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Bird by Bird

Some Instructions on Writing and Life
britprincess1ajax
Mar 28, 2017britprincess1ajax rated this title 4.5 out of 5 stars
I've never read a writing guide quite like this one. Most writing guides are specific about the steps of writing -- you know, research, the first draft, revision, the second draft, and so on and so forth -- with the unspoken goal of publication looming in the foggy distance. That's why it was so refreshing to read Lamott’s BIRD BY BIRD, which is a brutally honest and immensely funny look at the truth about writing. She offers real, helpful advice, not all that crap you've heard before that never helped. She says a word about how publication is not all it's cracked up to be and tells you how to avoid libel. She writes in an anecdotal way that makes you feel like you're having a conversation with a friend, rather than being lectured at by a professional. She provides her take, her tricks of the trade, in a confessional way that begs you to lean in and she doesn't shy away from disclosing the details of her personal life to exemplify a point. I now feel like I know her, a chunk of her soul exposed and delivered to me via the words on the page. She's such a fine writer that I think I will search for more books written by her, both nonfiction and fiction. Needless to say, anyone interested in writing will love this book. I highly recommend it.