The Writing Frame Of Mind From Bird By Bird Anne Lamott

Paying Attention

Bird by Bird. Some Instructions on Writing and Life. Anne Lamott.

Paying Attention

"One of the best gifts of being a writer is that it gives you an excuse to do things, to go places and explore. Another is that writing motivates you to look closely at life, at life as it lurches by and tramps around." – Anne Lamott

Writing is about paying attention, to pay attention to all of life, and then write about it every day. Pay attention, take notes, and write a little every day. Bird by Bird is Anne Lamott's account of what she knows about writing, and she writes in her endearing, humorous style. I may have said this before, Anne Lamott is one of the few writers that can make me laugh out loud so hard sometimes that tears run down my cheeks, whether or not she intended to be funny. The book is her honest, raw, and hilarious story-telling style on what it means to be a writer regardless of the genre or style in which you write.

Writing

Good writing is about telling the truth
There is enough material in life, your life, to write about it for the rest of your life
Writing is a matter of persistence, faith, and hard work
To become a better writer, become a better reader (both work hand-in-hand)
Use lots of paper
- Get it all down

One of the tips for writing that Lamott mentions is to use a one-inch picture frame as a point of reference for what to write. Write as much as you see through the one-inch picture frame. (p. 17) The exercise helps keep the writing to small actionable chunks of daily work.

"Writing…is like driving a car at night. You can see only as far as your headlights, but you can make the whole trip that way." – E. L. Doctorow

The Terrible First Effort – The "Shitty First Draft"

Bird by Bird contains one of Lamott's best and often quoted essays on writing, entitled "Shitty First Drafts." Her kernels of wisdom in this chapter alone are worth the price of admission to reading the book:

Shitty first drafts – all good writers write them
They lead to good second drafts and terrific third drafts
No one sits down and writes their best work with a first draft
- No one is exempt from writing a shitty first draft
- Get all the writing down on paper in the first draft
Perfectionism is one of the main obstacles to writing your shitty first draft
- Persevere in the clutter and messiness of life
You have to start writing somewhere
- Begin with your terrible first effort
The second draft is the up draft where you fix up the first draft
The third draft is the dental draft where you check every tooth of the writing
How do you know when the writing is complete?
- You know internally – it feels like the best you can do for now
- Your shitty first draft is nowhere near the completion phase
Trust the process
Write the shitty first draft
Remember, no one is reading your first drafts – these are for you

A Writing Frame of Mind

Paying Attention — *This is my version of the one-inch picture frame – a 2×3 frame*

"If you are a writer, or want to be a writer, this is how you spend your days – listening, observing, storing things away, making isolation pay off. You take home all you've taken in, all that you've overheard, and you turn it into gold. (Or at least you try.)" – Anne Lamott

Keep learning to pay attention, and then communicate what is going on
Write about real life right in front of you
Writing is a reverent act of openness to the world
Be willing to be startled by beauty or insight, and then write that down
Tell the truth – you have nothing else to tell us
You have to believe in the position or viewpoint of writing, or nothing will drive your work (p. 106)
The truth of your experience can only come through your voice
- Always write from that place – your own (p. 199)

Help Along the Way in the Writing Process

Keep lists
Take notes
Use writing instruments – pens are good
Use index cards – lots of them and make them available nearly everywhere you live and work
Carry a pen and mini notebook with you at all times
- Take notes along the way of your daily living
Spend time alone and with others
You become a better writer by working with others (e.g., participate in a writing group)
Find others who will read your finished drafts (not your shitty first drafts) and provide you with honest feedback (p. 163)

"Writing resonates in such a way that you think 'Yes, yes, that's exactly what life is like.'" – Anne Lamott

Simple Instructions for Writing Once More

Take notes
Look through a one-inch picture frame to view the subject or perspective you need to write
Start writing
Get it all down
"Write an incredible shitty, self-indulgent, whiny, mewling first draft" (p. 193)
Then take out the excesses in phases of other drafts

"Becoming a writer is about becoming conscious. When you're conscious and writing from a place of insight and simplicity and real caring about the truth, you have the ability to throw the lights on for your reader." – Anne Lamott

Final Word

Being a writer is committing to a life cycle of reading, writing, and connecting
Writing matters
- A matter of the heart
- Deepens and widens your sense of life
- Feeds your soul

"'So why does our writing matter, again?' they ask. Because of the spirit, I say. Because of the heart. Writing and reading decrease our sense of isolation. They deepen and widen and expand our sense of life; they feed the soul." – Anne Lamott

Why do you write?

What helps you write? (e.g., writing with pen and paper, using a personal computer or tablet, using a recording device?)

What is your best advice for writing?

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