you realize that even the best writer can make little mistakes just like you. She even uses her own experiences writing food reviews and explained how it would take a bunch of crossing out before she’s actually done.

One compelling moment was when she said “The first draft is the child’s draft”. Another compelling moment is when she says “I’d try to write a lead, but instead I’d write a couple of dreadful sentences, XX them out, try again, XX everything out, and then feel despair and worry settle on my chest like an x-ray apron”.

The author’s purpose was to bring the reader’s self esteem up and make them feel confident about their writing no matter how many mistakes you make. One question I do have is who is she talking about when she says “Not one of them writes elegant first drafts. All right, one of them does,…”?

“Shitty First Drafts” by Anne Lamott

Vanessa Espin

In “Shitty First Drafts” the author Anne Lamott argues about the importance of letting go when writing your first draft. The first draft helps the writer have an idea of what the finishing piece can come together like, and it can lead to better second and brilliant third draft’s. She explains the process that she, as a writer, and some well known writer’s, go through before they finish a book, or any written piece. Everyone needs to express themselves freely and let every thought in ones mind get written on a piece of paper because the best ideas can be hiding in the most simplest thoughts. Anne calls this process a “Child’s draft.” Where everything is poured out and romped all over the place. Which at first might feel absurd and the writing might be incoherent, but everyone needs to start somewhere, and her advice is that this is the best way.

I found it interesting when she said “ but this is just the fantasy of the uninitiated.” Those who have no knowledge of the process assume that since writers compose brilliant books, the ideas come instantly and the writing might flow perfectly. When in reality they all write “shitty first drafts”

I also found interesting when she said “but because by then I had been writing for so long, I would eventually let myself trust the process – sort of, more or less.” Even though she’s been writing for a long time and knows that the process of the “child’s draft” is needed to get started, she still gets nervous about a new piece. Sometimes even feels like giving up. Every new piece she starts makes her feel like if it was a first one.

Who is Muriel Sparks? She refers to her as “we do not think she has a rich inner life or that God likes her or can even stand her” I would have liked to hear more about who this person is and why she’s mentioned here.

The purpose of the author is to inform the reader that even their writing takes time and work. Nothing brilliant is instantly written. She supports her ideas by giving examples of other writers like herself who have written many times, but still start with  what she calls a “shitty first draft” that leads to a better second draft and an excellent third one.

SHITTY FIRST DRAFT RESPONSE

1. Even the best authors or writers have a shitty first draft
2. Very few writers really know what they are doing until they’ve done it.
3. you will go through many drafts until you have thee paper
4. The first draft is the child’s draft.
5. Almost all good writing begins with terrible first efforts. You need to start
somewhere.

“One writer I know tells me that he sits down every morning and says to
himself nicely, “It’s not like you don’t have a choice, because you do — you can
either type, or kill yourself.”” Anne Lamott definitely got my attention with this line. Any time I write any piece of literature or paper, I rarely have a choice. It just has to get done. I love myself so the thought of killing myself never comes into play, so I write my shitty first draft and work on it until I feel that is presentable and acceptable by the reader.

“You just let this childlike part of you channel whatever voices and visions
come through and onto the page.” The best way to write any paper is to be innocent as a child would be. I can relate to this because that is how my writing process begins.

The author wrote this to make those who write see that even the greatest writers start out shitty and become great.

One question I would ask the author, “would planning out your writing lead to a less shitty piece and making the writer a lot more comfortable about their work?

Shitty First Draft Response

– Even the best writers have shitty first drafts
– writing down everything that comes to mind is sometimes the best way to begin
– everyone experiences writers block where they don’t know where to begin
– the first draft leads to better developed pieces of work
– it takes time to begin a piece but once you start you write everything

The author shares how she experienced writers block while sitting with some friends and how she always goes through that process of not knowing where to start to writing a few lines then deleting them to taking a break to coming back and actually starting their piece. I feel like this is every writer that doesn’t know where to begin but once you get to the stage where you start writing then there is no pausing and whatever comes to mind is written no matter how silly the paper comes out.

A question I would have would be Is there a faster method to getting your mind going instead of having to go through the process the author goes through?

The author’s purpose would be to share with the reader that every writer great or not has to start somewhere and how everyone needs shitty first drafts because from there better pieces are developed and to encourage readers to never be ashamed of their first draft because their pieces could only improve from that point.

Shitty First Drafts by Anne Lamott (response)

Christine Mitchell
Sarah Ostiz

English 101

Shitty First Drafts response

 

 

 

 

I think, one thing people can agree on, with the exception of that one perfect person is shitty first draft. In the article “Shitty First Drafts” Anne Lamott talks about how even the best writers in the world have shitty first drafts. She goes on to explain that at times stories don’t just come pouring out of the writers fingers with just one try, they don’t just sit back and instantly a best seller is created. It takes that shitty first draft to first create your vision, then the second draft to clarified your vision and then finally the third take your vision and turn it into a master piece.

One line that stood out to me was when Anne Lamott stated “we all often feel like we are pulling teeth, even those writers whose prose ends up being the most natural and fluid,” that’s something I definitely can relate to at times its feels like its takes everything inside me to just figure out the first paragraph let alone the stature of what my essay should be like. And at times those end up being the best essays, the ones that I had no clue on what or where to even start.

Something else that stood out to me was “I’d get up and study my teeth in the mirror for a while. Then I’d stop, remember to breathe, make a few phone calls, hit the kitchen and chow down. Eventually I’d go back and sit down at my desk, and sigh for the next ten minutes” (Anne Lamott). I think a lot of people can relate to this, I for one can, there are times where I sit back and prepare myself to write an essay and come up with one line, searching the air for the answer and nothing. Then I close the book shut it close, call it a day I’m “toast” as Anne mention, and go about my day. I would clean the house anything, then come back to it and its like something in me just jolted and boom I’m writing my first draft just letting my ideas and thoughts pour right out of me, who cares if it doesn’t make any sense.

I believe Anne Lamott purpose when writing this article, was to let people know everyone even the best of the best at times struggle to come up with the best story and it all started with that shitty first draft. To not stress yourself out and beat yourself up. Take your time and let your ideas flow start that first draft, write whatever comes to mind, even if you think if someone reads it a may not make sense, but at least you see the vision your going for, it’s for your eyes only. Shitty first drafts are the beginning to something great!

 

 

Crappy first

Arallia Heggs
English
Reading Response

1. Most writers create crappy first drafts
2. The first draft is a “down” draft
3. The second draft is a “up” draft
4. The final draft is a dental draft
5. Writing crappy first drafts gives you a “good second, and a terrific third”

1. “The right words and sentences just does not come pouring out” it’s relieving to know that others struggle with finding the right words. I’ve written many essays knowing exactly what I want to say, but clueless on how to execute thoughts into sentences.
2. “The first draft is the child’s draft. Where you let it pour all out” this describes my first drafts perfectly. I always laugh when rereading my draft, because of my horrible grammar, and vocabulary.

1. The author wrote this story to encourage writers, especially writers that creates crappy first drafts.

1. Does technique of writing require a lot of patience?