English writing is not an easy work, especially for the international students. We do have a lot of trouble with vocabularies and grammar, but the most embarrassing thing is organizing and developing our ideas. When writing my own paper, I have no idea about what I’m going to say and how can I present it properly. Then, many unnecessary words and sentences, sometimes even paragraphs, will appear.        
       At first, I believe that my terrible English skills make me fail in writing, and most of the native speakers do not have the same problems. It seems American students have the nature to flow their ideas. However, it is not true. As Zinsser and Lamott state, even the best writers also struggle in writing. They have shitty first drafts, and they do not have a clear thinking about what they are going to say. So, in order to avoid clutter writing, Zinsser and Lamott give two different ways.

       Zinsser, a lifelong journalist and nonfiction writer, believes that a clear thinking is the most important thing. In order to simplify the writing, the writers should clear their trains of thought at the first step. Otherwise, the paper would be lost in circular constructions and unnecessary words. Zinsser criticizes American prefer using excessive words to make their statements strong, and he emphasizes the significance of simplicity in writing. As Zinsser claims, “Clear thinking becomes clear writing; one can’t exist without the other” (quoted in On Writing Well, Simplicity Chapter, para.7).

Unlike the way of Zinsser writes, Lamott conveys her idea less aggressively. Lamott is an American novelist and nonfiction writer. She encourages the writers feel free about their first drafts. She thinks the best way is to write everything in writers’ mind, and then try to find something interesting in the second or third draft. The writer should employ this draft to open their mind, and no one will find this shitty paper. Both of Zinsser and Lamott give effective advice to the audience who want to improve writing skills, and different people may have different understanding about their opinions.

       For me, Lamott’s idea, which is shitty first draft will help us find the right direction, is more acceptable. Great articles are not written, but rewritten. I try to clear my thoughts before I sit down at my desk. It takes me too much time but nothing happens. I still get stuck, and finally, I will lose my patience. Even there are some good ideas flash in my mind, it is too hard to catch them without any written hints.

       Things are going to be different when I start without any preparations. I write everything in my mind, even though some of them are excursive. After that, I will have a rest, walk around and take a deep breath, then ask myself, “What is your purpose?” Then, I’ll go back to find whether I can pick something out of the mass. I keep this way for a long time, and it does help me a lot. As Zinsser also mentions in his paper, “Good writing doesn’t come naturally” (quoted in On Writing Well, Simplicity Chapter, para.11), it is harder for us to manage an essay in mind. If we are struggling in writing, how can we do better only by thinking?

       Few days ago, I found a very interesting paper about ten basic rules for the first draft. There are several tips impressed me a lot. For example, the author suggests writers close the door, and keep themselves alone. Try to be silly, do not fear write something ugly. Also, it is fine to steal other’s ideas, and the writer shouldn’t leave until he is done (Franworth, Sept 6, 2013, para.4). After all of these stuffs, what the writers need to do is just having a drink to celebrate a good start of a great article.


Zinsser, William. On Writing Well. New York: Harper Collins Publishers, 2006. Print. 

Franworh, Demian. "10 Rules for Writing First Drafts." Copyblogger. 6 Sept 2013. Web. 15 Oct 2013.