The Book Nest - Not Your Ordinary Bookstore |
About a year ago, I picked up a used
copy of Traveling Mercies by Anne
Lamott at my niece’s little book nook. I’d heard of Lamott for years but never
got around to reading her. Since I qualified for the good relative discount at
The Book Nest, I grabbed the copy with a what-the-heck attitude. If I didn’t
like it, at least I wasn’t out a wad of money.
As it turned out, I got a lot for my
$4.95 investment. (And no tax! Oregon has no sales tax!) Let me say up front, I
don’t see eye to eye with all of Lamott’s religious and political views. But I
found Traveling Mercies full of
funny, witty, honest, and passionate observations on her life and her writing
journey. I enjoyed the book so much that when I saw her book Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing
and Life at another used bookstore (you’re learning where I do a lot of
hanging out), I snapped it up. Once again, it was a shrewd purchase.
What I like about Bird by Bird is the “instructions” on
writing don’t really seem like instructions at all. They aren’t technical “to
do’s,” promising a New York Times bestseller.
But while her advice isn’t a paint-by-numbers guide to constructing plot or
developing scenes, it is tremendously helpful. She gives practical guidance on
generating content, overcoming writer’s block, and finding one’s voice. There’s
even a chapter on dealing with professional jealousy (not that I or anyone I know
ever deals with that).
My favorite take-away from this
book, though, is the author’s thoughts on publication. If you read this book with
dreams of discovering the sure road to Big Five publication, those dreams are most
likely going to be dashed. Or at least broken and bruised a bit. In fact, Lamott
cautions you—very nicely and with lol humor—you’ll be lucky to receive anything
other than a form rejection from an agent. But once you’ve massaged your
injured hopes and resisted the urge to shred your three-hundred-page
manuscript, you’ll find inspiration in her words. And you’ll discover the real reason to
write.