Bird by Bird: Book Notes
Book notes from reading "Bird By Bird" by Anne Lamott.
Writing turns out to be its own reward, even if you don’t achieve fame or fortune from it. The best writing advice is to write more often by getting ideas on paper (even if it's sloppy at first) and continually refine your drafts until completion. Good writing reveals universal truths you observe in your own life, which resonate more deeply with you and your readers.
Key Themes:
Writing Is Its Own Reward
The act of writing turns out to be its own reward which you can find joy in.
Fixating on getting published misses the point of writing.
If you struggle to complete your work, write about something that is near and dear to your heart—something you find personally moving to your core.
Be Consistent
The best writing advice is to write more often.
Try to sit down to write at approximately the same time every day.
This trains your unconscious mind to become creative at that particular time each day.
Start Small
Chunk your writing into the smallest most bite-sized piece.
Don’t think about the whole book: just get one single thought down on paper at a time.
When you sit down at the same time each day to write, don’t necessarily have a goal in mind; just write what comes to mind.
Good Writing Is About Telling The Truth
Draw writing inspiration from what you observe out in real life, not from what you read in other books.
When you write about truths you’ve personally experienced, readers will relate, seeing parts of your story in their own lives.
If something inside you is real, the reader will probably find it interesting, and it will probably be universal.
Writing Is a Process of Discovery
Becoming a writer can get you to start paying better attention to the little things around you.
Writing a first draft is like watching a Polaroid develop; you’re not supposed to know exactly what the picture is going to look like until it has finished developing.
You’ll know you’re writing well when it feels as if the right words were already inside you waiting to be freed onto paper.
First Drafts
Almost all good writing begins with a terrible first draft, called the ‘down draft’, where you get something down on paper that you can fix up later.
The second draft is the ‘up draft’ wherein you fix it up by saying what you meant more accurately.
The third draft is the ‘dental draft’, where you check every nook and cranny to make sure it’s perfect.
Practical Advice for Aspiring Writers
Very few writers really know what they are doing until they’ve done it.
There are a million reasons to give up writing, which is why it’s so important to commit to finishing sections and stories to completion.
Don’t save any stories or inspiration for your next writing because if you freely use all your best inspiration for your current writing, you will always find more.1
Read my blog post "How To Scaffold Your Ideas: A Creative Edge In The Age Of AI" to learn the strategies for personally producing novel ideas at scale.