A review by shamelesslyintroverted
Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life by Anne Lamott

5.0

I found this text off of the required reading list for my first class in my MFA program. And holy shit was it a good introduction. 

If you’re a writer or you want to be one, do yourself a favor and grab a copy. I listened the audio in tandem with the paperback and I highly recommend you do the same. 

The audio is amazing and you’ll want something to annotate. I mean, look at the tabs. I’ve never tabbed or annotated a book before. 

Oh and I also binged this in four days. It’s very good and written as a conversation, as if you have a seat in Anne Lamott’s workshop. And it’s real. 

She’s not going to blow smoke up your ass like other writing books I’ve seen.

(Also: if you’re a chronically anxious writer, this is an ode to us.)

I learned:

🐦‍⬛ that publishing isn’t all that it’s cracked up to be. 

🪶 about the importance of belonging to a writing community. 

🐦‍⬛ that good writing comes from pain and how to use it properly. 

“Write as if your parents are dead.”

Some of the most impactful advice I’ve ever read (read the book for context).