Blog #6

Anne Lamont’s writing technique is a really interesting approach on how to write a rough draft. However, mine can actually compare to this technique. I can also agree that a first draft is supposed to be ‘careless’ and full of thoughts. If you read my essay, there are many many run-on sentences, or sentences that aren’t needed. These create long paragraphs that can be condensed to form a very well-written paragraph. To contrast, however, I take the approach of writing an essay, basing it around evidence I can find in the text. I’m not that good a free-writing and finding quotes to fit in with my writing. I find it’s better for me to find my ideas in the evidence, and then write my essay off of this. I don’t feel offended by Lamont’s approach. Even though she’s a gifted writer, she’s still a human who needs to brainstorm the same way we all have to. It’s just her way of thinking and approaching a writing.

Revision Strategy

1. I have many goals for my second draft of my essay. The first is going to be to fix my transitions. I need to give flow to my essay. Transitions allow this to happen. No one wants to read a choppy essay, broken up in choppy, separate ideas. The next goal of mine is to condense my essay. This essay is longer than the ideal length, and that is due to a lot or repetitiveness and run-on sentences. But for right now, that is okay. A lot of excess writing allows for all the good ideas to remain. I am very confident with the quotes and evidence I have in this essay. This is not a major concern with me, and I feel like my arguments are strong.
2. The first is to re-read over and over and over. Re-reading my essay will just give me an idea of how the essay will sound. Sometimes when you re-read, your mind put’s in transitions words without even knowing it. That’s when you have to put in these words, making it more reader-friendly. The next step will be to fix the run-ons. When I re-read this essay, stuff is going to sound vert repetitive to me. This is when I start taking out ideas, and keeping out the strongest points. Granted, there is no word count to this essay, but cut it down so it’s not boring.
3. My biggest strength has to be my evidence and quotes. I don’t write my essays with free-write, and then insert my quotes after. I find my quotes first, and then write a strong essay with the evidence I have. This may not be the greatest way to write an essay, but it’s the best way to give support to an essay in my eyes.
4. If I struggle at my goals, the easiest thing to do is just have other people read my essay (over and over and over). I’ll ask them, “What sounds repetitive?” or “What sounds choppy?” Obviously my professor’s revisions will help as well, but the best is to just have as many people as I can read it until people start tom tell me, “Your essay flows very well, beginning to end.”