If you have always wanted to write something and life got in the way, Annie Lamott has something important to tell you. It will plague you at the end of your life if you do not find a way to get it down. Not because writing is a skill you need to master but because it is, as she says, about your heart and your soul. In this conversation, Annie Lamott and Neil share the framework at the centre of their book Good Writing. Three drafts. The first is the child's draft: you pour everything out, it is too long, the prose is too purple, and that is exactly right. None of the writers you love wrote a good first draft. No one knows what they are doing until it is done. The second draft is the grown-up's draft, where you are firm and friendly, cut what does not belong, and bring 10,000 words down to the 5,000 it will actually be. That, Annie says, is really fun. That is what you are in it for. The third is the dental draft. Tooth by tooth. Sentence by sentence. You wiggle and jiggle and poke and see what needs help. Neil also shares the rules he collected over 15 years as a journalist for making any sentence better. Write with your verbs. Use trudged instead of walked. Prefer the short brutal Anglo-Saxon word over the long Latinate one. Thirty rules that no one had gathered in one place before this book. Want to go deeper with Annie Lamott? Join Sounds True One for more teachings like this. Get your first month FREE at https://bit.ly/4ctecMn Subscribe to Sounds True's YouTube Channel ► https://bit.ly/SubscribeSTYT Sounds True is a mission-driven learning and media company, and a recognized leader in wellbeing, personal growth, and spiritual transformation. Partnering with the world’s foremost wisdom teachers and best-selling authors, the company reaches millions worldwide with its unique programs, digital learning experiences, and worldwide events. The company also features a variety of original series, weekly shows, and live online experiences on Sounds True One, its global platform and community with members across more than 125 countries. Sounds True is a Public Benefit Corporation and also the home of the Sounds True Foundation. Connect with us: ▪️Facebook: http://bit.ly/2XFIIeE ▪️Instagram: http://bit.ly/2UlEoiH ▪️Website: http://bit.ly/2tOl02d