Tips I Wish I’d Learned Earlier

Reading Bird by Bird at the Right Time

I picked up Bird by Bird by Anne Lamott a few years back when I visited BookPeople, a fantastic bookstore in Austin,while passing through the city. I proceeded to leave it on my “to be read shelf” for a couple of years. When I decided on books for each month’s theme, I was immediately drawn to Bird by Bird, for my Welcoming Month! This is a book for students, bloggers, academics, and anyone who reads to learn or simply for the love of writing and reading. This isn’t a journal-style book review; it’s more of a field notes version. Enjoy my first official book review for the Scholarly Siren.

Title: Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life
Author: Anne Lamott
About the Author: Lamott is an acclaimed novelist and memoirist. She has published 20+ books, building a reputation for candor, humor, and emotional clarity. She has also taught writing for years, both formally and informally, which informs the practical. In the book, she frequently refers to the students in her writing workshops.
Genre: Writing
Sub-genres: Authorship, Nonfiction, Memoir, Craft Book, Self-Help
Core Takeaways: How to start writing when you would rather be doing anything but. This book encourages you to be creative, look inward, and share. This book has tips any writer at any stage can benefit from.
Appeal to me: I honestly love any book about writing or creating. Which is why I picked this book up so long ago; it spoke to me, but I never had time to read it until now.
Appeal to me for you: The advice is real. If you believe that attending one of her workshops or reading this book will transform you into a renowned author, Lamott makes it clear: “Sorry, no.” Instead, you will gain practical strategies to persevere in your writing and insights into how and why you should share your work.
Should you read this book? Yes, it’s worth your time. I’m a notorious book annotator; this book is full of highlights and notes! If you’re pressed for time, read Part One and Part Three. I feel like I may have highlighted half of Part One. If you’re really pressed for time, skim the chapter titles; the chapters function as standalone mini‑essays. If you don’t have time to read the entire book or sections. Try these chapters, which are mini-essays: Getting Started, Short Assignments, Shitty First Drafts, Polaroids, Index Cards, Writing Groups, Someone to Read Your Drafts, and Finding Your Voice.
Rating* 5/5

Bird by Bird is a fantastic guide to writing and to believing in yourself. This guide encourages you to start, keep going, and edit until the sun comes up (or goes down). It’s a messy creative process. Go with the flow. Look inward and find the story. This book inspired me to take a closer look at my writing. It’s geared toward those wanting to write the next great novel, but as a nonfiction writer. Yet, I found myself highlighting passage after passage, and writing notes in the margins such as: ‘Create a writing recipe that works for you,’ ‘let your writing air out,’ ‘make writing friends,’ or ‘sometimes you write something so amazing and you fall in love – but then it never works – that’s okay you still wrote those words.’

I gained just as much insight as if I were writing the next best-selling romance-mystery paperback. The best advice I took to heart was to share your work, fiction or nonfiction. Someone else should read it. Lamott encourages you to join a writing group. She pointed out one group that met during one of her writing workshops. They do not read each other’s work, but they get together monthly to discuss their work, what they are reading, and, probably, their lives. As an academic, you may be invited to join a group. Do it! Are you an undergraduate? Find a group on campus. Writing a thesis or dissertation will stretch you, frustrate you, and surprise you. Lamott would tell you to keep showing up anyway, to write a little each day, to trust your voice, and to believe that imperfect pages still move you forward. Set a goal that feels possible, and let that be enough. Yes, your first draft will suck. Your third and fourth might, too, but editing will get you there. Edit, edit, and then edit a tiny bit more. 

The right time to read this book is before your next writing project or the one you are procrastinating on. 

*My full rating scale is on my Instagram. A 5/5 means I found the book Exceptional. It’s a book I’ll revisit, teach from, or recommend often! This book shaped my thinking in some lasting way.