Reading Response - Essay Example

English 23 July Reading Response on “Shitty First Drafts” by Anne Lamott Most people view as very talented, enthusiastic and confident individuals. They tend to think that writers have everything they want to write about at their finger tips once they get down to writing. Lamott refers to this as “the fantasy of the uninitiated”. However, this is not the case; writing is a brain-racking process that begins with really shitty first drafts. Writers use first drafts to jot down ideas as they flow from their minds.

This ensures that every possible idea or fact about a topic is covered before anything else. As they scribble down first drafts, writers are hardly convinced that what they are doing is good. In fact, most writers are hardly sure if they are going to get enough stuff for the number of pages required.Lamott refers to a time when, through experience in the writing process, she “eventually let [herself] trust the process, sort of, more or less” (1). This is because, even being an experienced writer, she still has to begin by putting down really shitty first drafts.

After refining the initial draft a second and third time, she is able to come up with excellent pieces. She still gets wary of what she puts down and still worries about whether her work is good enough. Lamott wariness is not personal but rather a common trait among all writers. Getting the right words and knowing how to begin the first paragraph for a piece of work is a challenge to all writers. For every writer, writing is a process that begins with no order but ultimately ends with excellence.

Writing a first draft is more about the process because it is not well organized. It rather serves as a form of reference for a writer’s initial ideas that could be forgotten if not scribbled down. Most first drafts can only be understood by the writer. Therefore a second and third draft is crucial. A second draft is significant because it incorporates corrections and new leads. This gives the work some direction. A third draft is the accurate draft; a writer ensures that the words and flow of work is accurate by reviewing every detail.

Lamott says that “almost all good writing begins with terrible efforts” (2). Every writer has to begin somewhere and this can only be done by putting down information and thoughts on paper.According to Lamott, not one of the great writers “sits down routinely feeling wildly enthusiastic and confident. Not one of them writes elegant first drafts” (1). As a writer, starting the first paragraph of a piece of work has always been a challenge. I get worried about the word choice and whether the start is brilliant enough.

First drafts have been very helpful in laying down my thoughts. Revising the draft ensures that I come up with great work by the end of the day. Getting stuck in the middle of a page and struggling to get a perfect ending are also very normal. All in all writing is a great experience and positive feedback from readers and customers does the magic.Works CitedLamott, Anne. "Shifty First Drafts." Language Awareness: Readings for College Writers. Ed. by Paul Eschholz, Alfred Rosa, and Virginia Clark. 9th ed. Boston: Bedford/St.

Martins, 2005:93-96. Print.