Bird by Bird Discussion
Last week we talked about Index Cards and Calling Around. While I don’t like the telephone, even I had to admit Lamott had a point - people are wonderful tools for research.
This week we’re talking about Writing Groups and Someone to Read Your Drafts, both of which I found extremely useful. I hope you’ll join me in discussing them.
This chapter was very enlightening for me because I have never been part of a face-to-face creative writing class or writing group. Yes, I’ve done both online, but it’s not entirely the same. There’s something about sitting there with your notebook of odds and ends that makes the situation unique.
At least, I believe there would be.
I liked this chapter because it was something writerly that, unlike many of the other chapters, I didn’t have a lot of knowledge about or experience in. However, it did inspire me to think about starting up a group here in Australia sometime after Christmas.
I think, as writers, we need writers groups so we can get out and have some input once in a while.
What did you think of this chapter? Are you in a face-to-face writer’s group? I’d love to hear about it if you are.
I think this chapter is great in that, in essence, Lamott is asking you not to waste an editor or agent’s time with something that isn’t complete and as good as you can make it. Friends, spouses, etc who can give you genuine feedback in a way that doesn’t make you want to strangle them are good people to have around.
This chapter has a lot of good advice because, I feel, a lot of new writers will tolerate people being endlessly negative about their work. A lot of people are too afraid to simply drop someone if they aren’t the person they need in their lives. When it comes to a writing partner, Lamott’s right in that you don’t have time to waste playing with people who don’t treat you (and your work) with kindness and respect.
There’s giving a critique and there’s throwing your manuscript in the mud. The latter just makes you feel horrible, so why waste time with someone who plays in the mud?
I definitely rate this chapter highly as far as how useful the chapter is. What did you think of it? Do you have someone who reads all your work?
November 1st, 2007 at 10:19 am
I had hoped to go back and comment on the earlier discussions when I discovered this blog last week, but it didn’t happen. So I’m just going to start here.
I finished reading up to the end of Someone to Read Your Drafts Last Night. I need to say how much I love this book so far and how it’s made me feel like I’m doing okay.
Writing Groups
I don’t belong to a writing group, but I plan to try to put one together next year when my youngest child is finally in school full time. Ever since I learned about the writing group that C.S. Lewis, Tolkien and some of their chronies had called The Inklings, I have imagined having a writing group that meets at my local pub once or twice a month.
Finding the people to join that group who will be committed to it will probably be the biggest challenge. Lamott gives some ideas on how to find them.
She also points out how being a part of a writing group can keep you accountable. If you know that you’ve got a group meeting coming up, you know you’ve got to get something written. I think this would help me move more quickly with my novel if I knew I had people who were waiting each month to discuss my progress with me.
While I don’t have the time to be part of a writing group right now, what I would like to find is another writer who would be sort of an accountability partner. Someone that I could share my weekly writing goals with, and that person would do the same with me. Then at the end of the week, we’d check up on each other. That would be tremendously helpful to me at the moment.
Someone to Read Your Drafts
I am very fortunate that I have a writing mentor. He is an established freelance writer from my church who offered to mentor me after we’d written a few things together for a church project. His encouragement is invaluable.
I would like to find another person to read things over, too. This definitely could not be my husband. He’s a tell it like it is type of guy, and while this works great for many aspects of our relationship, it would not work for my writing.
I loved the analogy she gave from Marianne Williamson and how she sees that whole process related to writing.
November 3rd, 2007 at 8:27 pm
Hi again!
Yes, I think at least having a writing partner until one can get together a full group is a good idea for any writer. Self-motivation can be quite hard and for some people it just doesn’t happen that often.
I think it’s awesome you have a mentor. Perhaps he could also give you a few ideas and some help when it comes to putting the group together.
My husband is also a tell it like it is sort of guy.
November 17th, 2007 at 4:26 pm
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