Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life

Rating:
Summary: Entertaining/humorous/inspirational
Review: One question: The author refers to the dying of her father from brain cancer, and states that she wrote about that experience in a book that was subsequently published. How can I find that book?

Rating:
Summary: The best book about writing (and life) you'll read.
Review: When I finished Bird by Bird, I immediately turned back to the beginning to read it again. I haven't done that since I first read The Sound and the Fury in college, but then it was to try to unravel Faulkner's convoluted story line. This time I went back to page one for the sheer enjoyment of rereading the book. Lamott's advice applies primarily to those who want to write fiction, but her down-to-earth attitude and practical advice are appropriate for anyone who wants to write, whether it be fiction or non-fiction. Her outrageous sense of humor repeatedly had me laughing out loud, but her humor is not gratuitous: it serves to highlight the very practical advice she offers. And, as the book's subtitle implies. Bird by Bird is relevant not only to writing but to everyday problems and challenges. We frequently are overwhelmed by even mundane tasks, but if we can just take them bird by bird, a step at a time, eventually we will have made our way through the crisis. The way to clean the house is bird by bird, room by room--and the Lamott way to write a book or article is also bird by bird, section by section. So don't start by asking who the best publisher is; write the masterpiece first, then use the bird-by-bird approach to find that publisher. Lamott makes it all seem very attainable

Rating:
Summary: A must-read for any aspiring (or experienced) writer.
Review: Ms. Lamott has written a book for writers that goes well beyond the "how to" and deep into the "what for". Using her charming sense of humor, deeply personal insights and unflagging optimism, she somehow convinces the reader that she or he, too, can write things worth reading. Even if you don't care to become a writer, read this book for its joyous perspective on life in general, as viewed through through the eyes of someone who obviously practices what she preaches. (Also, you'll not be able to rest until you learn the story behind the title!)

Rating:
Summary: Streaker's Delight
Review: Anne Lamott is always a brave and honest writer, but in "Bird by Bird" she streaks through your psyche, leaving her self evaluations and confessions burned into your mind like the image of the naked stranger you walked in on by accident in the dressing room. You get the feeling you should look away, but you can't help taking a peek. Often funny, sometimes uncomfortable, but always, to the last page, authentic. If you're a writer, I bet you'll read it more than once.

Rating:
Summary: Perhaps the best book ever written about writing
Review: This is a book for people who care about words, about sentences, about the craft of writing. Artful and interesting, analytical and yet somehow deeply personal, you'll love every carefully written word.

Rating:
Summary: Inspiring, hilarious, impossible to put down...
Review: What a fabulous read, whether you write or not. I loved the personal anecdotes, I loved the idea of a famous writer spitting bad thoughts at her more famous friends, I loved the fact that Lamott finds humor in everything, even death.

No, it's not an instructional 'how to write' book; it's better, because it validates your yearning to write, even if you aren't published (or publishable).I will read Bird by Bird again... and again.

Rating:
Summary: Disappointing
Review: I've been looking for books that'll help me get out of my creative writing slump. I bought this one because of all the positive reviews. But I found it extremely disappointing. It seems to me that the author is trying too hard to be funny and not hard enough to provide good, solid advice. Her jokes regarding paranoia, appearance, and hypochondria stop being funny after the seventh or eighth time she presents one. The book is written for novices -- writers struggling to be published -- rather than established writers who just need some motivation or inspiration. The only thing of value I got out of the book was the simple tip to carry around index cards for writing notes on the go. I kept reading, hoping to glean something more from her rambling narrative, and found myself put off by her self-centered prose and sad stories of her personal triumphs and tribulations. Is it my imagination, or are most writing books written by second-rate, almost-succeeded authors? And if so, what can we really learn from them? I enjoyed Steven King's "On Writing" so much more.

Rating:
Summary: Inspired me as a writer
Review: I saw "Bird by Bird" in a bookstore, displayed with a selection of "How to be a rich writer" type books. Which is quite ironic, since one of Anne's key points is that very few writers will be rich, and that writing shouldn't be done for monetary success. Writing is from the heart and it's in the process that we find the beauty in our words, not from the dollar signs.

The first half of Bird by Bird is inspiring yet honest. It made me want to write regardless of how she insists that very few of her writing students will be able to sell their work. She talks about the art of writing as being the goal, the final copy is a by-product of our creative process. Writing, especially fiction, is a constantly evolving journey. She quotes E. L. Doctorow in saying "writing a novel is like driving a car at night. You can only see as far as the headlights. But you can make the whole trip that way."

The second half is much more light hearted, although still on track with what writing is really all about. By the end, I was in tears with laughter and a little bit of sadness, and I was fully inspired to say what I had to say on a piece of paper.

One of the really important points that Anne makes in Bird, is the it's OK and it's important to write a bunch of crud before finding the gem that will fit perfectly in the next story. She gives us permission to write horribly as a way to discover our own voice and to figure out who our characters are and what we really want to say.

Her candor is refreshing. She talks about the life of a writer like no other. Her insights into the writer's psyche makes me wonder sometimes if she can see into my mind.

Funny, brave, straightforward, truthful, she has a lot of good things to say and brings to light the real reasons to write, as well as some examples of how to improve our writing without losing our own personal style (no talk about "how" to write, but how to let ourselves write from our heart.)

I recommend this book first before any other writing book, especially for those that are worried that they don't have anything good to say, or that they think that a writing career is only about how much money we make.

Rating:
Summary: out on loan
Review: This is probably my favorite writing book. Somehow, I wound up with two copies, and I'm always lending at least one of them to a friend.

Rating:
Summary: Great discussion of writing in general
Review: Bird by Bird, for me was a great discussion of writing, how to make it a part of your life, and a very realistic outlook on what choosing writing as a carreer will entail.

This book was required reading for a creative writing class that I'm just about to finish. Although, as a class, we did not agree with a lot of Anne's opinions of what works in writing and what doesn't, this book made for good discussion.

I think the the most beneficial aspect of this book is that it gets you thinking about writing. It makes you contemplate what will work for you and what won't. Anne also does a good job of explaining that getting published is not like being an overnight success in Hollywood. She makes it very clear that if you don't like writing in itself, then you're writing for all the wrong reasons and it is doubtful that you will enjoy writing very much.

If you are an aspiring writer, and you have something inside of you that wants to come out, and you think writing is the way to do it, I highly reccomend this book. I will qualify that with the fact that you should take everything in this book with a grain of salt. Anne is only one writer, and some things that she says won't work for you, but a lot of it will. One thing this book will do is to get you seriously thinking about writing and how will it fit in your life.