Word by Word

By: Anne Lamott

Narrated by: Anne Lamott

Length: 2 hrs and 30 mins

Publisher's summary

Writing, like life, can be a difficult process, you just have to take it Word by Word. Provocative and witty, Lamott takes you beyond her book Bird by Bird and into her "writer's mind". She won't tell you about plot points or how to get published, because, frankly, she doesn't think they're important. Good writing, she says, slows you down, opens your heart, and arrives through your fingers, knowing what it's about. You'll learn how to keep things simple and how to write honestly about life, family, and friends.

©1996 Anne Lamott (P)1996 Writer's AudioShop

Critic reviews

• Audie Award Winner, 1997, Educational/How-to/Instructional

Funny and wise

Anne Lamott is wonderful, funny and wise. If you are at all interested in writing you should listen to this. No, it's not about plotting, but it is about life. And the writer's life. And writing about life and living through writing. What else could you ask for?

Yes for Writers!

Ann Lamott strikes again. Very inspirational for writers. Thanks, Ann! You always know how to take me where I am and put me back in perspective.

Fantastic Listen!

Brilliant and so inspiring. I could listen to Anne talk about writing for hours. I've listen to this recording various times ... especially when I need encouragement.

Gives us permission to "Write OUR OWN truth!"

I'm new to Anne Lamott's writing and, yes, I'm a fan! I recently purchased "Bird by Bird" and now "Word by Word." I'm impressed with Anne Lamott's simple, yet masterful, writing and the way she paints her world with words.

This is a recorded talk that Lamott gave at a writing workshop after publishing "Bird by Bird." For me it's worthwhile because, while, yes, it covers much of the same material that she covers in "Bird by Bird" it distills her writing advice while introducing us to her life and family. She also answers pertinent questions asked by attendees on writing topics such as how to write about family members without causing undue pain, when to quit reworking a bit of writing, and how discover details needed to make a setting come to life.

If I were to give Lamott a Native American-type name based on "Word by Word," if would be "Speaks Her Truth"--something that Lamott gives each of us permission to do, as well. I recommend "Word by Word" for those who are writers, those who aspire to write, and those who are tired of remaining silent and choose to live an authentic and "truth based" life--a truth based on one's own beliefs, memories, experiences, and intuition.

Try "Word by Word" if you like, then "Bird by Bird" for more depth--or vice versa. As for me, I'm glad to have both in my library.

Not a book, a recording

Loved this recording, but I didn't realize it going in that it was not a sequel to Bird By Bird, it was a recording of a lecture by Anne Lamont talking ABOUT Bird by Bird. Still worth listening too.

Good motivational speaker

This is not a "how to" lecture, but a recording of a workshop that encourages wanna be writers to go ahead and write. I found it entertaining and motivational. Ms Lamont is witty and wise on the subject of writing. She sees writing as a means of self discovery and after listening I found myself writng more freely.

All Writers are Weird

And Annie LaMotte is no exception. But if you're looking for some encouragement to get your fingers back on the keyboard, you won't go wrong with this one. She's terrific. I even went out and bought the paperback of her book, Bird by Bird, which is also terrific. Highly recommended.

rare instance of author voice actually working

it's so rare to find a working instance in which audible has used the author as speaker. this is a lecture so it's a different formant, so it's enjoyable to hear AL in her own words. what's unfortunate is that author narrators are used so often and so poorly that I almost passed this little gem by because AL is listed as narrator. after trying to get through a few books narrated by the author I nearly universally give them a pass. authors are not narrators. the two perform very different functions. a good author is not a good narrator.

Anne is always delightful!

An interesting companion to Bird by Bird. This is a sort of workshop or seminar presented to new/just starting writers. The best sections are the stories and quotes from other writers—great advice on writer's block right at the end.

Why Bother?

This "book" (as other reviewers have pointed out, this is not a book at all, a lecture) is almost an exact and sometimes is an exact replica of Lamott's previous "book" (also not a book, a lecture) Bird by Bird. Both "books" give advice on writing. Some of this advice seems helpful, some are things we've all heard before. But I think it not very nice to market a second "book" that is a duplicate of the first without notice....so boo on you Ms. Lamott and the same to Audible. I felt cheated on several counts!