Product Description

Some Instructions on Writing and Life

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #1504 in Books
• Published on: 1995-09-01
• Released on: 1995-09-01
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 239 pages

Amazon.com
Think you've got a book inside of you? Anne Lamott isn't afraid to help you let it out. She'll help you find your passion and your voice, beginning from the first really crummy draft to the peculiar letdown of publication. Readers will be reminded of the energizing books of writer Natalie Goldberg and will be seduced by Lamott's witty take on the reality of a writer's life, which has little to do with literary parties and a lot to do with jealousy, writer's block and going for broke with each paragraph. Marvelously wise and best of all, great reading.

From Publishers Weekly
Lamott's ( Operating Instructions ) miscellany of guidance and reflection should appeal to writers struggling with demons large and slight. Among the pearls she offers is to start small, as their father once advised her 10-year-old brother, who was agonizing over a book report on birds: "Just take it bird by bird." Lamott's suggestion on the craft of fiction is down-to-earth: worry about the characters, not the plot. But she's even better on psychological questions. She has learned that writing is more rewarding than publication, but that even writing's rewards may not lead to contentment. As a former "Leona Helmsley of jealousy," she's come to will herself past pettiness and to fight writer's block by living "as if I am dying." She counsels writers to form support groups and wisely observes that, even if your audience is small, "to have written your version is an honorable thing."
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal
Lamott (Operating Instructions, LJ 3/15/93) makes her living by selling magazine articles and books. She also teaches writing. Reading this work is like sitting in on one of her workshops. While discussing elements of the craft such as character development, plot invention, and rewriting, she presents much more than an instruction manual in this small text. Writing is by nature a personal and solitary trade, and Lamott offers thorough examples and anecdotes that explain how she copes with self-doubt, writer's block, professional jealousy, and the discipline necessary to turn thoughts into words on a page. Her work is an honest appraisal of what it takes to be a writer and why it matters so much. Collections supporting creative writing will want to include this because it offers unique inspiration to would-be and struggling authors.
Denise Sticha, Carnegie Lib. of Pittsburgh
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Customer Reviews

Writer's handbook and more
A terrific book... whether you are an aspiring or established writer, or not a writer at all, but someone who is interested in the human -ness of life. The phrase 'authenticity of feelings' springs to mind when I read Ann LaMott's Bird by Bird. Not New Age, not preachy or high brow, just honest advice about writing and living a purposeful life that is worth its weight in gold. Some poignant and sad moments but it's also very funny!

Against the grain.........................
"1. PLACE YOURSELF IN THE BACKGROUND. Write in a way that draws the reader's attention to the sense and substance of the writing, rather than to the mood and temper of the author. If the writing is solid and good, the mood and temper of the writer will eventually be revealed and not at the expense of the work. Therefore, the first piece of advice is this: to achieve style, begin by affecting none - that is, place yourself in the background...." - Strunk and White: The Elements of Style.

It seems every page in Bird by Bird is a gaggle of I-I-I-I, frequently seasoned with "me" and "my" - overwhelming egocentricity - SELF indulgence.

Her use of expletives is not attractive, nor welcome. The occasional cuss word has it's proper place, least of all as turgid gimmickry.

I accept minority review status, and take my leave wondering what audience positrons see that I do not. Beauty in eyes of the beholder, perhaps.

I seek voices of masters. For me, Bird by Bird flew the coop.

Recommended: The Art of Dramatic Writing - by Lajos Egri; Becoming A Writer - by Dorthea Brande; Stein on Writing - by Sol Stein; More than Cool Reason: A Field Guide to Poetic Metaphor - by George Lakoff; Story - by Robert McKee; and, anything you can get your hands on by Joseph Campbell.

Great book for starting writers
I purchased this book on a whim and found my soul. Seriously. It's that good. I have dreamed of writing for many years and this book gave me the strength to move beyond just dreaming. Anne teaches you to value and respect the process without focusing on the end result. She also validates every fear that a writer has ever confronted, making it seem that I'm not quite as crazy as I thought. I read this book every couple of months just to remind myself that it's worth it, even if I never get published. Thank you, Anne Lamott, for saving my sanity!