Bird by Bird - Some Instructions on Writing and Life

Anne Lamott

Anchor

1995

239 páginas

7h 58m

ISBN-10: 0385480016

Amazon.com Review

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.

Resenhas (6)

2 (Razoável)

Para quem estiver penando com o processo em termos pessoais

I can imagine this book has value for some people. I can see it. But, there are people, like me, who will not get resonance from Anne`s words. Read this book if you are struggling to write. Struggling in life.
If you are looking for technical hints to write better, this is not the book you are looking for.