I really related to Anne Lamott’s “Shitty First Drafts.” My first draft took me ages to write. I hated every sentence I wrote, hated the theme I picked, and could not think of a way to close the whole paper. I was overwhelmed, frustrated, and pretty done with the whole writing process. Lamott described not being “able to get the magic to work” and that was the conclusion I came to during my own experience. This piece also gave me some hope. The writer’s block and everything would be helped by peer revisions and my own new drafts. I was going to be able to write this essay, I just needed to get all my thoughts down and then trim away the bad things.
My goal for revising my paper is to have a more clear theme. I had chosen a theme to base my essay around that I had not had my full heart in which led to writer’s block and a lack of passionate writing. Another goal is to add more outside information to my paper. During the peer review session, they noticed I had many places where I could have added something to support my claims better. My first priority is to adjust my thesis to fit the new theme better. I also want to add more examples from my sources. This will add length and strength to my paper. The quotes will be used to support my claims. During my peer editing session, I was told to incorporate my own life experiences into my paper. This I think will be my biggest challenge. In the past, I have never been able to add my own experience into my papers so figuring out the best way to do this will be a process. After I have figured out where to put it all, I will ask the writing supporters at SASC to check if I did it right. I will gladly listen to all of the information they have to offer.
Although it sounds like it sucked to go through, I think it’s cool how much you related to the passage! I think that after revising it, your essay will improve exponentially and you will do great! Your goals sound super cohesive and totally attainable. While doing the life experiences, what I recommend is making a list of a bunch of things that could relate to the topic (like 10-15 things) and as you make the list, many ideas may spark about how the prompt relates to you. This is what I usually do and it seems to work pretty well. I think that it is a super good idea to get it checked by SASC, I may have to do the same! With these steps, I think your essay is going to turn out amazing!
I’m glad you found the passage enlightening, and the problems you go through when writing are definitely not just your problems. Everyone has trouble writing! In the future if you hate your thesis, instead of just grinding through it, lay out an essay plan for a few different thesis. This can actually be quicker than trying to write an essay you aren’t passionate about. Explore different concepts you’re interested in, and then choose what you like best; I promise you’ll like the assignment much better. But for now, I’m sure your essay will turn out great with your impending revisions.