Notes from Writing Class: King, Lamott, Tan, and Practical Craft

Administrative and class logistics

• Welcome message and informal interactions warmed the class; student questions welcomed via email for follow-up.
• Syllabus check: soft extension offered for those who hadn’t submitted it yet; some students might have not seen it in the shared folder due to Google Drive structure.
• Google Drive note: instructor can only see work placed in the specific shared folder emailed to students; work created elsewhere in Drive may not be visible. If you’re new to Google, there can be multiple drives and folders inside a big drive; you must place your document in the folder that was linked in the email to ensure visibility.
• Follow-ups planned for a couple of students to confirm folder structure understanding.
• Textbook access: accessed last class; today there were no readings for Voices for Change, but readings begin Tuesday next week.
• First readings for today: short readings; upcoming unit focuses on literacy narrative; project one narrative assignment sheet is available for preview.
• Schedule overview: next unit will emphasize narrative writing; readings for today include Stephen King’s essay What Writing Is and the piece on Shitty First Drafts (Anne Lamott).
• Attendance/participation note: class is designed as a student-led discussion; instructor acts as a coach rather than director; aim is to have students do the heavy lifting in interpreting texts.
• Practical reminder: bring a notebook (single-subject notebook) for class notes and writing; binder not required.
• Syllabus check confirmation and next steps: if your name was called for follow-up, stay after class briefly.

Readings for today and upcoming work

• Today’s assigned readings (as stated by instructor):
  • Stephen King, What Writing Is
  • Anne Lamott, Shitty First Drafts (referred to in transcript as a focus in the same unit)
• Upcoming readings: Voices for Change in the textbook and Amy Tan, Mother Tongue (unit kickoff for literacy narrative)
• In-class reading plan: often student-led discussion; emphasis on audience, purpose, and craft; aim to connect theory to practical writing.
• Project focus: Unit 1 literacy narrative; preview of the narrative assignment sheet available for review.
• In-class practice readings: two shorter pieces (including Stephen King) are used to illustrate guiding principles of writing.

Key concepts from Stephen King: audience, telepathy, and language

• Core idea: writing (and all the arts) depend on telepathy; writing offers the purest distillation of this telepathic transfer.
• Audience as central: questions to consider during writing include: Who do you write to? How do you envision your audience? What characteristics will capture attention? How can you appeal to them while avoiding static from competing messages?
• King’s metaphor of telepathy vs. literal mind-reading:
  • Telepathy in writing: reader and writer connect via concrete imagery and shared interpretation.
  • Writing uses language to transmit meaning; readers interpret in their own way, but concrete language narrows the gap.
• Imagery vs. abstraction:
  • King demonstrates two styles of writing through a concrete, imagery-rich passage vs. a more abstract, measurement-based version.
  • First example (concrete imagery): a table cover with a red cloth, a cage the size of a small fish aquarium, a white rabbit with pink nose and pink rimmed eyes, a carrot stub, and blue ink listing the numeral 8.
  • Second example (abstract/measurement-focused): a cage of specified dimensions (e.g., 3'6" by 2' by 14"), highlighting how language can be less immediate and sensory.
• Language and perception:
  • Language can fix us in a shared experience, whereas music can evoke private, personal responses.
  • James Baldwin’s idea (via reference in class) about music provoking personal vanishing evocations; language fixes shared meaning across readers.
• Concrete vs. abstract language: definitions and significance
  • Concrete words: perceivable by senses (sight, sound, smell, taste, touch, etc.); examples include table, rabbit, red, cage, carrot, etc.
  • Abstract words: ideas, beliefs, emotions, concepts (e.g., fear, justice, happiness).
  • Excessive abstraction creates reader distance; concrete language energizes writing and invites a shared imaginative experience.
• Concrete language exercise implications:
  • A short exercise demonstrates how replacing abstract terms with concrete details can sharpen a scene and make it more vivid.
  • Students will be asked to circle concrete words and underline abstract words in sample sentences, then rewrite using concrete language.
• Practical-writing takeaway:
  • Begin with concrete detail to anchor readers; avoid assuming shared knowledge; remember context and audience when describing familiar things.
  • Use concrete language to invite active interpretation rather than leaving the reader in a void of abstraction.
• Instructor reflection prompts:
  • What gets in your way when you write (e.g., technology, background information, fear of not meeting expectations, audience ignorance)?
  • How to balance conventions and constraints with creative freedom (affordances of current writing environments vs. expectations of specific assignments).
  • How to keep audience at the center while still writing honestly and vividly.

Concrete vs Abstract Language: detailed guidance and examples

• Concrete language components: senses-based details, tangible objects, and explicit imagery
  • Examples of concrete words drawn from King’s imagery: table, red cloth, cage, white rabbit, pink nose, pink rimmed eyes, blue ink, numeral 8, carrot stub, etc.
  • These concrete elements create a vivid mental picture and invite reader interpretation.
• Abstract language components: intangible ideas, emotions, concepts, and broad labels
  • Examples mentioned: fear, lost, alone, existence, consciousness, autonomy, justice (depending on context), etc.
• Notable quote and idea:
  • Susan Musgrave on abstract nouns: heavy use of abstract words can create distance between reader and reality.
  • Concrete words energize writing by appealing to the senses and providing a vivid picture.
• Quick comparison exercise example (abstract vs. concrete):
  • Abstract version: "Fear drowning in deep water" vs. Concrete version: the more vivid line that anchors to sensory detail with a grounded image (as discussed in class).
• Classroom activity: identifying concrete vs. abstract words
  • Task: circle all concrete words, underline abstract words, then rewrite sentences to maximize concrete language while remaining clear and not overly overwrought.
• Takeaway from the exercise:
  • When describing people, places, and memories for a literacy narrative, prioritize concrete detail to paint a vivid scene for readers.

Shitty First Drafts and the writing process

• Anne Lamott’s central claim: all writing begins with terrible first drafts; allow yourself to produce imperfect initial text.
• The left-brain vs. right-brain framing for writing:
  • Left brain: verbal, analytical work; can hinder the flow of writing if over-judging.
  • Right brain: creative, associative thinking; helpful for generating ideas and images.
• The ten-thousand-hour idea and practice-based growth
  • Development through repeated practice; mastery comes from time and repetition, not initial perfection.
• Strategies to combat writer’s block and self-criticism:
  • Free writing as a regular practice; start writing before overthinking; let ideas flow without judgment.
  • The “free writing” rules (Peter Elbow): never stop; write quickly; don’t cross out; if stuck, write placeholder phrases like "I can't think of it"; use squiggles when needed.
• The practical process for drafts (common metaphor):
  • Downdraft (first draft): generate material without self-editing.
  • Updraft (second draft): refine and expand.
  • Dental draft (third draft): polish, tighten, and ensure precision.
• The value of humor and self-forgiveness
  • Humor helps ease the process and can be an effective rhetorical tool.
  • Don’t take yourself too seriously; allow room for mistakes and revision.
• Silence the inner critic: naming and managing voices
  • Lamott describes critics as voices that sit on the shoulder; naming them helps distance and control.
  • Practical suggestion: acknowledge inner critics, then compartmentalize or mute their influence during drafting.
• Generative activities to kickstart writing
  • Brainstorming: write down everything that comes to mind about a subject; suspend judgment during this phase.
  • Clustering (mind-map style): start with a central word (e.g., fear) and create associative chains; keep the page messy and expansive.
  • Mind maps: a librarian-like approach to visually map connections and ideas.
• Free writing in class practice
  • Rules for free writing: choose a subject, set a timer, write non-stop for several minutes, don’t censor or correct; if stuck, write filler phrases.
  • Objective: reduce self-criticism and build a reservoir of ideas to draw from in later drafts.
• Practical implementation for literacy narratives
  • Use free writing, brainstorming, and clustering to generate material about personal experiences.
  • Expect to edit later; aim to produce a lot of raw material first, then refine.

Tim O’Brien: Things They Carried and the power of concrete detail

• Tim O’Brien’s Things They Carried (excerpt read in class) emphasizes concrete listing and cumulative weight of objects
• Notable excerpt described in class lists items carried by soldiers, with quantitative details such as:
  • Items of necessity: p38 can openers, pocket knives, heat tabs, wristwatches, dog tags, mosquito repellent, chewing gum, candy, cigarettes, salt tablets, Kool Aid packets, lighters, matches, sewing kits, military payment certificates, canned rations, several canteens of water.
  • Weight range: items weighed between $15$ and $20$ pounds (depending on metabolism).
  • Soldier-specific loads: e.g., Henry Dobbins carried canned peaches and heavy syrup; Dave Jensen carried toothbrush, dental floss, and soap; Ted Lavender carried tranquilizers; Kiowa carried an illustrated New Testament and his grandmother’s distrust of a white man, plus his grandfather’s old hatchet.
  • Gear weights: a steel helmet with liner and cover weighed about $5$ pounds; flak jacket weighed $6.7$ pounds; jungle boots weighed $2.1$ pounds each; poncho weighed almost $2$ pounds.
• The narrative technique’s effect:
  • Concrete listing creates a palpable physical and psychological weight that communicates the soldiers’ lived experience.
  • Emphasizes the difference between interior emotional states and exterior material reality, illustrating how memory and experience are conveyed through tangible detail.
• Classroom takeaway:
  • The passage demonstrates how to translate memory and experience into concrete, image-rich language that a reader can feel.
  • Language choices should reflect the reality of the subject and avoid over-abstract generalities when detailing lived experience.

Shitty First Drafts: practical takeaways for writing practice

• Anne Lamott’s core guidance summarized for quick reference:
  • Start with a terrible first draft; the goal is to get something on the page, not perfection.
  • Use free writing to bypass the inner critic and generate raw material.
  • Treat drafts as a staged process (downdraft, updraft, dental draft).
  • Humor and humility can ease the process and improve writer resilience.
• Classroom application:
  • Begin literacy narratives with a rough, raw draft to capture immediacy and memory; refine later.
  • Use the techniques of brainstorming, clustering, and free writing to generate content before polishing.

Invention techniques and practice: applying the methods in class

• Brainstorming: quick idea capture without judgment; focus on breadth of ideas rather than quality.
• Clustering (mind-mapping): visual, associative thinking around a central concept (e.g., fear).
• Free writing: timed, non-stop writing to loosen inhibitions and capture stream-of-consciousness ideas.
• Structured practice in class: a three-minute clustering exercise around the word "afraid"; a three-minute free-write using a chosen word from the cluster.
• Purpose: train students to access non-linear thinking and produce material that can later be refined into coherent literacy narratives.
• Practical note: students should do these exercises on paper (not in the class notebook) to avoid submitting drafts you don’t intend to turn in yet.

Reading and assignment planning: what’s next

• Mother Tongue by Amy Tan is highlighted as a targeted reading for in-depth discussion on language, voice, and audience.
• The class will include a student-led discussion format; the instructor will guide and illuminate aspects of the text but not dictate every interpretation.
• Next steps include preparing ideas for the literacy narrative and beginning to draft in class notebooks.
• Equipment/logistics reminder: bring a single-subject notebook to every class for writing and drafting.

Discussion prompts and reflective questions to guide study

• For Stephen King’s piece:
  • What stands out about King’s concept of audience and telepathy? Do you agree or disagree with his claim that writing offers the purest distillation of telepathy among the arts?
  • How does imagery (concrete language) shape your understanding of a passage compared to abstract language?
• On writing practice:
  • What gets in the way of your writing (e.g., technology, self-judgment, audience assumptions)? How can you mitigate these obstacles?
  • How do you balance conventions and constraints with authentic voice and creativity in different writing situations?
• On Shitty First Drafts and the writing process:
  • How do you currently approach the first draft? Could you benefit from Lamott’s free-writing approach?
  • What strategies help you quiet inner critics and move from rough drafts to refined text?
• On concrete vs. abstract language:
  • Can you identify concrete words in a sample paragraph you’ve written? How might you replace abstract terms with concrete details to sharpen the scene?
• On Tim O’Brien excerpt and memory:
  • How do concrete details convey emotional weight in a narrative about memory and experience?
• On upcoming literacy-narrative assignment:
  • How will you begin thinking about audience, memory, and truth in your own literacy narrative? What concrete details will ground your scene for readers?