In Anne Lamotts article, “Shitty First Drafts” Lamott navigates what she believes to be the key to being a good writer: Writing shitty first drafts. She claims that if one does not write a shitty first draft and then re-crafts the draft into something amazing then you cannot own the title as a writer. On the other hand, the article “Rethinking the Shitty First Draft” by George Dila, he makes the point that he himself does not write a shitty first draft. Dila goes completely against Lamott by stating that “So my advice, contrary to Miss Lamott’s, is to write the way that works for you. If it works for you to pour it all out, pour away. If you can’t write that way, don’t try. And by all means, don’t feel guilty about it. Obsessively revise as you go. Anne Lamott will never know.” I completely agree with Dila because not everyone has the same writing process and that is totally okay. As discussed in class, people revealed their ways in which they get into the zone in their writing process. As long as everyone is staying on task with their writing and are presenting their best writing possible, does the way one craft their draft really matter?
In the Journal article, “Revision Strategies of Student Writers and Experienced Adult Writers” by Nancy Sommers, Sommers explores the differences in how novice and seasoned writers approach the revision process. She highlights that student writers often view revision as a task focusing on correcting surface errors, while experienced writers engage in deeper, more substantive revisions that involve rethinking and restructuring their ideas. Sommers emphasizes the importance of understanding these distinctions to better support student writers in developing more effective revision strategies. By analyzing the behaviors and mindsets of both groups, she advocates for teaching methods that encourage more reflective and comprehensive revision practices among students.
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