The Philosophy Of Attivity In Phillip Lopate's Writing

By examining the ideas in the essays Freewriting by Peter Elbow and The Makers Eye: Revising your own manuscripts by Donald Murray. One can gain a better understanding of the process of turning a piece of writing from an inspiration into a craft. By examining the elements lined out in each essay can be beneficial in creating a piece of writing that is beyond a college or student level. Elbows essay lines out the importance of a strong prewriting regimen. That editing too early can ruin writing. He believes that by using the method of free writing, it can inspire ideas that may be limited when worrying about grammar. While Murray emphasizes the necessity to create many drafts to form writing into its full potential. Saying each draft is an opportunity to discover what the author has to say and they the best way to say it. By transforming writing into its maximum potential it goes from being an idea an inspiration a masterpiece.

The Author, Phillip Lopate, Introduces himself in “The Essay, An Exercise in Doubt” as an essayiest; a professional essay writer. This was an interesting discovery for me, when I think of an author I never considered that there was a market for writing essays alone. Lopate introduction alone sparked my interest. I was not sure where the essay would lead me but was aware that I would be engaged and informed.

Lamott compares the process of writing with the painful process of pulling the teeth. She believes that in order to produce a high quality writing, the author must first put together all their ideas and thoughts in form of the “child draft”. This draft determines the flow and dimension

She comically writes about her struggles with the inner critics telling her their opinions on her writing. Lamott advises that in order to get to a well written final draft, it is imperative to silence inner critics in order to begin the writing process. Lamott uses her own experience as a food critic to describe how she would attempt to begin her writing process but could not produce anything useful. She then shares her key to overcoming this block: to just start writing. Lamott’s entire essay is focused on this idea.

In her article “I Stand Here Writing”, Nancy Sommers examines the writing process and formulating ideas for writing in a more empirical manner. She states that before she found her creative zeal/ niche her writing was often undisciplined, unmethodical, and sloppy. Sommers reveals that in college she was less known for her writing and more for her long hair and misapplication of phrases. She found her true inspiration while writing her Senior Thesis on Emerson’s “Eloquence.” Throughout the entire essay, Sommers provides the reader with advice about writing. A key point that she mentions is, “If I could teach my students about writing it would be to see themselves as sources, as places from which ideas originate, to see themselves as Emerson’s transparent eyeball, all that they have read and experienced-the-dictionaries of their lives circulating through them.”

It is fascinating to me to read the articles “Why I Write,” by George Orwell and Joan Didion. These authors touch on so many different topics for their reasons to writing. Their ideals are very much different, but their end results are the same, words on paper for people to read. Both authors made very descriptive points to how their minds wander on and off their

Whether while writing an essay or a birthday card, we have all struggled to find the proper words to illustrate our thoughts or feelings from time to time. Upholding the occupation of a writer would multiply that struggle tenfold. An occupation that depends on interesting, fluid pieces of writing every submission requires an adequate number of attempts and patience. Lamott expresses that writers “all often feel like we are pulling teeth” (Lamott), which proves the difficulty of writing is still there no matter the level of writer behind the work. Lamott also emphasizes that a writer “has to start somewhere” and shares her friend’s ideas in her writing to simply “get something - anything - down on paper” (Lamott). Lamott, and the other writers mentioned in this piece, carry incredible track records, while still admitting that perfection did not come initially, or even easily. Thus, proving that the Shitty First Draft has a place in any writer’s notebook or Word document. Lamott’s admission to struggling to properly begin a piece of writing surprised me, given of her success. I could not imagine a woman of her accomplishments stressing out over a food review, yet I felt relieved that someone of Lamott’s title relates to an amateur writer like myself. I often put off my writing as well when I cannot articulate a proper introduction. I do every other possible homework, or shy away from homework in general because the

Lamott 's effective persuasion was greatly due to her reflection on the writing process that writers go through and at the same time informing her audience the importance of first drafts. Most people assume that accomplished writers can easily write something they could be proud of, but that is not the case. According to Lamott, all good writers write a not-so-good first drafts and “this is how they end up with good second drafts and terrific third drafts” (Lamott, 191). For the most part of a writing process, mistakes will be made and it will most likely not contain everything the author wants to say. Lamott addressed new writers that the first draft is where writers assemble their ideas making it the most important step to a writing. Lamott pointed out many times that first drafts will not be

The standard impression most people have of writers is that they can sit down and just let a perfect composition flow from their heads onto paper. In her writing career, Lamott has observed how “writing is not rapturous. In

A person’s doubts can cloud their judgment on certain tasks at hand. On the other hand, a person’s certainty can blind someone from the truth. The argument ofDoubt versus Certainty is relevant today in the sense that it is the main argument for and against religion. The theory of doubt can also be used in literary works for a number of reasons. In John Patrick Shanley’s movie/play Doubt, the theme of “certainty versus doubt” is shown throughout the story to signify the importance of characterization and to symbolize the importance that a person must be cautious of the people around them.

“What do you do when you’re not sure...” so begins Father Flynn’s sermon near the beginning of the play Doubt. Father Flynn delivers his sermon to the people of St. Nicholas Catholic church in the Bronx in the year following President Kennedy’s assassination. His sermon builds upon a story of a sailor lost at sea who has doubts about the course he has set and his doubt becomes the metaphor for the community who has lost its certainty. So, in other words, when someone loses certainty they doubt about someone or something and want to belief the uncertain is true. To do so they make anything in their power to find out that their doubt is a belief even if it means to lie.

Lamott’s idea helps me the most because she encourages all writers to start off with something on their paper before turning in a final draft or feel confident about it. This process is very beneficial because as Lamott says “very few writers really know what they are doing until they’ve done it” (1). There’s times where I become frustrated and give up before even trying, to the point that I even start to burst into tears. I often hate putting words on paper or turning in an essay because I do not want to be judged by my lack of writing, but the help of writing shitty drafts and the strategies that these two articles provide reduces my frustration and insecurities. Allowing me to do drafts provides a safety net especially if I feel like my writing isn’t good enough. Lamott rightly states, “The first draft is the child draft, where you let it all pour out and then let it romp all over the place, knowing that no one is going to see it and that you can shape it later” (1). The child draft is needed to build my confidence, especially being free in my own writing knowing I can always come back and revise. Letting everything come to mind ideas, opinions, and what I’m feeling. But the point is all writers should always have something written on paper even though you don’t feel

I need to say I truly delighted in this reading since it brought about a significant improvement about my writing. I realize that I have never been content with the first drafts I have composed, and realizing that writers don't like the first drafts they compose is consoling. Teachers have let me know that this is correct some time recently, yet for reasons unknown, I didn't generally take what they were stating to heart. I like how Lamott provides for us great symbolism, depicting the splendid writer at her work area, rapidly releasing a polished draft in one sitting, and how this never happens. I think this takes a portion of the secret out of exceptional writing: frequently it simply takes a considerable measure of will and time. Maybe some individuals are characteristically preferred at writing over others, yet the way Lamott portrays writing, it appears that anybody, with enough exertion can compose well. I think having read this genuinely will profit my writing in light of the fact that

Showing how literacy is more than just writing for school or being pressured in school and how you still procrastinate. Lamott used to write food reviews and the would struggle writing them at times, saying “It’s over, I’d think, calmly. I’m not going to be able to get the magic to work this time.” (pg854 para 3). This shows that even as advanced and growing writers we still struggle and have difficult time writing drafts. Writing drafts before you even know what you’re going to say so you just hope for the best. Lamott tells her story of experiencing the struggles of writing, this helps people feel more comfortable with their own writing. If you think that you write shitty first drafts, there’s always numerous people out there with the same

The novel “Doubt; A Parable” by John Patrick Shanley, creates doubts and mystery in readers minds that have us turning the pages, curious of what will happen next. “Doubt” creates a lot of different opinions and perspectives, and raises a lot of important discussions. You see that values play a big part in the way that we think, and the way that we see others. It blocks our perspective on people, and makes things seem very one-sided, in order to live life to it’s fullest potential you need to not just look at your own beliefs but others as well. It creates doubt in readers’ minds whether or not Father Flynn is guilty by showing us different sides of characters and making us feel uncertain about our beliefs.