A huge rhetorical aspect of this piece is the amazing understanding Lamott possesses of her audience. Shitty First Drafts was original published in Lamott's sixth book Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life so it is safe to assume that by then Lamott had already established herself as a professional writer, so she realizes that her primary audience for a book about the writing process will exist almost solely of other writers, professors, and students. The intended audience has been further verified by the inclusion of Lamott's article in the college textbook Writing About Writing, which is primarily read by students, and hopefully, their professors. From the first page, Lamott attempts to connect herself, as a human and writer,
