A Sunset in May

Last night, I started reading one of a number of short writing books I picked up over the last few months.

At the turn of the year, I thought if I read more writing books, I’d write more, so I scoured a few writing book lists from decent sources on the internet for recommends.

As you can see by my posts history on the site, that writing drive fell off for a while.

One of the first recommended books I read, though, was Stephen King’s “On Writing”, which I’ve talk about in earlier posts. The big takeaway I got from it was, among other things, writers read. So I felt amped up to read more- and I’ve read one book since. Okay- actually two. Impressive.

Anyways, I’ve had several books I’ve thought I’d read since then, but I’ve had a hard time getting into anything lately, for a range of reasons. My reading list is pretty full right now. My reading regimen, however, needs some help.

Derek Allard, a Facebook friend I’ve come to enjoy, is a big fan of David Foster Wallace, and because I appreciate his mind, I thought I’d try to understand Wallace. I know now that Wallace is viewed as a towering contemporary figure in American letters from his work over the last two decades before his death in 2008. Derek suggested I read “Infinite Jest” which I went out and picked up, but because it is about as thick as a bus tire (1000+ pages), I just haven’t been able to get into it.

There is also “Power Branding”, written by friend and local ad man Steve McKee that has also been on the top of my read list for several months now, but because I am a bit out of marketing these days, it’s been hard to climb into. I need to read it because he is an inspiring lunch mate and a wise branding expert, but I just haven’t been in the right frame of mind for it.

I’ve also been thinking I’d wanted to revisit Steinbeck’s “The Winter of Our Discontent”, if only because I remember it as a midlife crisis novel, in which the protagonist sees his progress in life and feels a jarring need to change. I am sure I want to read it again because that place is so common to me. But I also love Steinbeck. His stuff always fills me with awe. But a more practical read seems important right now.

So, since I still think a lot about writing and stuff, it hit me last night that it’s probably a good time to read a writing book again, and thinking over recent life events, Anne Lamott’s book on writing and life, “Bird by Bird” suggested itself. I follow Lamott on Twitter and she always posts interesting and encouraging little morsels, and then this week on Brain Pickings– a website I follow that posts a lot of really rich articles about creativity, thinking, writing, and living- a piece written by her was posted on how to deal with haters that was good. I remembered I had bought her writing book, and so it seemed now was right to dig into it. It’s her time.

It turns out by reading her extensive intro I could relate to two main disclosures about her and her background. She grew up in the Bay Area and in Marin county, which I can relate a bit to from attending seminary out there. She also is heavily self-deprecating, which she says grew out of an ugly duckling sort of adolescent development. She says she became funny because that is what she learned to do that made her cool. And she learned she was good with words. I can kind of understand such feelings from life as a youth.

I’ve only finished the intro of her book so far, but from it, and from her first directions I saw glancing ahead, her thoughts are the same as King’s.

Writers write.

Writers write because they have to, and they make sacrifices to do it. They discover the practice is an end of its own that they need in their lives. And whether it’s a paragraph or 10 pages, they find time to practice.

I’m hoping that by getting through Anne’s book I will write more. Just by reading her intro, I am encouraged to do so.

I am also hoping that by finishing her short book, I will also read more- and get into these other books. King says “Read all the time.” Always have something with you. Sounds good, brah.

Onward.