When I was in high school I sought out writing books. I wanted to know how to be better, how to be. I was trying to find the secret to finishing a book, the secret to becoming a writer. Mostly, I just put the books down halfway through because I was bored.
However, there were a few books that stuck with me, that I read voraciously till the end, then over and over again trying to suck up more and more genius.
One such book, and one book I suggest to any and all writers, is Anne Lamott’s Bird by Bird. It’s real, it’s funny, and it taught me a lot. I still go back to that book for inspiration when I need it.
Recently, Ms. Lamott wrote an article about finding time to write, and how excuses are basically just excuses. While I don’t agree with everything she says, I think the general principle is dead on. If we’re writers, we simply have to find time to write, and that will sometimes mean making sacrifices. But writers… write. End of story.
Nicole Helm 