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Bird by Bird: Instructions on Writing and Life (Paperback)

by Anne Lamott (Author) "The very first thing I tell my new students on the first day of a workshop is that good writing is about telling the truth..." (more)
4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (60 customer reviews)
RRP: £13.95
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Frequently Bought Together

Bird by Bird: Instructions on Writing and Life + Writing Down the Bones: Freeing the Writer within + On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft
Price For All Three: £18.70

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Product details

  • Paperback: 239 pages
  • Publisher: Bantam Doubleday Dell Publishing Group; Anchor Books ed edition (1 Jan 1920)
  • Language English
  • ISBN-10: 0385480016
  • ISBN-13: 978-0385480017
  • Product Dimensions: 20.1 x 13 x 2 cm
  • Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (60 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 11,204 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

    Popular in these categories:

    #21 in  Books > Reference > Writing > Writing Skills
    #24 in  Books > Reference > Writing > Journalism

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Product Description

Review

"Superb writing advice... hilarious, helpful and provocative." -- "New York Times Book Review,"
"A warm, generous and hilarious guide through the writer's world and its treacherous swamps." -- "Los Angeles Times,"
"A gift to all of us mortals who write or ever wanted to write... sidesplittingly funny, patiently wise and alternately cranky and kind -- a reveille to get off our duffs and start writing "now," while we still can." -- "Seattle Times,"
Inside This Book (Learn More)
First Sentence
The very first thing I tell my new students on the first day of a workshop is that good writing is about telling the truth. Read the first page
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Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Back Cover
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Bird by Bird: Instructions on Writing and Life
82% buy the item featured on this page:
Bird by Bird: Instructions on Writing and Life 4.7 out of 5 stars (60)
£6.42
Writing Down the Bones: Freeing the Writer within
6% buy
Writing Down the Bones: Freeing the Writer within 4.4 out of 5 stars (38)
£6.29
On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft
4% buy
On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft 4.7 out of 5 stars (79)
£5.99
What If?: Writing Exercises for Fiction Writers
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What If?: Writing Exercises for Fiction Writers 4.9 out of 5 stars (15)
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Customer Reviews

60 Reviews
5 star:
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 (3)
3 star:    (0)
2 star:
 (2)
1 star:
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Average Customer Review
4.7 out of 5 stars (60 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

 
49 of 55 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars If only she'd stick to writing about writing..., 14 Nov 2005
By S. Bailey "will work for books" (London) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)      
I bought this because I was writing a novel in a month with Nanowrimo, and so many people on the forums recommended it. People who write novels in a month ought to know an inspirational book when they see it, I thought. Wrong, wrong, wrong...

The subtitle, "Some Instructions on Writing and Life", ought to have been a warning. But I was overwhelmed by delight in the title itself: Lamott's young brother had, in a single evening, to complete a school project on birds which he should have been writing over the previous three months. "Just take it bird by bird, buddy," was the sensible advice offered by their father.

Lamott herself, however, takes a different line: "just do it my way, buddy". She (presumably; like so many people who write books about how to write novels, I've never even seen one of her novels in a book shop) writes character-driven novels. Therefore, so should we all: don't worry about plot, or settings or anything else, just let your characters do their thing. This is doubtless very good advice for those who also write character-driven fiction, but if you're like me, and begin with a plot and then wonder what sort of people would get into such a ridiculous situation, Ms Lamott is not going to help you much.

I could have dealt with the book and found some useful insights in it were it not for the second problem: "... and Life". Lamott believes in God. Very much. There is far too much stuff here about what God wants for each of us and what each of us wants from God, for this to work for me, or anyone else who doesn't not share or wish to share Lamott's faith. If I wanted a book about fluffy Christianity, I would not have bought a writing book.

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12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Every Meet Someone As Crazy As Yourself?

, 18 Jun 1997

By A Customer
This review is from: Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life (Hardcover)
Reading Anne Lamott is like sitting down with a close friend who shares all of your idiosyncracies and insanities, as well as your warped sense of humor. Bird by Bird gives Lamott's view of the writing life and confronts all of the little details and major crises faced by anyone who's ever wanted to write. Filled with warm and witty anecdotes from her own writing career and from the classes she teaches, Lamott takes you gently by the hand and then proceeds to push, pull, or drag you to the pencil or the keyboard because you suddenly feel that you have to write something, right now! This is a book to keep next to the bed or the computer, or wherever else you're likely to be when you need a nudge to keep going and a major dose of inspiration. Read this book with a highlighter grasped tightly in your sweaty palm, because you're going to want to come back to certain lines over and over again. Highly recommended.
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22 of 26 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars You Are Crazy - Now Write That Book!, 4 Aug 2004
By Martin A Hogan "Marty From SF" (San Francisco, CA. (Hercules)) - See all my reviews
(TOP 50 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   
Anne Lamott isn't afraid to expose her fears, joys or idiosyncrasies. This book is a combination of a guide towards writing and a self-parodying autobiography. For any would be writer, Anne has several clever ideas on how to start, get going or just finish that darn manuscript we all think we have inside of ourselves. Sometimes she seems crazy, sometimes a genius, but she is always witty, endearing and entertaining. If you ever want to read an `in-your-face' reality-check book about writing that will encourage you to write and make you laugh, grab this book. It is pure joy!
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Most Recent Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Bird by Bird
An excellent book. Just what I needed. Encouraging without the sanctimony. Funny, but covered every topic I needed to read. Read more
Published 6 months ago by Christine

5.0 out of 5 stars Addressing a couple of points...
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4.0 out of 5 stars Helpful, entertaining and evocative.
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