In her book about writing, Anne Lamott recounts a story about her ten year old brother who was frustrated with a bird report he was trying to write. Having three months to write it, he had waited until the night before it was due (how many of us have done that?) Understandably frustrated, his father sat next to him and said, “Bird by bird, buddy. Just take it bird by bird.”
I can relate to this when I think about my own writing life. I love writing. Love. It. However, you wouldn’t actually know that about me because I never do it. I, too, procrastinate, find excuses, fill my time with The Bachelor and Bravo TV, and throw myself into work and family. I write in fits and spurts. I’m good for awhile and then just stop.
This summer, though, inspired by Teachers Write, a virtual writing camp for educators, I made a commitment to writing regularly (for thirty days, at least) and sharing my writing here–the good, bad, and ugly.
Hey, we all have to start somewhere. We all have to take it bird by bird sometimes.
Taking it Bird by Bird 
I love Anne Lamott. I can certainly appreciate the bird by bird advice. I have decided to follow another of Anne’s pearls of wisdom (which I am paraphrasing here) and allow myself to write the worst crap in America, because it takes a truckload full of shit to create a teacup full of beauty.
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Me too! I love the advice you posted–so true. I follow her on Facebook, and she always posts great stuff. This is another one of my favorites: “You own everything that happened to you. Tell your stories. If people wanted you to write warmly about them, they should have behaved better.”
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Absofreakinglutely!
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