Week 03.2: Assigned Reading (Lamott) & Free write No unread replies.No replies.

Week 03.2: Assigned Reading (Lamott) & Free write
No unread replies.No replies.
Our Writing Process (maybe inspired by Anne Lamott)
Oh the writing process…it can be so hard, huh? As I have shared before, when I am writing something, getting started is always torturous from me. Once I’m going, I’m in it and love it. But I find for myself and so many others that the thought of writing something “bad” stops us from just actually writing anything at all! Not only is the thought of getting something on paper daunting, but knowing that other people will read it and give me feedback is just overwhelming at times. Any one else feel like this? Okay, well I am glad it’s not just me!
I’ve been writing “academically” for over 10 years now, and I didn’t start getting over these fears until a few years ago when another teacher shared with me a chapter from a book about writing called Bird by Bird by Anne Lamott. In this chapter, Lamott argues that all writers, good and bad alike, all write really really really bad rough drafts. I’ve linked her chapter HERE. Like Sedaris, Lamott uses a humorous tone to explore this topic and give hope to all writers.
Remember this — writing takes time and practice. No one is born a good writer. A good writer, like any accomplished artist, spends years perfecting their craft. Right now, that is what you’re doing: you are perfecting your craft. Be kind to yourself and be confident in your abilities.
For this free write, in a small paragraph (10-15 sentences), I’d like you to tell us about your writing process.
Consider the following:
What’s the first thing you do when you start writing?
What kind of atmosphere do you like?
What do you start writing first?
How do you know when you have a “draft”?
What is your editing and revision process like?
How do you know when you’re done?
For me, I love sitting in a pubic space and feeling the energy from the room around me. I also love listening to film scores as I write. I usually like to get my MLA and Works Cited page all organized before I do anything else. Then I feel like I’ve accomplished something, so I usually stop working for a few days. When I come back, I usually try to extensively outline the rest of my essay, which I think can take some spontaneous possibilities out of my work. Once I have that pretty much worked out, I then go in and start writing from the introduction through the conclusion. Then I edit paragraph by paragraph, sentence by sentence.