160 Convent Ave,

New York, NY 10031

September, 8 2019

Ms. Maria Vint, Professor

160 Convent Ave,
New York, NY 10031

Dear Ms. Vint

Constellating your thoughts and putting them in words to make others around you
understand a topic can be challenging. Especially if that paper is a formal document in which
you are directed to use professional language. Usually, depending on the paper, I follow the same
steps to write a final draft. Before one can even think about what to write, he/she needs to have a
thorough understanding of what is being asked. First, I start by reading the directions and
mentally highlighting the key aspects of it. For example, if I was instructed to do research and
write on a certain topic, I would note that the paper I’m writing is informative before I proceed.
That would help me focus and keep me from straying away from what is being asked of me. I
would then brainstorm ideas before I do some rigorous research on the topic. These research will
include textbook pages and layouts of the instructed paper. One thing that truly helps me start my
paper is viewing how others have started a similar paper; it gives me reassurance about my work
before I even start the paper. Then, I would gather my research and just start typing my paper
with a similar paper’s layout fresh in my mind. At first I just write down what comes to me and I
will continue doing that until I have nothing else to write. Writing down all of my thoughts one
at a time helps me shape the essay into including all of my ideas because I can then mold it as I
like. I have the freedom to then change my words and my style while still including my research.
For my conclusion I make sure to not introduce any new topics and just give a simpler closure of
my work.

One thing I recently became self aware about is how often I re-read my previous
sentences before I write a new one down. To further explain, I would read every sentence of the
paragraph I’m writing before adding a new sentence because it helps me understand and make
changes to the flow of my paper. I can also detect if I used the same word too many times to
avoid repetition in my work. After completing these steps and finally rereading my gathered
work, I will continue to make changes I think is necessary through grammar, punctuation and etc
before finalizing it. Revising is a crucial part of my procedure to writing a well-rounded paper.
Without going back to review, you can’t notice what you can improve on. Even if the sentence is
correct, there are ways one can rearrange his/her words into sounding more clever.
 Letter to Professor Vint.
Page 2
September 8, 2019

In ​Shitty First Drafts ​by Anne Lamott from Bird by Bird, Lamott expressed her thoughts
on first drafts by stating her three drafts: “down draft”, "up draft", and "dental draft” in which
she explains a similar process mine. She describes her first paper in which she just writes freely,
the second draft in which she would take out unnecessary information. The third and final draft
is there to just shape her paper. I would take this as a universally understandable process because
Lamott emphasises how even great writers start by having scattered thoughts on paper.
Something that always helps me ameliorate my work is taking note of what others say about it.
Having someone else to look at your paper can give them the opportunity to detect mistakes you
overlooked. It can also help the writer because now you have more than one person’s knowledge
behind this paper. Overall, following a certain procedure and giving someone else the
opportunity to comment on our work can help us write our papers better.

Sincerely,

Samia Sara
Student