Difficulty Paper #1

I recognized entirely too much of myself in Anne Lamott's "Shitty First Drafts." Lammot writes of authors and professional writers who adore their craft while simultaneously dreading the act of writing. I believe it is totally natural to avoid what you’re good at for fear that you may not be good at it anymore. However, in my case, I avoid writing because I am an expert procrastinator.

I truly do enjoy writing. I love that there are different ways to put the same words together to make entirely different meanings. I adore the delicacy of some terms and the aggression brought forth by others. The ability to write on paper what one cannot say with words tickles me. But with all this said, I still avoid writing papers like the plague. I believe it is because I am truly afraid of my own “shitty first draft.” I always feel a sigh of relief once something is on the paper, but then the daunting task of revision creeps in and I’m left to my own procrastinating ways again.

As long as I avoid it, I eventually do get to that first draft. Once I begin putting my thoughts onto the paper (or more likely, screen) I start to feel alright. This is where the importance of the first draft that Lamott stresses begins to kick in. We must begin our thoughts to really dig deep and find the hidden gems that should be brought forth into the spotlight. Lamott writes “ There may be something in the very last line of the very last paragraph on page six that you just love, that is so beautiful or wild that you now know what you're supposed to be writing about, more or less, or in what direction you might go -- but there was no way to get to this without first getting through the first five and a half pages.” This sentiment totally makes this article worth while to me. I found my identification with the professional authors comforting, but this thought is what triggered a light bulb to go on in my head. First drafts aren’t meant for anyone else but you, they’re for working out those little kinks and getting to the heart of what you’re trying to say.