In this article, Anne Lamott breaks down of the facade of the “perfect novelist”. This article taught me that writers do not have the perfect sentences, plots, or stanza always on hand. It is a series of babble that helps move to a better, bigger idea and paper.

Nia Griffin

Dr. Buchholz

ENGL 327W

5 November 2018

Shitty First Drafts

Anne Lamott poses some interesting point within her article. She states that the methodology within her own writing process, and informs the reader how there is no concise way to begin writing in general. Lamott claims that all good writers start their process with a shitty first draft. Lamott breaks down of the facade of the “perfect novelist” who starts their day with a cup of Joe, and has brilliant ideas coursing out of their pens, Writers do not have the perfect sentences, plots, or stanza always on hand. Apparently, very few writers known what they written until they have written it. Lamott says that for herself and other writers she knows, writing starts as a long, hideous, incoherent “draft”. It is a series of babble that helps move to a better, bigger idea and paper. As a scholar, it’s difficult to begin the writing process in way that Lamott prescribes. I feel so much pressure from professors to write a proper paper. When I begin to write, I instantly try to write a good first draft to ensure that I don’t have to edit my paper so much. The idea of just sloppily writing gives me this false sense of PTSD. I have a real issues with allowing myself to make mistakes. When I was high school, our teachers were very harsh when it came to grading our drafts so I don’t know if I will take Lamott’s advise.