Bird by Bird

Editorial review

One of the few books on writing that real working writers actually keep on their shelves. Lamott's permission to write 'shitty first drafts,' her chapter on jealousy, and her account of perfectionism are part of the modern writer's vocabulary.

AI-generated summary

Novelist Anne Lamott shares the practical and emotional instructions she gives in her writing classes — including her father's advice to her younger brother facing a daunting bird report: 'just take it bird by bird.'

Key takeaways

• 1

  Take it bird by bird — most overwhelming projects are panic at the wrong scale.

• 2

  Permission to write a 'shitty first draft' is the doorway to ever finishing one.

• 3

  Jealousy is part of the creative life; manage it, don't pretend you've outgrown it.

• 4

  Writing is largely the practice of paying attention.