Annie Dillard

1. Yes, and I believe this requires a great deal of honesty that I'm not used to sharing, but I feel it would be appropriate, given Dillard's openness. I used to smoke marijuana and abused painkillers to attain a "higher" sense of self. It cleared my head of any mental road blocks that rise up and hinder my creative exploration. You see, I've grown up as a very apprehensive, scared boy. My mom, who I was closest to, indirectly taught me that the world is a scary place. So, naturally I became hesitant to forge ahead and be daring; furthermore, battling self-down and self-esteem issues is a full-time job. I also struggle staying on task, as I am often a scatterbrain. I smoked, believing I was more creative in that state of mind than when I was sober. But alas, too much of anything exhausts its potency. It became too expensive, and too dangerous to keep up. I now rely on music that fits the mood of whatever project I've chosen, instead of drugs (that is, besides the ones that keep me sane).

2. When it comes to self-imposed limitations in my writing, I often omit the whole truth because (more so when I was younger) I knew my parents would at some point be reading it. That, or I didn't think the professor would find it appropriate because of the strict moral codes that stand as sentinels at guard here in Utah County. I will invest a lot of emotional sentiment into certain phrases or parts of an essay that I feel really hold everything together. But after so many writing classes in college, I've become more open to the rewriting process, instead of shooting for a final draft in the first attempt. Doing this has strengthened my writing, but sometimes I fall back into bad habits.

3. Yes, I identified closely with Dillard's use of metaphors, because I always enjoy reading a phrase that evokes a mental scene. I also believe that metaphors used in moderation strengthen the understanding of an author's audience. Without metaphors my writing is robotic and soulless; the words lack emotional sustenance.

4. Writing, to me, is much like painting: with care and patience, a significantly moving piece of art can be created. I handle it in concrete terms, because I think it's too easy to lose the reader in a cold maze of letters and punctuation. To avoid this, I ensure that the concrete has engaging graffiti spattered in brilliant, vivid colors all over it, as well as, mental clues to entice whoever is following to continue.

5. Maybe to some critics her literary mannerisms are transparent and fail to adequately play out in their minds. I do not think anyone's criticism makes her any less talented. A certain wine could dance across someone's palate, while completely sour upon another's. Personally, I love her writing style. It is entertaining, informative, and engaging, three things that only fortify any piece of literature.