Bird by Bird Discussion
Hello everyone, and welcome to the first Bird by Bird book discussion. Today we’ll be discussing chapter one, appropriately titled “Getting Started�.
Lamott starts off with the basic human longing – to understand the ‘why’ of life and of who we are as people. Why do things work the way they do? Why am I the person I am today? Then she moves into writing is about telling the truth.
Now, I didn’t want to get stuck on this little point when I was barely into the chapter, but there are so many arguments about writing being about telling a good lie/tale and not about the truth. But reading on, I realized the truth is where you get started.
I may have never traveled to another world when I was in high school, but I wanted to, and that’s where the grain of truth to start my story came from. That’s why Lamott says to start with your childhood. Start with the truth there. You remember it, so write down what you remember and you can build on it later.
She goes on to touch on something I feel is very important:
“The problem that comes up over and over is that these people want to be published. They kind of want to write, but they really want to be published.�
And that’s the key, isn’t it? I believe too many people focus on just getting published. People assume because you know how to write, anyone can write a book. I encourage those people to think of it this way: Just because I know how to hold a paint brush and put paint on a canvas doesn’t mean I can create a wonderful work of art.
As Lamott says, “Fantasy keys won’t get you in. Almost ever single thing you hope publication will do for you is a fantasy, a hologram – it’s the eagle on your credit card that only seems to soar.�
This is what I like about this book so far – her approach to writing. You have to practice. You have to write the pages of crap to find the few paragraphs that are good to build on. You have to sit down regularly and practice, just like you did when you were a child and learning your times tables or the trumpet.
She’s teaching writing like you would teach painting: practice and practice regularly.
What do you think of the first chapter? Do you agree with her approach to writing? Are there any points you think are key in the chapter that I didn’t touch on? Is there anything I’ve mentioned that you’d like to expand on?
August 15th, 2007 at 9:16 am
The difference between nonfiction and fiction may appear, at first blush, to be the difference between truth and falsehood, but that lends only a limited scope to the concept of “truth.” What is “truth,” though, is much more expansive.
Truth lies (no pun) at the core of any good writing, fiction and nonfiction alike. There is a distinction, however, in the methodology employed by the authors of each. Nonfiction authors tell the truth factually, whereas authors of fiction tell the truth hypothetically.
Take, for instance, the truism that forbidden love frequently ends in heartbreak. James Burge demonstrates this truth through the nonfiction vehicle of the historical tale of Heloise and Abelard. William Shakespeare conveys the same truth through the fictional tale of Romeo and Juliet.
Both are compelling tales, effective because they fit squarely into common experience so as to be believable, but one happened and the other did not.
August 15th, 2007 at 3:37 pm
Lamott really makes a good point about people wanting to be published. It’s like that old saying about the journey versus the destination. One of the reasons that I have been writing fanfiction in to work on my craft. This has worked out really well for me as I have actually finished a story. It isn’t a long one…but I’ve never finished anything before.
So, yeah. I’d love to be published, but I think I still have a journey ahead of me.
August 15th, 2007 at 7:16 pm
The Fool - You make a very good point. Perhaps that is the bottom line- truth in facts and truth in truism. Either way, I think it’s great to point this out, especially to new writers or writers who feel they lack inspiration. There is truth everywhere, and thus things to write about everywhere.
Elisa - Congratulations on finishing. I have non-finished things stacked up all over the place. And you also make the point of the reason I don’t think fanfiction is evil - it helps you get down the technical part without having to worry about the bigger things like creating a whole new world with new people.