"Thirty years ago my older brother, who was ten years old at the time, was trying to get a report on birds written that he'd had three months to write. It was due the next day. We were out at our family cabin in Bolinas, and he was at the kitchen table close to tears, surrounded by binder paper and pencils and unopened books on birds, immobilized by the hugeness of the task ahead. Then my father sat down beside him, put his arm around my brother's shoulder, and said, 'Bird by bird, buddy. Just take it bird by bird.'"
Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life
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Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com Review
Think you've got a book inside of you? Anne Lamott isn't afraid to help you let it out. She'll help you find your passion and your voice, beginning from the first really crummy draft to the peculiar letdown of publication. Readers will be reminded of the energizing books of writer Natalie Goldberg and will be seduced by Lamott's witty take on the reality of a writer's life, which has little to do with literary parties and a lot to do with jealousy, writer's block and going for broke with each paragraph. Marvelously wise and best of all, great reading.
From Publishers Weekly
Lamott's ( Operating Instructions ) miscellany of guidance and reflection should appeal to writers struggling with demons large and slight. Among the pearls she offers is to start small, as their father once advised her 10-year-old brother, who was agonizing over a book report on birds: "Just take it bird by bird." Lamott's suggestion on the craft of fiction is down-to-earth: worry about the characters, not the plot. But she's even better on psychological questions. She has learned that writing is more rewarding than publication, but that even writing's rewards may not lead to contentment. As a former "Leona Helmsley of jealousy," she's come to will herself past pettiness and to fight writer's block by living "as if I am dying." She counsels writers to form support groups and wisely observes that, even if your audience is small, "to have written your version is an honorable thing."
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
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More About the Author
Anne Lamott is the author of the New York Times bestsellers Grace (Eventually), Plan B, Traveling Mercies, and Operating Instructions, as well as seven novels, including Rosie and Crooked Little Heart. She is a past recipient of a Guggenheim Fellowship.
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
317 of 332 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
This is not a how-to book. This is not a New Age manual for freeing your creativity in ethereal ways. This is Anne Lamott, for heaven's sake...and that means it's funny! As in, laugh- till-you-can't-read-the-words-through-the-tears-in-your-eyes funny. (Some call this therapy, and I'm inclined to agree.)
Though aimed at writers, this book is full of sage advice and razor-edged honesty for the average joe. If you're a writer--and I claim to be one--it's more than a few anecdotes and good advice; it's a lifeline in the thrashing seas of rough-draftdom, a foothold on the sands of jealousy and vain ambition. Anne makes it clear that writing must be pursued for something other than mere publication. (Though, to be honest, I know she's just trying to let the majority of us down easy.) Writing is about letting go, growing, facing truths, and holding on.
I'm hooked on Lamott. She slaps me in the face with her startling revelations, nudges me in the ribs with her unpredictable humor, and prods my frozen little writer's hands back into action with warm compassion. This book won't solve the mechanical aspects of my writing, or lead me on the path of structural excellence, but it will spark my creativity, free my characters to be true to themselves, and, ultimately, shake me from my doldrums back into the writing mode.
In a society addicted to mindless facts and information, "Bird by Bird" reminds us--writers or otherwise--that it's all about heart. Heart and mind and soul dancing together, even if they step all over each other's feet.
127 of 131 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
If there's a better book to read when you're doubting yourselfand your writing ability, I don't know what it is. IF YOU WANT TOWRITE by Brenda Ueland may be more profound, but it's not as funny... I don't think Lamott copied Ueland at all. Both books are wonders, Ueland's more spiritual or mystical--i.e. how to express your own unique self and write your truth--and Lamott's more worldy--how to get your rear in gear and start producing copy. Lamott's chapter on crumby first drafts lets you know you must start somewhere and can't do that if you're constantly criticizng and editing yourself. And she is so right--once you have a beginning, you can make it better..and better...and better. She doesn't really tell you how to do that in very specific terms, but for that there's great sourcebooks like SELF EDITING FOR FICTON WRITERS and ON WRITING WELL, which more than cover the job. Bird by Bird may be short on craft, but it's long on motivation, humor, and practical ways to get yourself writing.
94 of 100 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
This author is a new find for me, but I will surely read much more of her. She is fabulously funny, incredibly informative, and absolutely generous with her thoughts and feelings and expertise on writing. The book warmed me, and made me feel that I could continue my writing with a stronger and better perspective. For aspiring writer's everywhere, and for writers published and not, this book will take you on a journey and offer invaluable advice for your hard work. It will help you revive that natural urge to write and keep you plugging away at the keyboard during the very worst of slumps. You will also laugh with Anne Lamott, the author, who is hilarious and honest and very witty. The practical and real life advice will stay with you as you struggle to become the writer you already are.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
Bird by Bird is word by word
Most writers I know consider Bird by Bird a refreshingly direct, strongly motivating guide for writers. Read more
Published 6 days ago by Ann M. Frantz
Read this Book Before You Write Your Own!
If ever there was an invitation for a writer to learn by reading someone else's story, "Bird by Bird" is that opportunity. Read more
Published 8 days ago by Karen Baldwin, Author of "Ruby's World - My Journey with the Zulu"
A classic for students and teachers alike
My writing workshop students love this book so much that I make a point of rereading it every two years -- and I always find something new and important to apply to my own work. Read more
Published 10 days ago by C. L. Ferle
A few gems of wisdom, but you'll have to dig for them
There are some real gems of wisdom in Bird by Bird, but you have to do a lot of digging to get to them. Read more
Published 10 days ago by John Anthony Allen
Bird by Bird with Annie
I have bought many writing books, but this book is the best book on writing that I have found.
I had to read this for my creative writing class. Read more
I had to read this for my creative writing class. Read more
Published 11 days ago by Wardinho2006
I re read this frequently
This is a wonderful book, not just on writing, but on those little things in life that sneak up and punch you in the face when you aren't looking. How will you deal? Read more
Published 14 days ago by M. Frastley
An absolute treasure
This was my first Anne Lamott, and I think her best. If you're a writer or wish to become one, it's one of the best books on that subject I've found. Read more
Published 16 days ago by D. Howard
Funny, Irreverent and Inspirational
This book on writing by Ann Lamott is added to my list of must-read for college level creative writing courses. Read more
Published 17 days ago by Miss Fidditch
Loved it, But Not Just For the Writing Instruction
This book is a combination of memoir-style writing and what the author's title indicates: Instructions on Writing and Life. Read more
Published 1 month ago by Michelle L. Devon
Writing isn't THAT painful
Though highly regarded in writing circles, this book disappointed me somewhat. I didn't get a whole lot of concrete advice from this book, but after reading it all, I'm not sure... Read more
Published 1 month ago by Melinda
Inside This Book
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First Sentence:
The very first thing I tell my new students on the first day of a workshop is that good writing is about telling the truth. Read the first page Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
shitty first draft, wire thing Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
New York, Dallas-Fort Worth, The Moral Point, Special Olympics New!
Concordance | Text Stats Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Surprise Me!
The very first thing I tell my new students on the first day of a workshop is that good writing is about telling the truth. Read the first page Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
shitty first draft, wire thing Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
New York, Dallas-Fort Worth, The Moral Point, Special Olympics New!
Concordance | Text Stats Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Surprise Me!
Citations (learn more)
This book cites 18
books:
See all 18 books this book cites
100
books
cite this book:
See all 100 books citing this book
- The Dead Get by with Everything: Poems by Bill Holm in Back Matter
- Getting Over Tom by Abigail Thomas in Back Matter
- Gold Cell (Knopf Poetry Series) by Sharon Olds in Back Matter
- Waiting for Godot: A Tragicomedy in Two Acts by Samuel Beckett on page 200
- The Beans of Egypt, Maine by Carolyn Chute on page 60
See all 18 books this book cites
- Crafting Short Screenplays That Connect, Second Edition by Claudia H. Johnson on 4 pages
- Changed by a Child by Barbara Gill in Back Matter (1), Back Matter (2), and Back Matter (3)
- 100 Simple Ways to Become a More Inspired, Successful and Fearless Writer: by Jennifer Lawler on page 38, page 117, and Back Matter
- Creating Powerful Radio : A Communicator's Handbook by Valerie Geller on page 34, Back Matter (1), and Back Matter (2)
- Word Magic for Writers by Cindy Rogers on page 144, page 229, and Back Matter
See all 100 books citing this book
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