Bird By Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life

How was Lamott’s practice of writing influenced by her father?

What values underly Lamott’s writing advice? How does she define what good writing is and what it should do, both for the reader and for the writer?

Bird by Bird is explicit in the lessons it tries to teach the reader about writing. How do tips about life mirror or diverge from tips on writing?

Lamott is clear about her writing being informed by grief and addiction. How can a writing practice engage with trauma?

Some of Lamott’s advice is very individual, such as how she retained an agent. Is there tension between the genres of Bird by Bird—writing guide and memoir?

Lamott does not shy away from acknowledging that writing can be an uncertain and challenging career path. What rewards does it offer, in her view, that might compensate for the hard work and precarity it often involves?

Lamott structures elements of the book like a class or workshop. How does the experience of reading the book differ from that of participating in a class? How is it similar?

Lamott advises using people you know as the basis for characters in your writing but changing details about them. What ethical questions does this practice raise?