lunabee34

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

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


So, I found myself mildly irritated by this book as I read it which surprised me. I mean, Lamott is funny. She has a great narrative voice in this book; I laughed multiple times as I was reading. She also has solid writing advice: the "bird by bird" concept where you approach writing a story in small steps/stages, the idea of shitty first drafts, habits to adopt to become a good writer.

I think its her presentation of writing as something only weirdos and outsiders and neurotics do, that fallacy that to be a writer you must be mad and also snorting cocaine and drinking pitchers of margaritas on the side. I get really weary of that concept of the writer, and I think it does a real disservice to people who are learning to write or who want to be writers. So many of my students think writing is some innate, genetic quality that has attached itself to the part of the brain that controls addiction, and they can't possibly be writers because they don't have tortured souls and haven't been stylishly slugging down mint juleps while being fried by the lightning of inspiration and Truth--instead of seeing writing as a skill that most intelligent people can learn to do competently.

I think she also places too much emphasis on the idea of the writer as a conduit with no control over the words that pour out; anyone who's ever done much writing has had the experience of the writing going in unexpected places or of finding really awesome connections/repetitions/themes in a piece that weren't intended. That I'm completely on board with. I just don't like the insistence that writing happens without the writer, that the writer has no control over it, and that some sort of Genius outside the writer's conscious mind is responsible for it. I firmly believe that most people can learn to be good writers--like good enough to be published and have an audience who reads and enjoys their work whatever genre it may be--but those people have to be willing to put in the practice, to be well read, and to be part of a writing community where they give and receive feedback. The reason most of us are not publishing our novels and poems is that most people are pursuing other occupations and passions and don't have the time to put in the work to get to that place. Just because I believe most people CAN write well doesn't mean I think most people will ever achieve that level of skill.

IDK

Nothing in here to help my research project, but glad I read it even if I think it perpetuates some silly myths about writing and writers.



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