Wednesday, May 07, 2008
Bird By Bird by Ann Lamott - I've read this book, or at least parts of it, a long time ago. I even had my own copy. However, when I was given a new copy to read for an upcoming class, I figured I'd better re-read it. A practical guide to the craft of writing, Lamott, herself an acclaimed author, gives useful, witty, and often downright hilarious advice on everything from creating characters to getting published. She minces no words and doesn't try to sugarcoat anything. Writing is hard. It is lonely. It is an obsession. Often, it just sucks. However, everyone has a story and everyone has the ability to tell that story. Will everyone be published? No. Should everyone be published. HECK NO. But, that is not the point of writing. The point of writing is to tell the story that only you can tell. And that is worth more than anything being published could every hope to do for you.
