Bird By Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life

Growing up with her father, the novelist Kenneth Lamott, in Marin County, California, Lamott sometimes feels resentful of her father’s career, which is very different from those of her friends’ fathers. Still, she learns from his example and becomes known among her friends as a skilled storyteller. Later, she starts to write some of her stories down and tries to publish them, initially with little success.

When she is in her mid-twenties, her father dies of brain cancer. She writes about the experience of losing her father, and she sends the manuscript to her father’s agent, who becomes her agent. After the publication of her first book, Lamott receives mixed reviews and a modest sum of money.

Lamott continues to write and has several other books published, without huge financial success. She also begins teaching writing. Bird by Bird, she says, is derived from the lessons she teaches in her writing workshops.

Lamott’s first piece of advice is: writing is an interesting way of “telling the truth” (3). When her students do not know where to begin, she suggests writing from memory, starting with early experiences in school, then moving onto vacations, holidays, and other big life events.

Next, Lamott suggests creating a daily writing ritual.