One thing is for certain, Donald M. Murray is not afraid to be a writer of shitty drafts. His process is truly a work of art, Berkenkotter made an excellent choice in knowing he was the perfect study. Remember when I said I must be reminded often that all writers create shitty drafts? Well Murray has surely made his mark in rewiring my brain in that regard.
With a record of eight drafts, George Dila would turn his nose up at the thought of himself writing eight drafts. When Dila mentioned his revising process as “painstakingly laborious,” he clearly never knew of Murray’s. This reading was quite interesting to me, it opened my eyes to a more complex writing process that I did not imagine existing. The tedium, the live-critiquing and revising, the battle between what you think you want to write versus what you put on paper is phenomenal – and sometimes, lightyears apart.
What I found most interesting was Murray’s keen attention to titling his work before writing. Typically, writers do not seem to think about a title until after their writing is done but Murray hones in on finding a title to further proper him into a clearer objective for his work. Not only do I find it intriguing, so much so that I want to see if it works for me, it allows him the clarity to realize when he has gone a bit off-track.
I also enjoyed his use of tape recordings and dictation. I am in the beginning of using these tools in my own writing process and it is helpful in getting through the muck of your thoughts while also laying ground for free expression and clarity when in preparation for writing. Kudos to Donald M. Murray for completing the boss-level stage of shitty first drafts while also having the balls to see it as a continuous trampoline for excellent final drafts, take that Dila!
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