Shitty First Drafts

In the article “Shitty First Drafts,” author Anne Lamott discusses the importance of first drafts and how their initial quality is not crucial, but rather what does matter is getting one’s thoughts out on the page so that with future drafts it because easier to trim the edges and get them better and better. To be honest, I feel like one of my favorite parts of the essay was the opening paragraph in which Lamott described a clear image of a writer sitting down carefree to write a novel with none of the everyday worries that boggle the rest of the writers who are less privileged. I just found this portion really entertaining because I could instantly recall at least five movies I’ve seen that provided the exact same image, the “ideal writer” if you will. To be honest I feel like this almost discourages realistic writers from pursuing the dream because they may feel as if they’re doing something wrong if they are unable to sit down and instantly pump out a Pulitzer Prize worthy piece of literature. Actually, now that I’ve continued to think about it, I can recall one scene from a movie that shows a more realistic approach to the writing process. It’s from the movie “Something’s Gotta Give” in which Diane Keaton’s character, a playwright, has a scene in which she leaves and returns to her computer repeatedly over the course of days, in a frustrated angst of writer’s block. Another part of the essay I found interesting was when Lamott wrote, “We do not think that she has a rich inner life, or that God likes her or can even stand her, (Although when I mentioned this to my priest friend Tom, he said you can safely assume you’ve created God in your image when it turns out that God hates all the same people you do.)” I don’t have a whole lot to say about this except that I just found the entire statement very interesting and partially true as well as partially false. Personally, I believe that even if I hate a person, God will always love them even if he doesn’t approve of some of their actions. However, I do know people who would believe that God is capable of hate and that another person (who they also happen to dislike) had committed something worthy of such hatred. I really just found it to be a interesting concept.