Shitty First Drafts - Cassie Wickliffe

Cassie Wickliffe

Shitty First Drafts

Shitty First Drafts gave me a sense of comfort after reading because I now know that it's more than normal to have an extra rough first draft. The way Lamott wrote in a humorous tone made it an easy read for me. I always felt as though my first draft of anything I ever write has to be close to the way the final draft will turn out. I always assumed that highly ranked authors were able to sit down and get straight to writing a draft that isn't perfect, but close to it. My perspective on writing rough drafts has changed. "The fantasy of the uninitiated" is referred in the first paragraph as the idea that famous authors have the ability to sit down and get straight into writing award-winning pieces, which is not realistic. In Shitty First Drafts, Lamott is basically explaining how in order to have a well written piece, you must always start out with a very rough first draft. This way, you can get straight into writing your ideas quickly and with no formal manner. Later on you can revise and change anything that needs it, and it will be much easier to have quality writing. You must trust the process because in the end, you'll be glad you did.