“I have always been a very careful writer and I’ve always been envious of people who write a really bad first draft. Because I will go to great pains to write as good of a first draft as I can. And I think that’s kind of my timidity or some kind of fear of putting stuff out there that’s not perfect. I have always wanted to be the kind of person who would write a really bad first draft. Because you know at least you get something down and then you can work with it. And I always encourage younger writers to do that: just write the heck out of a first draft, just write the worst thing ever. And then, you’ve gotten something out, you’ve worked on some things…So that’s what I’ve always wanted to do, but I’m still not like that. My first draft is about as close to being the final draft as I can. And I really would like to not do that; I’d like to be more carefree and just get it out. So, write a bad paper and then redo it until it’s what it needs to be.”
Stephanie Foster is the Associate Director of the Office of Undergraduate Education