Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life by Anne Lamott (book review)

Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life by Anne Lamott
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This "Bird" book just barreled its way into my top ten favorite books of all time. I mean, Dude, seriously. I spontaneously burst into tears of joy at the end of this, uh hem, writing guide. Who does that? With a writing guide? I'm here to tell you: you will, too.

Don't let the subtitle fool you. This is much more of a guide to life than a guide to writing. It's less of a how-to-write-well-and-get-published guide and more of a guide to finding balance and peace and somehow maintaining your sanity while living the life of a writer who wants to write well and get published but who may or may not ever achieve that goal and then what? It's about getting past the fantasies of becoming a published author and getting your butt planted into the chair to do the hard work that is writing. It's about writing because you love to, writing because you have to, writing because it makes life better, if not a tiny bit crazy. I especially loved the chapters on how to deal with your jealousy and how to listen to your broccoli, Lamott's nickname for your intuition. Highly recommended to anyone who loves to write, to read, or simply, to live.

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