According to Lamott, how do most people think "good writers" do their writing? Is that how you think professional writers write? Is that how you write? (¶1-2)
Lamott says that the idea that good writers just sit down and type out perfect drafts is "a fantasy of the uninitiated." What does that mean? (¶1-2)
Lamott describes her own frustrations with writing. Does that sound familiar to you? Have you ever felt the way that Lamott does about writing? (¶5)
What does she mean by "shitty first draft?" What does a "shitty first draft" look like? (¶3, 4)
What does she do after that "shitty first draft?" How does she get from there to something that's ready to turn in? (¶8-10)
How do Lamott's ideas compare with your own writing process? What can you learn from her about how to write more effectively?
Invisible Writing
Turn to a blank sheet.
Set your pen on the paper, as if to write.
Close your eyes.
Write 'til I tell you to stop about the question on the screen.
What do you picture when you hear the word "poverty?"
Right now, do you think of yourself of your family as poor? Why or why not?
Have you or your family ever been poor?
Separate from your family, when in your life have you felt most poor?
Is it a bad thing to be poor? Why or why not?
Try to write a definition for "poor." What requirements does a person need to meet in order to be "poor?"
The Danger of the Single StoryChimamanda Ngozi Adichie
What is a "single story?" Why is it dangerous?
The problem with stereotypes is not that they are untrue. It is that they are incomplete.
What is our "single story" of poverty? What are the images and stories that we have of poverty in America?
Ghostbread - Preface
Stop and Respond
As you read, stop once and a while and respond in writing to what you've just read.