Bird By Bird By Anne Lamott – Advice For The Struggling Writer.

My daughter loved this book – I hated it! I guess most aspiring writers will love the book. I was advised to read it by someone I highly respect – but hey, you can’t please everyone all of the time.

The book is packed with personal and often funny stories to illustrate the pitfalls and triumphs a writer will meet. There are great nuggets of useful advice told in a generous manner, which will appeal to many readers. My personal preference is for less packing and fewer stories. But the advice is well tested and proven to work.

Anne Lamott has some amusing allegories – some unforgettable. Her tone is comforting and encouraging – something the new writer needs. One piece of wisdom was that “Good writing is about telling the truth”. That made me wonder?

I wasn’t too keen on references to God. She has her beliefs which I respect but prefer to keep private. In fact, her honesty was rather touching. My daughter was delighted when I gave her my copy of the book, and I expect many other struggling writers will gain comfort from it and take on board the excellent advice – which is there if you search for it.