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| Title | : | Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life |
| Author | : | Anne Lamott |
| Book Format | : | Paperback |
| Book Edition | : | Special Edition |
| Pages | : | Pages: 237 pages |
| Published | : | September 1st 1995 by Anchor (first published May 5th 1994) |
| Categories | : | Language. Writing. Nonfiction. Autobiography. Memoir |
Anne Lamott
Paperback | Pages: 237 pages Rating: 4.23 | 72924 Users | 6813 Reviews
Chronicle To Books Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life
"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.'"With this basic instruction always in mind, Anne Lamott returns to offer us a new gift: a step-by-step guide on how to write and on how to manage the writer's life. From "Getting Started,' with "Short Assignments," through "Shitty First Drafts," "Character," "Plot," "Dialogue." all the way from "False Starts" to "How Do You Know When You're Done?" Lamott encourages, instructs, and inspires. She discusses "Writers Block," "Writing Groups," and "Publication." Bracingly honest, she is also one of the funniest people alive.
If you have ever wondered what it takes to be a writer, what it means to be a writer, what the contents of your school lunches said about what your parents were really like, this book is for you. From faith, love, and grace to pain, jealousy, and fear, Lamott insists that you keep your eyes open, and then shows you how to survive. And always, from the life of the artist she turns to the art of life.
Define Books As Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life
| Original Title: | Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life |
| ISBN: | 0385480016 (ISBN13: 9780385480017) |
Rating Based On Books Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life
Ratings: 4.23 From 72924 Users | 6813 ReviewsCriticize Based On Books Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life
Where I got the book: purchased from Amazon.Perhaps I'm reading this, one of the writing community's most referred-to books, too late in life. Perhaps as a 20-year-old English major (which I never was) I would have loved this book. That could explain its popularity; it seems like the kind of writing-advice book that will be invariably set as a mandatory read in an MFA program. And that, in turn, could explain why a certain type of writer will, if asked to give writing advice, sound exactly likeI didn't enjoy this book, simply because it didn't inspire me to write. I got the strong impression that Ms. Lamott has horrible self-esteem issues, and her overusage of self-deprecating humor really wore on me after the first chapter or two. She didn't give the reader the inspiration to go out and achieve the greatest thing possible in their writing lives, but instead said basically "it's okay to suck, and you shouldn't worry about never getting better." Maybe that's a message some people need
Not new-agey, hippie-esque or nearly as self-help guide-like as I feared it would be when I started listening to the audiobook version as read by its author. Anne Lamott's monotone voice set off the "OH NO! SHE'S TRYING TO HYPNOTIZE ME!" alarms in my head, while her occasional allusions to faith had me ready with my own form of holy water (urine) to dash upon any self-righteous pulpits. However, Lamott is more grounded than that, and her dry delivery provides the perfect vehicle for her Tina
Q:... thirty years ago my older brother, who was ten years old at the time, was trying to get a report on birds written that hed had three months to write, which 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 brothers shoulder, and said, "Bird by bird, buddy.
This is an enjoyable read and a lovely book. Anne Lamott is a very engaging writer and she is very funny, honest, and heartfelt. Although I dont desire to be a writer, like most readers Ive wanted to be a writer at times in my life. I took to heart her advice that at some point one has to decide whether to be a reader or a writer, a choice Id made but it solidified my decision for me. The bird by bird philosophy espoused in this book can apply to all endeavors, not just the one of writing.
Swell Songs Sung So WellThis little book sings so sweetly. You've probably read in other books some version of the optimism, pointers and warnings that are covered here. Yet, you've probably not read one as practical or as well-written as this. Anne Lamott's book is a virtuosic "Best of" LP, for writers and other creative artists, from which one may choose among many tracks of anecdotes, experience and hope. It's something you can pull out from time to time to put you on the right track, get you
This was fantastic, and I wrote a million notes. For example:I love the description of throwing rats in a jar and watching them scratch. This was a tool for the mind to silence distractors in your life that block you from writing. Also having an acre of land with a fence, and if people come in and mess it up-you simply kick them off. I like the idea of creating a book from characters, and letting the plot follow what the characters desire. I liked the idea of moving forward bird by bird,
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