Review: Bird by Bird

It seems like Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life by Anne Lamott took me forever to finish. I started it eagerly - I had heard so many good things about it and the beginning was great. I just loved the story that inspired the title:

Thirty years ago my older brother, who was ten years old at the time, was trying to get a report on birds written that he'd had three months to write. It was due the next day. We were out at our family cabin in Bolinas, and he was at the kitchen table close to tears, surrounded by binder paper and pencils and unopened books on birds, immobilized by the hugeness of the task ahead. Then my father sat down beside him, put his arm around my brother's shoulder, and said, 'Bird by bird, buddy. Just take it bird by bird.'

But after that great start, this book felt very scattered, like a series of unconnected essays rather than a coherent thought. It was easy to read just a little bit then put down - unfortunately, it was just as easy to forget to pick up again. As I said, I loved the story behind the title, but the rest of the book didn't live up to that promise.

Buy Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life on Amazon.

My apologies to those of you who accidentally saw this in your feed reader last week - I had some bumps in trying to get it to publish correctly!

Links

Two quick links for a Wednesday:

As heard (by me) on NPR: Save the Words, where you can adopt a word that is about to go extinct. (Warning, site contains sounds, if you are secretly reading this at work.)

My friend Laura has issued a challenge to me to take part in next year's Zombie Safe House Competition. I accept!

NaBloPoMo: Day 1

Since I stink as a book blogger these days, I thought I'd see if participating in NaBloPoMo (National Blog Posting Month) would help kickstart me back into being a better blogger. Even in my blogging heyday, I never posted daily, so this might be interesting.

I am not, sadly, participating in NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) this year. With baby due December 3, I just can't do it. And to be honest, being pregnant has made my arm injury flare back up (not surprisingly) which means that I can't type that much. This is actually one of the contributing factors to my lack of blogging.

Anyway, if any of you are participating in NaNoWriMo, I can't wait to hear all about it. I loved participating the past two years and winning last year felt great. I highly recommend doing it to anyone who likes writing.

Interesting Links

My links today are sort of all over the place, but are more about architecture than books.

Via Shelf Awareness: Near the Library, D’Espresso’s Bookish Coffee Bar.

Via (sort of surprisingly) Go Fug Yourself:
10 music videos set in libraries and bookstores.

Via archinect: Should you build your own home? Loved this! FYI, home in this context, refers to your website, not to an actual house.

At the NY Times, AT HOME WITH PATRICK DOUGHERTY: Building With Sticks and Stones. I've written about the artist previously.

Teaser Tuesday 10/5

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along!

Just do the following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS!
• Share the title & author, too, so that others can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teaser!

This week's Teaser is from Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life by Anne Lamott.

[A moral position] begins in the heart of a character and grows from there. Tell the truth and write about freedom and fight for it, however you can, and you will be richly rewarded.

I've been reading this book for some time now, somewhat because I've been in a general reading slump, but also because this book lends itself really well to being read in snippets.

Links & Wishlist: The Architect's Portfolio

Via NPR's Monkey See blog, Galleycat's Worst Negative Book Review Clichés: I was fine until I hit #5, "I just didn't *care* about the characters." I'm pretty sure I say that in every other negative review. Oops!

It's been a long while since I had to do a portfolio, so The Architect's Portfolio: Planning, Design, Production by Andreas Luescher looks like a good resource.


My husband and I went to see Inception this past weekend. I'm not sure I understood it, but I thought it was great. And one of the main characters is an architect! I definitely recommend it.

Justin Allen: For the Love of Pete, Don’t Mix Your Genres!

Justin Allen (author of Year of the Horse) has written an essay in three parts, published today. Here's a taste to get you started, then follow the link to read more.

For the Love of Pete, Don’t Mix Your Genres;
Or… The New York Times Book Review Hates YOU, but I Don’t;
Or… Why Where Your Book Gets Shelved Determines Your Intelligence, Work-Ethic and Value to Society

That’s a longish title I’ll admit, and while I generally don’t go in for such larded vessels, in this case I’m willing to make an exception. Monstrous though it may seem (and most assuredly is), the above title sums up pretty much everything I have to say on the subjects of writing and publishing. The first line ought to be read as a word of warning to struggling writers. The second explains - in as much as an explanation of the unintelligible is even possible - why the publishing industry behaves
as it does. And the third highlights our common enemy, which turns out to be ourselves.

Really - if I must say so myself - that title is a wonder of economy, precision and restraint. But maybe you’d like me to elaborate? Normally I’d refuse - principally on the grounds that my arguments tend to be weakened by exploration - but as I have been contracted to provide a minimum of fifteen minutes of reading diversion, I will betray myself and attempt to explain…

Why Where Your Book Gets Shelved Determines Your Intelligence, Work-Ethic and Value to Society.

Continue reading A Manifesto of Imaginative Literature

Review: On Writing

I'll say this right up front: I don't particularly enjoy Stephen King's books. Too gory or too long, I usually think. There's only been one of his novels that I liked enough to finish (The Eyes of the Dragon) and its sort of a non-Stephen King, Stephen King novel. I couldn't deny, though, that the man knows what he's talking about when it comes to writing, for shear quantity alone. So when a few people mentioned I should read his memoir/how-to book On Writing, I decided to give it a try. I'm so glad that I did. I really enjoyed this book.

In the first section, King describes his life and how it led him to becoming a writer. Avid fans will enjoy getting to read how King came up with the ideas behind some of his most famous books, including Carrie. He also describes in some detail his addiction to drugs and alcohol. A final section, a coda of sorts, describes his life and how he returned to writing after a brutal accident that nearly killed him.

In the second section of the book, King goes more deeply into how to write. He talks about the tools a writer uses (language, grammar, etc) and gives examples (mostly not his own) of writing styles and successes. The advice was solid and I especially liked the concrete examples King gave of editing his own work. I do think that advice on writing can only go so far (a sentiment King and, I think, most other writers would agree with) and that, in the end, reading about writing may be like listening to music about sex: interesting, educational, but probably won't really make you better at it.

Still, On Writing allowed me to see more clearly how a best-selling author approaches his own work, which was a process I find fascinating. I am certain Stephen King fans will love the inside look at their favorite author. More than that, though, I think other readers will enjoy this book as much as I did.

Buy On Writing on Amazon.

Also, there's an On Writing: 10th Anniversary Edition coming out this July. I wonder what new information it will contain.

Teaser Tuesday 2/23

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along!

Just do the following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS!
• Share the title & author, too, so that others can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teaser!

From On Writing by Stephen King:

I'm convinced that fear is at the root of most bad writing. If one is writing for one's own pleasure, that fear may be mild - timidity is the word I've used here.

I am really enjoying this book so far, and I am by no means a King fan.

Wondrous Words Wednesday

I've never participated in Wondrous Word Wednesdays before. Honestly, I don't look words up. I have a big vocabulary to begin with (so much reading as a kid, I guess) and 99% of the time, I can get it from context. That's good enough to me. But last week I ran into a word that had me baffled. Part of it that there was no context, so I actually had to check the dictionary.

Last week Shelf Awareness asked UK mystery/crime writer Mo Hayder what is her favorite line from a book:

The opening line of Earthly Powers by Anthony Burgess. "It was the afternoon of my eighty-first birthday, and I was in bed with my catamite when Ali announced that the archbishop had come to see me." Woah. Now there's a sentence that does the work of an army in terms of plot and characterization and pacing.

Catamite? Is that a big cat? Oh, no.

catamite: a boy kept for homosexual practices. ORIGIN late 16th cent.: from Latin catamitus, via Etruscan from Greek Ganumēdēs (Ganymede).

Learn something new every day, I guess!

Wondrous Word Wednesday is hosted by Kathy of Bermudaonion.

NaNoWriMo 2009: The End

I DID IT! I finished my NaNo novel!


And I did it a whole day early. Now I can go to bed.

Friday Update: NaNoWriMo Week 2

I have a confession. I took last night (Thursday) off from writing. My husband and I went out to dinner instead. It was marvelous, to be honest. We had a great meal and it was very relaxing. Less relaxing is looking at my word count graph now. Ouch.

Weekends are for catching up, right?

Previously: Week 1

Review: Words @ Work

Words @ Work shows everyone from executives and entrepreneurs to up-and-coming staffers how to write in a clear, conversational style that people want to read. Learn how to effectively organize information (no tedious outlines!); cut the fat (editing tips and tricks); and harvest a feast of ideas. Words @ Work includes tools and techniques for overcoming fear of writing; jump-starting the writing process; achieving goals faster; building confidence; and even earning a promotion or two. Words @ Work not only teaches how to write, but helps readers tap into their creativity--and there's no telling where that can lead.

What I liked best about Words @ Work by Lynda McDaniel was the author's message that good writing doesn't need to be reserved for novels or professional writers. Anytime you are trying to get a message across with words, it is worth doing it well. As the unofficial marketing manager for my small architecture firm, I feel strongly that McDaniels is right about this. It doesn't matter that I'm an architect. Whether I am writing a proposal or a simple business letter, I am a professional writer in that moment and my words need to be the best they can be. Obviously, though, I am already sold on the concept of the power of writing and didn't take much convincing!

If you've read a lot of writing books, most of the ground covered in Words @ Work will probably be familiar to you. McDaniels emphasizes writing consistently and shoving your inner editor aside while you let the creative juices flow. Even though this may not be groundbreaking advice, its particularly relevant for those of us doing NaNoWriMo or NaBloPoMo right now!

Buy Words @ Work at Amazon.

Words @ Work was provided to me for review by the author as part of a book tour.

Friday Update: NaNoWriMo Week 1 Edition

The first week of NaNoWriMo is almost over. If I could figure out how to actually use their word count widgets, I would post one here for your amusement. Instead, here's a screenshot of my progress chart instead. This is as of Thursday night when I'm writing this post, so hopefully I'm even further along as you are reading this.


Its interesting to compare that to last year. While I'm not exactly a barnstormer, I'm definitely on a much better pace than in '08. Turns out, studying for a licensing exam totally interferes with trying to write a novel.

Have a good weekend, everyone!

Game on! NaNoWriMo 2009

I know I should have written this yesterday, as National Novel Writing Month started then, but I was traveling most of the day and didn't have the chance to post. Anyway, please consider this my official "I'm doing NaNo, so cut me some slack on the lack of blogging" post. And if any of you out there are also doing NaNo, shoot me an email so I can friend you over there (lorin_arch at hotmail dot com).

Where Do the Books Come From?

My husband is pretty sure my books are breeding, but in actuality, I buy most of them. I've seen a lot of bloggers list where the last 20 books they've reviewed came from, and in honor of the FTC's new rules (even though I don't think they really apply to unpaid book bloggers), I thought I would do the same.

• The Dark is Rising: Bought used.
• The Magician's Elephant: At my request, from Publisher for review.
• Walking the Bible: Bought new.
• Looking for Alaska: Bought new.
• Spook: Science Tackles the Afterlife: Library (actually, I borrowed it from a friend, but he had borrowed it from the library).
• Catching Fire: Bought new. And in hardcover even! Because, like crack, the first one may be free, but then they get you as a repeat customer.
• No Dogs in Heaven?: Bought new.
• Good Omens: Borrowed (so to speak) from my husband. Since he's owned it for probably 15 years, I think we can safely assume he bought it at some point.
• The Prizewinner of Defiance Ohio: Bought used.
• Black Water: Bought used, a million years ago.
• Witch World: Another one from my husband.
• The Book of Unholy Mischief: From Author for review, via Pump Up Your Book Promotions tour.
• The Name of the Wind: Gift.
• The Middle Place: Bought new.
• The Android's Dream: Borrowed from friend.
• The House of the Scorpion: Bought used.
• Dead Until Dark, Living Dead in Dallas, and Club Dead (Sookie Stackhouse novels 1-3): Bought new.
• Broken (Women of the Otherworld, Book 6): Gift.
• The 19th Wife: Bought used.
• Terra Insegura: At my request, from Author for review, after I won the sequel in a contest on his blog. Er, um, I got that backwards. This is the sequel, which I won in a contest. The author gave me Marserguro, the first book.

And there you have it. What did we learn? Only 3 out of 20 were review copies and I spend way too much money on books.

BBAW: Setting Goals

In 50 words or less, what do you like best about your blog right now and where would you like your blog to be a year from now?

The thing I like best is it exists! I've heard that most bloggers give up after 6 months. arch thinking is over a year old and, while I have days with nothing to say, I generally am still excited to keep going. In a year, I'd like to be blogging more and have more readers.

That's 54 words. Close enough!

Thanks for a wonderful Book Blogger Awareness Week, everyone! I've had a blast.

Friday!

Once again, Friday is here. Time for me to update the ever-growing list of books I've read and/or brought into my life and to plan what the next book in my teetering To Be Read pile I will tackle next. On my way out the door this morning, I wavered between two books before deciding to grab The Prize Winner of Defiance, Ohio by Terry Ryan. It's been on the shelf for quite a while and looked like it needed some attention.

Those of you who read this blog in a reader may not have noticed, but two new buttons have been added to my side bar. The first is an ad for Kiva, "the world's first person-to-person micro-lending website, empowering individuals to lend directly to unique entrepreneurs around the globe." Kiva first came to my attention when Laura went to Uganda last year as a Kiva Fellow and blogged about her adventures, good and bad. More recently, my sister gave me a Kiva gift certificate, allowing me to make two micro-loans. One is to a woman in Nigeria who makes concrete blocks (I've got to support my fellow women in the construction industry!) and one is to a collaboration in Uganda. I encourage any of you who are interested to find out more and consider making a loan or two yourselves. Feel free to let me know if you have any questions.

The other new blog button is way less world-saving: I've decided I am crazy enough to do National Novel Writing Month (aka NaNoWriMo) again this year! I didn't win (ie, finish my novel) last year but that was when I was studying for my license exam so I think this year will be much easier. So, come November, expect a lot less reading and blogging from me, and a lot more pleading for plot ideas. Let me know if you plan to participate - I can either encourage or dissuade, as needed!

Online Reviews

From The Economist: If a book on Amazon.com, the leading online retailer, already has hundreds of reviews, is it worth bothering to add another?

Book Review Ethics

There is an interesting post over at Hey, Lady! Whatcha Readin'?, the Ethics of Book Reviews, based in turn on a post from Reading Matters, the Pitfalls of receiving free books. It's all very interesting, but I would like to point out one thing: book bloggers are hardly alone in this dilemma. From a blog post on Bookslut:

... last night two people mentioned this article about Kevin Coval's Everyday People in the Sun Times. It is written by his publisher. Amazingly, this information does not show up in the author's bio: "Mark Eleveld is a local free-lance writer."

Conflict of interest, anyone?