Bird by Bird

Bye Bye Birdy

How do you tackle one of the most famous writing craft books, you take it “Bird by Bird.” That’s what we’ve done with Anne Lamott’s book over the past...

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Why Do You Write?

Well, why do you? The answer for most authors is to get published. But is that the only reason, or even the best reason? As we near the...

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What To Do When You Have Writer’s Block

Anne Lamott (in her Bird by Bird book) says the dreaded writer’s block isn’t about being blocked, it’s about being empty. In today’s podcast we discuss Lamott’s approach to...

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Writing Groups: The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly

Behind most successful authors there is a writing group (at least according to their novel's acknowledgment section). But how does one find a writing group, and how do you...

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Writing Advice from the 90s

Some advice is timeless, some is not. In this episode, we evaluate writing techniques from Anne Lamott's book Bird by Bird and see if they still have value...

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Shut (those voices in your head) Up & Write

Sometimes just showing up isn’t enough. You’ve set time aside for writing and instead of your story unfurling on the page (or screen) other things come out. In this...

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Beyond Butt In Chair

We’re onto the second section in Anne Lamott’s Bird by Bird — The Writing Frame Of Mind — and it’s getting a bit nebulous folks. In “Looking Around,” Lamont...

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What to do when your Novel is a Beautiful Mess

Even published authors have problems getting the magical stories in their heads into finished manuscript. But Anne Lamott’s account of how, over the course of three years, she completely...

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