Bird by Bird Week 1 Discussion

Discussion Posts Book Club
1

We’ve reached the end of week 1 in our Bird by Bird Book Club! Below are the discussion questions for the week. Throw your comments below and please free to throw in your own thoughts and questions and respond to others so we can make this a true discussion!

Discussion Questions:

  • What were your overall reactions to this week’s reading?

  • We have to talk about Shitty First Drafts. How has the idea of “shitty first drafts” impacted your approach to writing or other creative endeavors? Do you truly embrace the idea or do you find yourself trying to “clean” up your first draft?

  • Short Assignments: How do Lamott’s strategies for short assignments help in breaking down large projects? Have you tried implementing similar techniques?

  • Did you have a negative reaction to anything in these sections? Anything you disagreed with or that made you have a very strong reaction?

  • Based on Week 1’s readings, are there any specific steps you will take to start improving your writing practice?

2

Ok I had a busy week…so I just finished week 1 assignment. (Am I back at school? I was always handing things in late!)
Anyway… things that stuck out to me.
-loved the intro with background about her father
(Lots of good visuals)
-bird by bird (I’m a bird watcher so this will stick.)
-first shitty draft- I always called it it a sloppy copy. This allows for missed steps and adding forgotten pieces.

  • Always trying to shake the perfectionism!!!
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I loved all the descriptions about the dad. It’s how everyone envisions life as a writer….definitely not how it is for most people (luckily because it was very unhealthy!).

I always SAY I don’t have a problem with perfectionism but I’m probably way more hard on myself than I think I am…