Any piece of literature relies heavily on a good writing process. Anne Lamott talks about her writing process and how she used to write food articles and the process she used to write down her friends’ opinions. What intrigues me and makes Anne Lamott’s writing process so compelling is the fact that she writes from a place of hard-earned life wisdom and exquisite vulnerability. I agree with Anne Lamott’s writing process especially the fact that every successful writer begins the writing process by creating shitty first drafts that they will ultimately use to write the subsequent drafts (Lamott 21).
Before embarking on writing any piece of literature, I begin by writing down some points and opinions about a particular topic and give myself time to think about the subject. I will then come back, look at the draft and cross off any information that I think is irrelevant, ridiculous or unnecessary. I believe crossing off is part of any writing process and can make a significant change in the comprehension of the writing. Once I decide on the ideas and opinions that I will incorporate into the writing I seclude myself away from any distractions. Distractions make me lose my train of thought. I also do not force what is not there. I feel like setting quotas such as page count stifle creativity. Therefore, when I embark on writing the second draft, I do not limit myself to space but focus on the quality and content of my writing. Once the second draft is complete, I will then go through the paper a number of times make polish and make some tweaks before writing the final copy.
Work Cited
Lamott, Anne. Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life. New York: Anchor, 1995. Print.
