Book Review: Bird by Bird, Some Instructions on Writing and Life, by Anne Lamott

Write down your life. Take notes. Say it in a letter. Share your uniqueness in an interesting way. Why do this? Well...because it’s important. It's relevant. It’s what people do—we need to connect to ourselves and our humanity; which ultimately connects us to our spirituality, something beyond ourselves. A satisfying byproduct of your endeavors is that you may end up with a story so formidable, that it can also be used for medicinal purposes: aiding and abetting isolation and even human suffering. Your story may give us the power to transcend the absurdities we all face.

Anne Lamott’s book, Bird by Bird, Some Instructions on Writing and Life, is beautifully written in the key of A-Minor, a tone reflecting the negativity most all artists face. For example, Lamott discusses her personal journey including numbing self-doubts, jealousies and self-loathing. Her inner voice squeals, “Who the hell am I to think I can write?” Lamott refers to that voice as Radio Station KFKD, or K-Fucked. (I’ve been tuned in to station KFKD most of my life.)

And yet, Lamott’s writing transposes into A-Major. Her inspiration sings through as she postulates that a writer’s work, documenting the human condition with courageous, creative narratives, has the power to transform and heal.

Lamott’s words also teach us how to approach our writing, which is a personal and sometimes painful endeavor. The process of writing with passion and purpose is good enough. You’re good enough. Your voice matters. Becoming a successfully published author may be nice, but that’s all it is.

Characters are connection. Lamott insists the personal nature of fiction writing in particular, exposes the fact that stories are character-driven. Yes, we have heard that before, but Lamott drives that fact home and insists that you, the writer, have a responsibility to the characters to let them develop and become themselves. You may begin by channeling a character. He or she starts out as aspects of you, but then develops into something completely different.

Lamott points out that the plot, dialogue and surroundings (set design) exist in order for the character to do his or her thing. “Plot grows out of character.” (p. 54)

Let that character become who it needs to be. Let your passion shine forth through the character and watch where it leads. Do not manipulate your character into something it should not be, otherwise the character will bore the reader and the story will lose its focus and its truth. Writers must be truth-seekers. Readers discover truths in authentic characters.

Bird by Bird’s themes evolved through Lamott’s gig as a writing teacher. In it she shares stories about her students’ writing expectations and pitfalls. When the blank page beckons, writers often shift into perfectionist-mode, thwarting the chance to get a sentence down, let alone a complete work of art.

Writers are both technicians and artists. So what’s a writer to do when the foes of fatigue, hunger, thirst, a dirty house, and procrastination attack? Just get one short assignment done. Do it. Yes, now. Plan for your first draft to suck, because it’s supposed to, says Lamott. You will correct problems in the rewrite. The old adage still applies—good writing is rewriting.

Creative writing is a form of meditation. Contemporary human beings must make time for meditation, in whatever form, or we feel out-of-sorts. Meditation infuses us with the energy and inspiration required in our work in order for it to get done properly and well.

Lamott reminds us, “The best thing about being an artist, instead of a madman or someone who writes letters to the editor, is that you get to engage in satisfying work. Even if you never publish a word, you have something important to pour yourself into.” (p. 236)

It doesn't get any better than to be so engaged in the present moment—consciously and tirelessly doing the work you were born to do. That is why it is so compelling and fun to watch someone so engaged. The end product is something to relish.

Thank you, Anne Lamott, for your soulful inspiration and guidance in writing and in life.

P.S. This post is both today's "short assignment" and "shitty first draft.”