One of the great take away points from the reading is that one should be willing to let go of his or her words, which is to say that one has to overcome the tendency to value writing as though it were all irreplaceable or precious. The essay offers “early drafts are not set in stone. Nothing is sacred”. This is a very important idea to retain, when shaping an essay. One can spend hours constructing a passage around a phrase that one believes is brilliant, but this is a deceptive practice. It rarely works. In fact, one must be ready to prune ones writing to reveal the clearest ideas. There is a great example in the essay, which demonstrates how rambling prose can become direct and specific. It shows how ideas, once on the page in their first form, can be shaped through editing to reveal the core ideas, now in a clear and uncluttered style. I like to imagine that my words are unlimited and I try very hard to resist the impulse to hang onto fillers and comfort phrases. After all, we grow up with words and they can become like security blankets, or comfy clothes. Like anyone on a path to maturity, we need to let go the reassurances of childhood to break out into unexplored territory.
