Blog 1: Shitty First Drafts, my response

There’s one quote in this excerpt that stood out to me; “It’s not like you don’t have a choice, because you do—you can either type, or kill yourself.” While this may seem overdramatic, it’s the truth many writers face. Authors don’t just sit at their desk, down some coffee, pump out a few Hamelt’s, and call it a day. Constructing classics doesn’t come as easy as it may seem. For most people, at least. This is because writing is a process. It takes time and energy to file through our brains and cherry-pick all of the creative ideas stored inside. An easier way to do this, Anne Lamott suggests, is to write without stopping; putting down whatever comes to mind without wondering about whether it’s coherent. This is when our most imaginative thoughts are presented before us, uncensored and raw. It all may seem like a disorderly combination of sentences and words, and it is. Somewhere in this mess, however, is a phrase or idea that can help you figure out what you really want to write about. Thus, eventually leading to a final draft that you’re proud of.

I’ve produced my share of shitty first drafts. I’ll end up writing five introductions before I write one that makes sense. After writing each one, I’ll read through it, pick bits and pieces that I like, and add it to my next one. Without realizing it, I utilized Lamott’s technique. I write whatever comes to mind, comb through my thoughts, and pick what’s worth being included in my next draft. I cringe every time I read my first draft and wonder how I ever came up with something so poorly written. But hey, everybody has to start somewhere. And once you start, it’s much easier to keep moving forward.