Recently, my daughter Dani gave me a copy of Anne Lamott's, Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life, the 25th Anniversary Edition.
Being a quarter century late to the party, and from New Zealand/Aotearoa—"land of the long white cloud," a few puffs of doubt crept into my mind as I contemplated writing this blog: What can I possibly add to what has already been written about this seminal book?
And then there was light: What it means to you! And after devouring it, my reaction: gobsmacked.
I have read a number of books on writing. My home library has some of the usual suspects: Story by Robert McKee; The Hero With a Thousand Faces by Joseph Campbell; The Elements of Style by Strunk and White (grammar nerds forever). And I do live in Los Angeles...Screenplay: The Foundations of Screenwriting by Syd Field; The Hollywood Standard by Christopher Riley; and my autographed copy of Save the Cat by Blake Snyder (RIP, sir). Let's not forget Jerry Jenkins—big fan!
But this text was different.
How?
Several days passed and numerous cups of coffee consumed before insights slowly percolated and took form in my consciousness...drip...drip...drip...
I have never met Anne Lamott, seen any YouTube videos about her, and until Dani gave me this New York Times bestseller—I had never even read any of her books. Yet like all great writing, it spoke to me on a deeply personal—proton, neutron, electron level. It was like she knew me: we had been childhood friends playing in the sylvan areas of the Waitākere Ranges. Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life was suddenly a literary conduit to a best mate, mentor, confidant, cheerleader, writing coach, mum...Shall I continue?
As I pored over each page, I laughed, nay, guffawed. I sighed. I cried. And finally spied the eureka line on page 204:
"Being enough was going to have to be an inside job."
Gobsmacked.
"Being enough was going to have to be an inside job."
It's worth repeating. Let that inner realization sink in to the very core of your being. I'll wait...
I remember when I first self-published, Christmas Yve: A Kiwi Elf's Dream to Join Santa, I had already started searching for a barn for my soon-to-be-acquired unicorn. And I was pursuing rainbows with the passion of Helen Hunt's and Bill Paxton's characters—storm chasers—in the 1996 movie Twister.
Alas. My worldly writing dreams that I convinced myself would fill all the potholes of emptiness within my soul did not manifest. I still believe in unicorns...I just don't own one. And my longed-for pot of gold is a wedding band from my beloved wife.
I hope I am not coming off as whiny. In my wallet is my SAG-AFTRA card (must pay my dues) and my library card—just no Victim Card.
Believe me, for you, for me, for all the members in our Writers Group Chat, I want you to experience every success (however you gauge that). I want your books to be as ubiquitous as James Patterson's—available at every airport bookstore in the world! I want your masterpiece to be studied in high schools like I studied Fahrenheit 451 at KBHS in Mr. Morgan's English class. Like J.K. Rowling, I want your book series to be made into movies, plays, theme parks, and merchandise to be given away in Happy Meals when you take your sprog to Maccas. Just don't fall victim to your ego's wiles that external treasure will complete you. "You complete me" is a line best delivered by movie star Tom Cruise. He has the gravitas, good looks, filmography, and belief system to pull it off!
This is why I found Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life so grounded. Anne Lamott is a published author. She is a New York Times best-selling author. Yet never did I glean from the book that the art, process, and business of writing were in themselves all-fulfilling. "Being enough"...You know it by now.
Concomitant with the craft of writing, Ms. Lamott's text also addressed the inner emotional, psychic, even spiritual challenges that writers experience with a voice that was humorous, compassionate, and understanding. This is why I could not put her book down.
For example: Writers sometimes feel jealous of other writers' success. Mea culpa. Writers sometimes tune in and get stuck on the self-loathing track in their mental radio. Mea culpa. Writers sometimes do not eat or listen to their greens, especially broccoli. Mea culpa.
Okay, one last time, mentally with eyes closed, deeply affirm each word:
"Being enough was going to have to be an inside job."
🥝🥝🥝🥝
Of course no homage to Ms. Lamott's book, her dad, and older brother's homework project (reflected in the title) would be complete without a description of a bird I know and love:
The kiwi is a flightless, tailless, nocturnal bird native to New Zealand. Because this bird is a national icon, New Zealanders are often referred to as Kiwis.
It dwells in the bush, sleeping in burrows during the day and forages for food—larvae, insects, worms—with its long beak by night. There are five species of kiwi: great spotted kiwi, little spotted kiwi, rowi, brown kiwi, and tokoeka.
Not being able to fly makes kiwis particularly vulnerable to stoats, dogs, ferrets, even humans. Fortunately, New Zealand's Department of Conservation and national charity Save the Kiwi are dedicated to safeguard our beautiful kiwi. I invite you to participate in this noble effort!