I believe the writing process can be one of the most intimate things practiced in life. There’s a piece of you that exists in every word you type. That intimacy doesn’t solely exist when writing poems or in a journal, but as you’re writing long-elaborate essays. First drafts feel the most intimate of them all. It’s the rawest version of your work. This is a perfect example of the sometimes strange complexities that exist among writers. For some, perceiving all early drafts of your work as inevitably “shit” is extremely effective. And for others, it’s the cruelest method to exist.
When reading Long’s piece, “Why I Reject Shitty First Drafts (And What I Do Instead)”, I found myself finding many truths in her rejection of Lamott’s theory; claiming all first drafts as “shitty”. Long informs readers of a more moralized method. She reframes Lamott’s theory and suggests that writers should instead call them “seed drafts.” She states that by doing this, you remove that “mean girl” connotation. That you are simply seeding the ideas of a flourishing and nurtured Oak-Tree.
The idea felt right when I was first introduced to Lamott’s thinking. It feels a bit easier to throw my first efforts into the wind. Calling them shitty suggested feeling indifferent towards them and that was ultimately the best method. I claimed this as the truth so I wouldn’t feel so bad if my first draft didn’t turn out to be the best thing I had ever written. Yet, after reading Long’s piece, i felt my mindset alter. Truth is having to call my work “shit” was incredibly demotivating. Perceiving my first draft was “shit” made the implication my planning process was also “shit”. Any other version of this draft will continue to be as well. I would ultimately convince myself I was a terrible writer and spiral into searching for a new direction.
Long also speaks about not always having to grow an oak tree. As a writer who frequently struggles with procrastination resulting in rushed and full of pressure work, this was revealing to hear. Lengthy projects can seem so daunting. Seeing the assignment for only its entirety plays a factor in why I procrastinate. Long mends those anxieties when she suggests growing an aloe plant instead. Although cutting down long elaborate work into smaller parts can seem obviously effective, many writers forget it as an option.
This is why I see Long’s metaphor of an acorn turning an oak tree so poetically real. There is importance and beauty within that first draft. Long suggests being gentler and losing that harsh and judgmental inner critic within during such an intimate part of the Writing process.
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