Who would have thought writers dread writing as well? Many times, writing is a daunting task, requiring a writer to organize his thoughts and then place them into neat paragraphs and even more detailed sentences. I can see where some might become suicidal in the process. Anne Lamott, a professional writer, in “Shitty First Drafts,” magnifies this message, that writing is a process, even for the extremely talented. Anne describes the true feeling many can resonate with, that feeling of loneliness, of hopelessness, and of despair, when confronting Microsoft Word and that dreaded ‘I’ blinking pointer.

Yet, the only way to jump over that wall is to just write, write and write. It does not matter what comes out on the paper, that can be dealt with later, because “there may be something great” in there. As backwards as it may seem, great writers, the author explains, for the majority start out there writing with somewhat complete garbage, and dig through it later to find that diamond ring they accidentally disposed of. That is the beauty of writing, converting a mess of words and thoughts, and rearranging them later on to create a composition bordering the greatness of the Constitution. Writing a piece of art, Ms. Lamott says, is only revealed after the fact for most great writers. Even better, though, is that professional writers for the most part reluctantly write, feeling almost compelled to. On the flip side, the author quotes a colleague as saying that they do have a choice, “you can either type or kill yourself.”

Writing is intimidating, and it begins with “boring beginnings” and “lots of quotes.” It can feel like your fingers are moving automatically, and it can feel suicidal, but these feelings are the storm, and if a writer can weather the storm they will experience the clear skies. The experience is not the best, it is actually terrifying, but the end result is extremely worth it.