End of My First Week

So far in english we have read only three short passages and I already feel like a much more accomplished writer than from where I had started. The three selections that we have read are Anne Lamott's "Shitty First Drafts",  Lorrie Moore's "How to Become a Writer," and Gail Godwin's "The Watcher at the Gates." All three of theses writings deal with becoming a writer and conquering your fears. The first two passages we read are very similar to each other in the fact that they both deal with just trying to get started and get something written down even if it makes no sense and has no flow or rhythm. Then once you have the first draft down on paper you can go back and critique it and make it more descriptive and better and eventually it will turn into a well polished piece of writing that you can be proud of. The passage by Gail Goodwin was a little bit different than the other two because she talks about the "Watcher at the Gate" in her head and how it sometimes prohibits her from getting started and discriminates her work too severely. The fact that the "Watcher at the Gate"rejects her work from the start makes it hard for her to begin which is similar to what happens to the other two writers. 


Just in this first week I have learned so much. The most difficult part of writing for me throughout high school was trying to get started. Therefore these articles were a major help in the progress of my writing. It would literally take me hours just to try and come up with an idea of how I would start my paper or what exactly I would write about. Now that I have heard these three different selections I have no problem sitting down and getting started right away with any type of writing. A perfect example of this was on our first assignment for this class. I was scared that I would not know what to write about or if I would be able to get the required amount of 6 pages completed, but using the tips that I had learned from Gail Goodwin, Anne Lamott, and Lorrie Moore I was easily able to get the paper done. It may not have been the perfect paper from the start but at least its something to work with and eventually when I am totally finished it will be a masterpiece. 


Overall, the writing flow for me has become much, much easier. I have learned valuable lessons from these articles and they have allowed me to become a better writer. I now feel more confident and hopefully this confidence will carry over into other classes and allow my writing to continue to grow.