There are a handful of writers I admire for how they can piece together words. As I read along, I find myself seeing images and experiences so vividly. I’m left captivated – How did this writing take me there and spark all that within me? I love it!

Anne Lamott is one of those writers, even though I’ve only read a little bit of her material. So, when I heard about Bird by Bird, a book about writing, I went to the library.

Right off, I caught the quick glimpse that this book was going to be about me exploring my own writing voice and not taking on Lamott’s — Good, cause that’s what I want!

The great encouragements were:

1.) Start writing. Start with childhood memories and just write them out. This is something I’ve been doing for a few years now and though I love the process of re-thinking those old thoughts, I struggle to get the right words and strings of experience to come together like I’ve got it in my imagination. There’s still a rift between when’s going on in my brain and the words I can come up with to express all that to someone else, even if that someone else is me in three years, re-reading my journal.

2.) Be real. Just let it flow and don’t worry about what another person might think. In your writing, just let it go.

3.) The dream of getting published is going to kill your writing. Eventually, the good writers fall totally in love with just writing – that’s who they are.

I’ve loved writing for a long time, mostly in journals, capturing ideas and memories and then wrestling a bit with theology too. Blogging has been a newer adventure where I can get a little feedback too. It’s interesting to see what kinds of posts receive more hits, at least within the circles that are in this blog’s steam.

Rating:  

A great book to simply be in the presence of a very intriguing author.