First week

Within the past week, we have read three very helpful essays that provide necessary information about writing. Three female authors wrote these three pieces. They all provide different approaches to writing, while sharing similar views on some points. The first piece that we read was Anne Lamott's "Shitty First Drafts." The following two readings were Lorrie Moore's "How to Become a Writer," and Gail Godwin's "The Watcher at the Gates."
Anne Lamott's "Shitty First Drafts" talks about letting your writing just flow when writing a first draft. She views the first draft as a necessary experiment used just to see where the final piece will be going. She thinks that the first draft should be used as a tool to lead the author to a clean and clear final project. Gail Godwin's "The Watcher at the Gates" addresses a constant struggle that most, if not all, writers face. This struggle is the problem with a person’s inner critic. This “inner critic” causes a lot of great writers to question their work. If you do not know how to control your inner critic, then it can stop you from reaching your full potential. Godwin refers to the inner critic as “the watcher.” She believes that the objective of the watcher is "rejecting too soon and discriminating too severely” (283). Godwin believes that it is best to confront your “watcher” and learn about your watcher and think of ways to “outsmart” him. This concept of learning about facing and learning about your watcher is similar to learning from your first draft. Both present a concept that many writers have trouble crossing and they also provide answers to overcome these issues.
Lorrie Moore's "How to Become a Writer" is much different then both Anne Lamott's "Shitty First Drafts" and Gail Godwin's "The Watcher at the Gates." Unlike Lamott and Godwin’s pieces, Moore’s writing is a story. It has a female narrator that is named Francie. Francie is a new college student who starts off her first creative writing class with being criticized about her plots by her professor. After she revises her writing and reads it to the class, she receives more harsh criticism from her peers. Time passes and Francie has come across many more issues. She starts to question her major and her life. Towards the end, she starts to get even darker, isolating herself and quitting classes and jobs.
Although they are three totally different writings, they are important and useful pieces for new writers to read. All of them provide different aspects of the writing process that are perfect for introduction to writing.