Kaleab Worku

Professor Intawiwat
January 12, 2015
Answer at least 2 of these questions. I expect at least 200 words. Reply substantially to at least 2
other students.
1. Lamott says that the perceptions most people have of how writers work is
different from the reality of the work itself. She refers to this in paragraph 1 as
the fantasy of the uninitiated. What does she mean?
2. In paragraph 7 Lamott refers to a time when, through experience, she
eventually let [herself] trust the process sort of, more or less. She is
referring to the writing process, of course, but why more or less? Do you
think that her wariness is personal, or is she speaking for all writers in this
regard? Explain.
3. From what Lamott has to say, is writing a first draft more about the product or
the process? Do you agree in regard to your own first drafts? Explain.
Answers:
1. Lamott says that the false idea that great writers spend their mornings energetically and
routinely feeling wildly enthusiastic and confident is a fantasy of the uninitiated. What she
means is that ideas do not just randomly come to writers because they are such intelligent beings
and they actually struggle to even find a beginning. Some people, like myself in the past, might
think that an awesome book that he/she just read was produced by a writer who sits down and
works ecstatically without much of a struggle when in fact it probably drove the writer insane at
times and the piece most likely underwent countless processes before arriving at bookshelves.
Forget large novels, even a six page food review which Lamott struggled with during her days
writing for California magazine required the undergoing of many steps such as Lamotts

unorthodox method of taking notes on friends ideas during lunch before she finally sat down and
began writing her shitty first draft.
3. According to Lamott, writing a first draft is more so about the process than the product.
This would of course be different in the case of the final draft where the product is far more
important. Lamott spends nearly the entire paper stressing not on the product but the difficult
process of completing the first draft. Lamott discusses the thoughts and emotions that are present
even before beginning to write followed by the attitude of the writer and the many attempts and
failures before settling down and getting a grip. When I write my first drafts, I do not really
spend so much time on the process, I simply just try to get it done. Lamotts situation is different
however as writing is a keystone in her career and she is in a lot more pressure than me to
perform big whereas I am in school and high grades are my main motivation. Lamotts method
of writing like a child seems interesting but I usually give my best effort in the first draft and
then slowly make changes in the succeeding drafts and I would actually like to have people read
and critic my first draft. I never really brainstorm or do anything for that matter to prepare myself
to write a first draft and for all these reasons I would conclude that writing a first draft for me is
principally about the product rather than the process.