Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life

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Average customer rating 4.7 (14 comments)

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Great writing advice, and a fun read!

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Bird by Bird says what every writer needs to hear. It's informative, affirming, and witty. I love it so much, I'm buying another for my niece who, at 15, is an aspiring writer.

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After so many books about how fun and easy writing can be, it's great to have a book that shows how painful and difficult it really is. Lamott puts a premium on discipline, the discipline of writing every day at a set time and trying hard to get the first draft out, no matter how bad it may be. This message may not be news to most, but along with the added info that neurosis and writing go hand in hand, Lamott is not here to inform, she's here to encourage. She's a real teacher, someone who isn't just trying to show you how to get to where you're going, but also to help you restart if you've missed a step. She's also very funny and a good writer to boot so the book was an absolute pleasure to read. Pick it up when you're feeling down

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Instead of paying for an MFA or a writing degree, read Anne Lamott's priceless book. She gives some of the best and liveliest advice on how to write and how to live. It's a book worth reading every year.

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Write "Shitty first drafts!" -- I LOVE it!!

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More inspirational that instructional, Anne Lamott's Bird by Bird is a witty, entertaining look at her life as a writer, and while I would warn other writers against blindly emulating any writer's process, there's certainly plenty here worth stealing. Most interesting is her approach to teaching the craft; if you're writing for money, fame, approval or other forms of validation, Lamott suggests you're probably already in trouble. In one sense, she's probably right; writing is a tough way to make a living unless something in the writing process feeds you (the writing world is filled with people more interested in the lifestyle than the work itself, and for them, Lamott's book should serve as a wakeup call). Most of her specific advice isn't exactly new (notice things, take notes, use what you know in your stories, your first draft probably bites), yet when told in the context of her career, her advice is compelling -- especially to those without fully formed reasons for entering the business. Don't expect bullet points or any of that comically oversimplified "1. Write Book; 2. Get Agent..." crap. Lamott's all about writing for the sake of writing, and this book focuses on her processes -- including a chapter on dealing with jealousy. That's not exactly normal "how to" fare, but at the very least -- to a writer with plenty of experience in copywriting but little in Lamott's part of the writing universe -- it's amusing stuff. A few lucky writers find the resources they need at critical parts of their career (I stumbled on Ogilvy On Advertising when I was starting to wonder about making a living in the advertising world), and given the kind of grounded, real-world inspiration it offers, I think "Bird by Bird" should probably be handed to every college student captured by the thought of arranging words for a living. Lamott's a witty and revealing writer, and though I'm not a memoirist or fiction writer, it's hard not to be inspired by this book.

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With wry humor Anne Lamott dismantles the misconceptions about the writing life, sharing with piercing honesty her own creative journey. This is not the typical How To book on writing; it is part biography, and at times has the intimate feel of a memoir. Reading this book, I could easily imagine Anne seated across my kitchen table with a mug of coffee or tea, and the spontaneous bouts of humor which would burst forth from both of us as we shared our writing debacles and mishaps. It takes courage to write with such transparency, and this Annie does to perfection. If I could own only one book on writing, this is it. Bird by Bird will satisfy any natural born writer whose passion for the written word outshines the tedium of ordinary life.

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I consider that Bird by Bird is a fantasy. It has little relevance to me. It is particularist (against searching for scientific generalizations and realism). In spite of her repeatedly urging truth, she is against scientific truth. Bird by Bird says that every creative writer should have had an unhappy childhood or dysfunctional life. I myself had an idyllic childhood and am always happy to be a spiritual elder for Mother Earth. I think that teachers like her are working against Mother Earth.

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This is a life changer. A book about writing your life, in words. Humorous, insightful, human. One to have on every bookshelf available...ready to reference and ready to give away.

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I read this book while in college for a writing class. I have gone back and reread this book time and time again when I have needed the inspiration and motivation to keep writing, even when I just don't feel like it. I enjoy Anne Lamott's writing style a great deal. I recommend this book to anyone that asks for a book on writing.

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Anne Lamott is insightful and down-to-earth in Bird by Bird. Her unconventional teaching methods are inspirational. It's like she's in the room with you having conversation as you read. Lamott gets down to the nitty-gritty, your deepest insecurities in this book. She uses personal anecdotes with a touch of self-depreciating humor to subside beginner's fears and remind seasoned writers it's good to write really bad first drafts. Get Bird by Bird. Lamott will inspire you to write, read and write some more.

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Any writer must read this book. It is a must. Buy it, read it, highlight it, love it, keep it again: read it in the tub, on a plane, while driving your car. Buy two copies and put one by your computer and one on your nightstand. That way you can use the one by your computer to guide you and the one by your bed to inspire you. This book inspired me to write again and her tone and voice and humor makes this incredible. She is funny and real -- like a next door neighbor who sits with you on a patio on a summer night and drinks margaritas while helping you discover your talent. It is not pretentious at all -- which you find often in other writing books. It's amazing. Incredible. She is so accessible to all.

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Excellent. I've read chapters with my students (middle school, high school, and college freshman) to encourage them to develop their own writing processes, instead of doing the usual student process (handing in the first draft). Lamott is very funny, upbeat, and motivating about writing, a subject that makes other writers who write about it seem condescending.

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Bird by Bird was the very first Anne Lamott book I ever read and also the one that solidified me as a huge fan. You don't even have to be a creative writing student or a writer for that matter to enjoy her thoughts on the writing process and how she got to where she is now. Highly recommended, along with all of her other books.