In September I defined literacy in one of my blog posts as, “the ability to read text, and not only read it, but to really put meaning behind it”. I think a large part of what makes a writer could tie back to that. The way we write has been influenced in a major way by what we have read in a lifetime. The ability to have a deep understanding of the knowledge gained is reflected in what we write. As a writer, I would describe myself as a “work in progress” kind of writer. In my opinion, everyone is a work in progress writer, because learning how to write well is never finished. To define this further I look at Anne Lamott’s “Shitty First Drafts” article. In it she says that, “very few writers really know what they are doing until they’ve done it. Nor do they go about their business feeling dewy and thrilled”. A lot like me, I also usually don’t know what I’m doing when I first start writing something, but that’s ok. I get better all the time, and will continue to work on my skills throughout my life.
