Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life by Anne Lamott

I chose to ready Anne Lamott’s Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life, as a follow-up to Stephen King’s book “On Writing” which I recently reviewed. Given that I’ve read at least 2,000 novels in the thriller genre, I’m surprised that I had not thought more about the authors’ writing processes. I had always assumed that most authors did outlines of their books with regard to both plot and character development, but neither King nor Lamott did that. Rather, King said he would start from a situation or event, and then let the characters tell him what would happen next. Similarly, Lamott said she would listen to the characters and take them where they should go. Both King and Lamott were alcoholics, as is not uncommon among writers, perhaps popularized by Hemingway, but perhaps stoked by the rigors of so many hours of solitude while constructing a novel. It’s probably both, and more. Fortunately, both King and Lamott were able to overcome their addictions, but Lamott was a bit more open than King, sometimes mentioning her group of sober friends.

Bird by Bird is a phrase that Lamott explained means to take one step at a time, to focus on the task at hand and to do it with full gusto, and after that was done, the next step with the same passionate focus. It’s clear that like King, Lamott is fascinated by the world of words and she obsessively spends her time finding the right words and phrases to bring about the effect that she wants. She believes in editing and re-editing. As a writing teacher, this book is an instruction manual about all aspects of the novel writing process, from starting with an idea, writing every day, taking notes about anything that is happening in one’s day-to-day life, getting an agent, getting an advance on a book, the struggle to get one’s thoughts on paper, the insecurity of turning over a finished work, the celebration of a book well done. She is passionate about her craft, a passion that she would like to stimulate in her students.

 

I loved this book, and now I’m intrigued enough to soon dive into one of her novels. It was written in 1994, but it is entirely a contemporary work. Lamott is obviously a talented and clever author, and if you’re curious how a seasoned and accomplished writer goes about her craft, this is a great book for you.

 

WCD