Reading Response 20

In terms of Madison, 2012, Chapter 8: Writing how will you use TODD (time, organization, & deep discipline) in your writing plan and implementation?

"For me and most of the other writers I know, writing is not rapturous. In fact, the only way I can get anything written at all is to write really, really shitty first drafts." Anne Lamott, Bird by Bird (1994).

I decided to start with this quote because I completely identify with it! I also teach writing based on a similar philosophy: writing is a process. It is never perfect, and revisiting what we've written later gives us a snapshot of where we were at at that particular moment in time. I love to save things I've written throughout my life and revisit them later. An essay from elementary school that won me a second place ribbon reminds me that I once knew very little about composing a paragraph but placed a lot of importance on having healthy options in the school cafeteria. A high school diary entry reminds me of the feeling of being infatuated with my first boyfriend. My undergraduate essays speak of a prideful young history student who thought she had all the answers. Writing is in its essence performance, yet for me it can be extremely difficult to begin the process. As a matter of fact, I'm writing this thinking that chapter four and five of my thesis were due this week and I have not been able to put any words on the page yet. So, with that in mind, on to the actual answer.

I plan on implementing TODD next week as I am on spring break at work. Next week I have set aside Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday morning (8-1) for writing these two chapters. The chapters are already outlined, and I know what I want to say, I am just nervous that it won't come out the way I want it to. I want to be proud of this project, and be able to create something that others will benefit from. That pressure, plus the time constraint, is driving me crazy with nerves. I know having time scheduled has releived some of that pressure, although I am still somewhat avoiding my chair...