Shitty First Drafts By Anne Lamott
Anne Lamott expresses her emotions about her own writing process, the fear, the pressure and being at a loss of thought. Anne quickly dismisses the stereotypical thought, that writers wake up feeling great and confident about their work. As well as the cliche of writers rolling up their sleeves and getting the cricks out of their necks before starting.
... and think that they sit down at their desks every morning feeling like a million dollars, feeling great about who they are and about how much talent they have and what a great story they have to tell; that they take in a few deep breaths, push back their sleeves, roll their necks a few times to get all the cricks out, and dive in, typing fully formed passages as fast as a court reporter. But this is just the fantasy of the uninitiated. (21)
Anne expresses that writing a "shitty first draft" is essential to any writer, but the fear of her first draft being read, to the words of a critic in her ear are present. "... and the critics would be sitting on my shoulders, commenting like cartoon characters"(24). She believes that when you write your first draft you let everything in your mind flow, without any restrictions. You may have written something incredible in that first draft that you would have never gotten without it. "Just get it all down on paper, because there may be something great in those crazy six pages that you would never have gotten to by more rational, grown-up means"(23).Writing a shitty first draft gives a basis, a point where to actually start your paper. At one point Anne had visited a hypnotist and told him about the voices in her head although the hypnotist's reaction was not the one she expected. He had told her to isolate the voices imagining they're mouses and trapping them all in a lid, then just watch how they're frantically trying to get at her and then just put the lid down and get back to her shitty first drafts
I agree with Anne, that making a not so spectacular draft will lead to greater things. I have first hand experience that writing multiple drafts will strengthen the writing and keep the blood flowing. There's always something you can improve in your writing. When you write something and say to yourself, "Wow this is bad" take your time writing down multiple drafts and see what you can do to create something great. Just relax, and write.
Quote Free-write
"Show me a thoroughly satisfied man and I will show you a failure."
- Thomas Edison
What Thomas Edison means by this quote is that ones work is never truly finished. If someone is thoroughly satisfied with their work it means they have given up on improving it. Nothing in this world is perfect and there's always a way you can add on to it and make it better. Sometimes cutting down on the thickness of your work is essential as can always be more at times. Thomas Edison knew in himself that his work will never be done. As with telephones and the means of expanding electricity throughout the United States. At times failure means another opportunity to improve. You can always learn from your mistakes and Thomas Edison as an inventor knew that. One should never be 100 percent satisfied with their work because their work is never done, always in need of improvement.
This quote can also mean that you should never be thoroughly satisfied with your self. You can do much more as long as you put time into it. Constant improvement will make you stand out!
How to tell your
- Sibling
- Grandmother
- Assistant
To
- Take and thaw the chicken out
- Feed the dog
- Remind them of Dr. Wong's appointment.
Through a note,
Hey, remember mom told you to take out the chicken. You also gotta feed the puppy and remember you got an appointment with wong at 4 bro
To Sibling.
Call,
"Hi grandma, remember to take out the chicken for tonight and i'll be home late tonight so you please feed the dog? You also have an appointment with Dr. Wong at 4 PM."
To Grandmother.
Email,
Hey Rachel,
Remember to thaw the chicken out for tonights event! Also could you please feed the office dog he missed lunch. A voicemail was left at your desk before I left to let you know about an appointment with Dr. Wong at 4PM.
-See you soon, Boss
To Assistant.
