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4.19 AVERAGE
4.19 AVERAGE
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
I think this is a great book for college students in a creative writing class ten years ago (which is when I purchased this book and was supposed to read it but didn't). The sentiment behind it is good and encouraging: to be a writer, you have to write. Unfortunately, a lot of Lamott's colorful commentary just didn't age well for me. I found myself losing interest by the end.
At least the 10th time I've read this, and it came at just the right time, when I needed some encouragement in my writing life. Thanks, Saint Anne.
If there has been just 1 book that has inspired me to write, it's this one. It's not only inspiring, but it teaches you about life and how difficult writing can be.
This is everything I hoped it would be and so much more! Brutally honest yet genuinely encouraging. I shall truly cherish it as I continue to participate in my own personal writing journey.
If Anne wrote a how-to book on building a spaceship and flying to Mars, I would finish the book fully confident and ready to do so. This is unlike any other how-to book (on writing, or on anything else): I laughed. I felt wholly prepared and inspired to close the book mid-sentence and dive head-first into failure. I was refreshed by her own voice and stories and authenticity and profanity shining through. Although most of Anne's advice about writing (e.g. write every day!; write about what you know! etc.) is nothing new, this book reads more like a collage of meditations on writing, and what was new to me was the idea of writing for the act of writing itself.
WRITERS: This book fixed me. It took everything I was worried about and soothed it. It saw my weak spots and gave me concrete, helpful tips. It picked me up and hugged me and told me everything was going to be okay. This book made me excited about writing again. It brought me into such a creatively fruitful time. READ IT.
inspiring
Honestly, best writing book. I LOVE how it isn't about selling your writing and it isn't about which "their" to put there or the mechanics at all. That is all important, but not as important as having actual writing to edit and work with. There are a lot of other books that cover all the other stuff, but this one understands the anxiety and mess we can be just trying to get SOMETHING down. All the love for this book.
My second (or maybe third) reading of Anne Lamott's empathetic advice for struggling writes proved fruitful. Some of the chapters spoke to me so strongly I had to immediately go back and reread them. The chapters on KFKD, the all-negativity all-the-time radio station in your head that spews how awful you are, and the titular chapter, about approaching the overwhelming task of writing stories piece by piece, are just two of those I deemed rereadable.
Some of the humor is over the top. I probably won't want to binge on Fritos and bourbon while waiting for reviews of my novel. But that's what's charming about this book: Anne Lamott writes it no-holds-barred from her personal experience. I can't relate to her specific ways of coping with writerly insecurity, but I can definitely relate to the insecurity itself.
I know I will revisit this book often for moral support. I was repeatedly reminded while reading her words that I am not the only person that has wanted to write but can never seem to relax my insecurity shields long enough to actually do it. Just now I'm on the precipice of writing something I'm very excited about; it's such a good idea. But I'm overwhelmed at the thought of actually DOING it. What if I fail? What if the idea isn't as good as I think? What if I'm just accidentally plagiarizing other people's work? Isn't it just easier not to try? Can't I just run and hide from this?
Nope. Bird by Bird gives straight forward advice as to why writers must write. That no one except you cares if you fail; they're more likely to be in awe that you even tried. Or as she put it:
"Try not to feel sorry for yourselves. . .when you find the going hard and lonely. You seem to *want* to write, so write. You didn't have to sign up for this class. I didn't chase you down and drag you by the hair back to my cave. You are lucky to be one of those people who wishes to build sand castles with words, who is willing to create a place where your imagination can wander."
"I don't think you have time to waste not writing because you are afraid you won't be good enough at it, and I don't think you have time to waste on someone who does not respond to you with kindness and respect."
Some of the humor is over the top. I probably won't want to binge on Fritos and bourbon while waiting for reviews of my novel. But that's what's charming about this book: Anne Lamott writes it no-holds-barred from her personal experience. I can't relate to her specific ways of coping with writerly insecurity, but I can definitely relate to the insecurity itself.
I know I will revisit this book often for moral support. I was repeatedly reminded while reading her words that I am not the only person that has wanted to write but can never seem to relax my insecurity shields long enough to actually do it. Just now I'm on the precipice of writing something I'm very excited about; it's such a good idea. But I'm overwhelmed at the thought of actually DOING it. What if I fail? What if the idea isn't as good as I think? What if I'm just accidentally plagiarizing other people's work? Isn't it just easier not to try? Can't I just run and hide from this?
Nope. Bird by Bird gives straight forward advice as to why writers must write. That no one except you cares if you fail; they're more likely to be in awe that you even tried. Or as she put it:
"Try not to feel sorry for yourselves. . .when you find the going hard and lonely. You seem to *want* to write, so write. You didn't have to sign up for this class. I didn't chase you down and drag you by the hair back to my cave. You are lucky to be one of those people who wishes to build sand castles with words, who is willing to create a place where your imagination can wander."
"I don't think you have time to waste not writing because you are afraid you won't be good enough at it, and I don't think you have time to waste on someone who does not respond to you with kindness and respect."