Book Review: “Bird by Bird” by Anne Lamott

Jun 26

Håfa adai! Welcome to my review of Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life, by Anne Lamott.

This book review consists of two parts: a brief summary of content and my personal takeaways/overall rating. I may go into detail about some parts of the book, but I will leave out the greater nuance. I want to share my thoughts on the book and encourage you to purchase a copy of your own.

Click on the tags at the bottom of this post to see all reviews with the same tags in the On Writing & More bookshelf.

Summary of Bird by Bird

“Becoming a writer is about becoming conscious. When you’re conscious and writing from a place of insight and simplicity and real caring about the truth, you have the ability to throw the lights on for your reader.” (p. 91)

Writing is all at once exhilarating, fulfilling, exhausting, and soul-crushing. Those who choose to pursue writing, whether it be recreationally or professionally, will soon become no stranger to the emotional roller coaster filled with the highs of the creative process and the lows of imposture syndrome. In Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life, Anne Lamott takes the reader through the entire writing process—from developing a writing routine, the daunting challenge of the terrible first draft, learning to think of yourself as a writer, asking for and accepting help from others, and the goal of publication—while pulling from hilarious, insightful, and sometimes heartbreaking experiences throughout her own life. Many writers of all skill levels are often caused pause by the immensity of the task ahead of them when they sit down to begin a new project. But sometimes, as Anne Lamott points out in many ways, we need to be reminded to take all things just one scene—or bird—at a time.

My Thoughts on Bird by Bird: 5 stars!

I first read Anne Lamott’s Bird by Bird in August 2024 after watching a book recommendation YouTube video from Christy Anne Jones, shortly after starting the Bookmarks & Armchairs blog. Like many scholars-at-heart, I wanted to dive into the weeds of the how to of creative writing. And like many people with ADHD, I hyper-focused and obsessed over the how to that I overwhelmed myself. I went from thinking I knew what novel writing was to realizing I had made an incorrect assumption to educating myself and then having so much information that I did not know what to do (and froze up). Enter Bird by Bird. This book lifted a tremendous weight off my shoulders! There are three major takeaways I want to expand on.

It is okay to feel like you do not know what you are doing.
Anne Lamott points out in many different ways throughout Bird by Bird that one of the most common misconceptions that aspiring writers have about successful writers is that the latter just sit down at their workspace and know exactly what to do, how to do it, and when to do it. But the reality is that none of us know what we are doing, at least not completely. And that is okay! Feeling unclear or lost throughout the process does not make someone a less good or a bad writer.
Do not expect your first draft to be your final draft.
As I have said in several pages on this blog, my background is in the social sciences and history. Years of training in the context of the academe has given me a strong sense of how to where to go to find information, how to analyze and interpret that information, and how to communicate that information to others. However, having ADHD often means that “due tomorrow” translates to “do tomorrow,” and assignments I should have dedicated months to completing were rushed in the course of a week or two. So, for years, I had become conditioned to my first draft oftentimes being my final draft. But this is not how creative writing is (or should be) done. When I first began my novel writing journey, I would become so quickly discouraged and convince myself that I was single-handedly the most horrible writer to ever exist. But in Bird by Bird, Anne Lamott reminds the reader again and again that the first drafts are really only meant to serve two purposes: (1) to exist, and (2) to be shitty. Giving myself “permission” to write shitty first drafts has been simultaneously liberating and exhilarating! It seemed counter-intuitive at first — Wouldn’t I be creating more work for myself if I have a shitty first draft that needs to be completely re-written? — but allowing the “bad” writing to come out paved the way for the good writing to breathe and take shape.
Being a better listener and observer makes you a better writer, and vice versa.
I have loved books and reading for as long as I could remember. But devoting the time and effort into becoming a better writer (and actually finishing the projects that I start) has completely changed how I engage with stories as well as how I experience day-to-day life. Creating entire worlds and casts of characters requires you to exist outside of yourself for a while, to see through and understand the perspectives and motives of others. It is not enough to assume how someone of a certain background would think, feel, act, or react. You have to truly put in the effort to see their world through their eyes. If/when done successfully, your writing will not “feel like” a representation of a different place or person but will be a representation of a different experience.

My overall rating for Anne Lamott’s Bird by Bird is 5 out of 5 stars! This is an essential reading for all aspiring to be published writers as well as those trying to hone their skills in any other creative outlet. Anne Lamott’s prose is witty, funny, and easily applicable to many facets of daily life. I have read this book multiple times now — first to introduce myself to it, then to engage with and analyze it, then to enjoy it — and each re-read presents a hilarious yet gentle reminder to be kinder to myself as a writer. I highly recommend and have even gifted copies of this book to others also interested in pursuing the profession of writing.

Dångkulo' na' saina ma'åse'! Thank you so much for reading my review of Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life by Anne Lamott.

Rating Cheat Sheet

4.75 - 5.00 stars: Everyone should read this book! (If you’re into that sort of thing.)
4.00 - 4.50 stars: I appreciated many aspects of this book. I recommend it!
3.00 - 3.75 stars: I liked some aspects of this book. I won’t revisit it, but someone else might really like it.
2.00 - 2.75 stars: There were some things I appreciated about this book, but I do not recommend it.
0.25 - 1.75 stars: I do not recommend this book. I did not enjoy or appreciate the experience of it.

Post Date: 10 August 2025