In “All Writers Have More to Learn” Anne Lamott dives into how we always have more to learn when it comes to writing. This is because writing isn’t a trait passed down; it’s something that we know and become better at over time. It’s impossible to learn every detail of writing; therefore, you will find a few strategies that work well for you and usually continue to use them throughout your life. One of the most significant struggles writers face is understanding how to create your idea rather than transcribing the ideas you just read. Often, we learn a strategy that is successful for one aspect but not as helpful in another element. This can go the other way as well. Usually, the strategies we learn can be applied to more than one place. Most people find it more helpful to use explicit instructions when improving your writing rather than have a trial and error episode. Formal writing instructions are typically taught in the United States at all levels because of the difficulty and the fact that it’s impossible to perfect. Writing isn’t taught just in schools throughout the United States. Many people have learned to read and write through their community, whether online or in person. Students continue to learn writing strategies even after schooling. Writers are exposed to new styles and formats and all sorts of different ways to write while in new environments. The writing abilities that we learn throughout our life are not things we have just learned once and understood. Most of our abilities had to be taught to us repeatedly to grasp the new concept in front of us entirely. We repeat the same process and review the same strategies but apply it to different situations; when we run into a piece we find difficult, it tells us that we are now ready to move on and learn new things. Learning to read and write is a complex task because there isn’t an end. Learning to read and write is like trying to find your way through a never-ending maze. You know new tactics that you can apply to the next task and sometimes are stuck and unsure which way to turn. We gain knowledge from every alien encounter we come across, teaching us lessons that we will use in the future. Learning to become a better writer takes a lot of work, even though you’ll never know everything. Through new experiences, you’ll become a better reader and writer.
