The Effect Of Anne Lamott's Shitty First Drafts

The Effect of Anne Lamott’s “Shitty First Drafts” On Readers

Everyone is familiar with writing a first draft and in many cases a “shitty first draft”.

Anne Lamott’s article “Shitty First Drafts” explores the idea that everyone makes bad first drafts and should keep making bad first drafts because it is helpful and just part of the writing process.

Lamott uses her personal experiences as a writer to explain that drafts do not have to be perfect along with ways to get started. She also includes ways to get over writers block. Her article encourages people to apply this way of thinking into their own writing. Although she may not have had ill intentions while writing this article, some may argue that this style of draft writing gives writers an

Lamott’s article ended up affecting her readers in several ways. In the article “Shitty First Drafts” Anne Lamott explains that everyone has shitty first drafts and that not only is haveing a bad first draft normal, but useful to the writing process.

Lamott begins the article by explaining writer’s relationships with first drafts “I know some great writers, writers you love who write beautifully and have made great deals of money, and not one of them sits down routinely feeling wildly enthusiastic and confident. Lamott argues writing is not some beautiful and easy task, and ultimately compares writing to pulling teeth. The way writers get started is through drafts and just getting their ideas on to paper is the main focus. The

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“shitty draft” that the writer first creates is meant to be freeing and eventually modified. Lamott shares her past in writing, which includes food reviews. When tasked with writing a food review

Lamott would sit at her desk and try to write and then start to panic. She would start to think things like “I’m not going to be able to get the magic to work this time. I’m ruined. I’m toast…”

The solution to her writer’s block would be “…to write a really shitty first draft” and to

Readers learn how to get started when writing because Lamott included examples of how she gets started writing in her article. An example being “So I’d start writing without reining myself in. It was almost just typing, just making my fingers move.” Although this way to get started may be an anecdote, readers may take this tip and adopt it as part of their writing process.

Lamott included tips on how she writes as a result Lamott was able to give writers practical methods to get over writer’s block. Getting started with writers block is a difficult task luckily

Lamott told the readers how she overcame this “ Then I’d stop, remember to breathe, make a few phone calls, hit the kitchen and chow down”. These method of writing is far from what would be considered perfect, therefore creating a comforting effect on the readers who think writing is too difficult or out of reach.

Because Anne Lamott is a writer she is able to give insight on her struggles with writing throughout her article, she ends up comforting readers by letting them know you do not have