Bird by Bird.
It's a book, by Anne Lamott. The whole book is about writing, and it's a great read. If I manage to purchase a copy anytime soon, I'll make sure to review it in depth, but it's the title that I want to focus on today.
Lamott tells a story about her brother, when he was still in school. He had a project which involved writing about a lot of birds - 50, if my memory serves me correct. Lamott's brother saved the project to the last night, and then broke down because it was too much to do at once.
Lamott's father took him, sat him down on his knee, and told him to take the project and do it bird by bird. One step at a time.
When I sit down and try to write an epic novel (note: I am not doing any such thing) or even a few chapters, it can seem immense. 100,000 words? I can't write that much. I can't even write 100 words right now.
But if I take it bird by bird, it seems much easier.
So take writing, bird by bird. Don't give up.
Also, don't wait until the night before.
1 comment:
Hey Andy, if you ever want a good kick-in-the-pants on writing (or any creative endeavor) along with some incredibly useful tips on getting it done, read "The War of Art" by Steven Pressfield. I disagree with him on about 40% of the book, but the other 60% is to brilliant not to recommend.
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