Bird By Bird Analysis

As illustrated by Anne Lamott, author of Bird by Bird, first drafts are not meant to be perfect, but merely to begin the writing process and generate ideas that can later be perfected. Lamott attempts to eliminate the common perceptions of the writing process, emphasizing the need for accepting flaws of an initial draft.
Written by almost all good writers, sloppy first drafts are a way to begin the long writing process, while still allowing mistakes along the way. In order to make a piece of writing absolute, one must start at the bottom and work up from there, making small changes along the way. Lamott exemplifies the importance of these first drafts through the use of her own and others writing experiences. While sharing her experience
By allowing herself to write these imperfect, long reviews, Lamott was able to overcome the writer’s block that comes along with the expectations of a perfect first draft, laying out all of her thoughts and perfecting them into well written descriptions and reviews. This example, utilized by the author, also aids in supporting Lamott’s position by giving the audience a small glimpse at the truth behind the writing process and how imperfect it tends to be, giving readers hope that not every writer is as perfect as they seem to be. Although Lamott has a strong, clearly written position, the lack of facts and substantial evidence weakens the overall message intended for the excerpt. Because of the use of mainly personal anecdotes, Lamott’s position loses validity, as some readers may construe the ideas as mainly personal, noting that they lack the evidence to speak for all writers. In addition, according to Lamott, a piece of written work, such as a novel or article, can not be perfected on the first try by any writer, aside from one unnamed woman. In attempts to push for her ideas, Lamott makes many remarks, including, “we do not like her very much” (Lamott 1). These remarks lower the validity of the argument