In my endeavor to learn to write better, I have been reading. So there are a few books that I have bought on writing and a few books, that I hope will turn out to be enriching reads that inspire me to write more. Would like to share my thoughts and write about 2 books that I read recently – books that talk about how to write better.
Bird by Bird by Anne Lamott
I started reading about writing with “Art of Fiction” by John Gardner. The book is absolutely textbook like. 50-60 pages into it I really felt that I need to read something that can inspire me in not-so-heavy way. While reading multiple articles had come across suggestions on this book, and everyone who read it swore by it. While reading “Dongri To Dubai”, in acknowledgement, I saw the writer crediting Anne Lamott for inspiring him. So I bought and read the book. It really is a very inspiring book on writing.
“Bird by Bird” empathizes with your agonies and ecstasies and makes a writer feel like human being. It is funny and enlightening both at a time. The author has divided the book in 5 parts – Writing, Writing Frame of Mind, Help along the way, Publication and other reasons to write and the last class. And it breezes through most of it. She even reminds that if you want a literary exposition on writing, John Gardner has done a much better work in his books. Here are some of the things that I liked in her suggestions:
· Get started – get everything you have in your mind down. Write down and then fix up.
· Take a Polaroid view of your writing, taking a small 1 inch frame and see what you have to write through it. Take every little paragraph or event as a short assignment.
· Don’t try to be perfect and it is ok even if you write a shitty first draft. She goes on to stay then when you put down everything on paper i.e. when you write 5 pages to arrive at 5 lines, you will appreciate how beautiful the subconscious is, how it will bring out things from your mind that you knew not existed.
· Then she talks of how to use characters to develop plots. In a beautiful line she says – “My characters know who they are , and what happens to them, where they will go and what they are capable of doing, but the need me to write it down for them, because their handwriting is so bad”
· She talks of observing people –how they talk, how they look and so on. And she mentions a great line here as well “You must learn about people from people and not from books”. I think that is the only way writers can remain sane.
· The book then goes through the set designs, false starts, plot treatments, having a point of view, morality , on looking at others and getting jealous , on the incessant blabbering of mind which she calls Radio station KFKD.
She goes on and gives us the tips that have helped her. I particularly liked the chapter on jealousy. Especially while you see the books around in the best sellers JJ. Some lines that she quotes from other writers are remarkable like “ I get up. I walk. I fall down. Meanwhile, I keep dancing”.
She then moves on discussing the little aides that writers can use, like an index cards or talking to people who would know the stuff you are writing about, and forming writing groups and finding someone whom you can share your drafts with. And before ending she talks of how important it is to find your voice and write for the sake of writing and not for publication, as publication will not make you wiser or better, writing will.
Overall, the book is highly recommended for people who want to write and want to get some tips on. It is not a text book and will not tell you any formula to get things done, but it will motivate you.
So go on, be brave, form a schedule, be disciplined and start writing. J
Story Structure – The key to successful fiction – By William Bernhardt
To start with it is a short 100 pager which is strikingly different from “Bird by Bird”. It is a tips and tricks kind of short book, suggesting importance of structure and how to approach structure of the story before you start writing you novel. It gives exactly the steps on how to structure the 3 acts and how to create relate an inciting incident that can take you to a logical climax. How to consider each scene, put it all together, outline and climax. It talks about how classical story telling is using this structure for ages and how it is not a formula. The book doesn’t talk about plot. It just talks on structure and gives you some handy tools and exercises to help you structuring and understanding structure, in case you are struggling with it.
It is an ordinary book. But if you are struggling with something specific, you might find something here, that you will be able to use for a lifetime.
P.S: Next books to be read - Elements of Style by WIlliam Stunk and Art of Fiction by John Gardner. ALong with short stories from Poe and Lovecraft and Tolstoy. Slowly we will do it - Bird by bird.
P.P.S. : Participated in Tata crucible last week. Performed really bad. Wife won the tata track in Pune.
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