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~ … a Night Owl dealing with early morning Personality Disorder

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Category Archives: About a Book

Sharing books that I find interesting

The Crippled Lamb

20 Friday Dec 2013

Posted by Gert in About a Book

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Tags

being different, celebration, faith, heroes, inspiration, Max Lucado, misfits, special needs

The Crippled Lamb book coverThis is the time of year when it feels like our days are racing by at the speed of crazy. Everybody and everything seems to be rush, rush, rush – and rush some more. No time to dilly-dally, too much to do. But, it is also that time of year when people go out of their way to do special things, and to share special gifts. I was on the receiving end of one of those gifts today, and I would like to share it with all of you.

Technically, The Crippled Lamb is a children’s book, but it touched my heart, and I could relate in so many ways. It was a gentle reminder that sometimes it is the very thing that causes us to fret that makes us uniquely special, and positions us to ultimately discover our place in this great big puzzle called life.

It’s a quick read, so I encourage you to take a few minutes and put crazy on pause. I think you’ll be glad you did.

From the cover:

…the story of a little lamb who is different, who is left out and left behind. But one starry night, he learns a lesson that is true for us all…

The Crippled Lamb coverLucado, Max with Jenna, Andrea, & Sara Lucado
The Crippled Lamb

Tommy NelsonĀ® a Division of Thomas Nelson Publishers
Nashville, TN

1999
ISBN 978-1-4003-1807-0

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Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life

30 Friday Aug 2013

Posted by Gert in About a Book

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

Anne Lamott, Bird by Bird, inspiration, life lessons, writing

Bird by Bird coverI laughed, I cried, I didn’t want to put it down.

I always enjoy books that give an honest account of the author’s road to success. I don’t know if that is because misery loves company, or because it is an inspiration to know that others have overcome the obstacles they have encountered on this winding road, and it helps me believe that I can as well. It doesn’t hurt that the truth of her lessons (on writing and life) are tempered with humor and wit.

The story she recounts about a certain interaction shared between her father and her older brother, who was ten at the time, pulled at my heart, and it is also the impetus for the name of the book. I can’t tell you how often I use those three little words as a poignant reminder when I find myself up against a wall.

There are two other lessons from her book that I have found extremely useful as well. The first is “Shitty First Drafts”. In this lesson, Ms. Lamott instructs the reader to just get the words written down without worrying about syntax or any of the other technical stuff. Her descriptions of aspiring writers who become mired in perfection during the first round of writing had my picture all over them. This one lesson has helped me more than any of the others. Now, when I get an idea for an article or story, I just write. I don’t worry about punctuation, or spelling, or sentence structure – I just get the words down as quickly as I can – before the vision vanishes. Later, I go back and clean it up. I have to laugh when I realize some of the second and third drafts stink just as much as the first. I’m still learning.

The other lesson was on “Short Assignments”. This is an excerpt of what she had to say in regard to those feelings of being overwhelmed when you sit down to write, and everything but the words to your story start to race through your head:

…I finally notice the one-inch picture frame that I put on my desk to remind me of short assignments.
It reminds me that all I have to do is to write down as much as I can see through a one-inch picture frame. This is all I have to bite off for the time being.

I was so inspired by this lesson that I made my own frame.

Chocolate frame

Wait, this is the frame with the one-inch view.

Chocolate frame with view

When seeking inspiration, you may have to remove an obstacle from your view.\ /.

Bird by BirdLamott, Anne
Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life

Anchor Books
New York, NY
1995
ISBN 978-0-385-48001-7

(Not an affiliate link)

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Stephen King On Writing

05 Friday Jul 2013

Posted by Gert in About a Book

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

memoir, on writing, review, Stephen King

Stephen King On Writing
When I first decided I had more than a passing interest in writing, I started reading and researching the subject. I also attended several “Lunch and Learn” functions at my local library, and the presenters – all published authors – consistently recommended this book as one of the fledgling writer’s “must read” resources. So, I read it. And I liked it. I have always enjoyed reading textbooks disguised as novels.

The picture I used to lead this post is probably not the one his publicist would choose to display. As you can see, this book hasn’t been sitting on the shelf collecting dust – it has travelled through many hands. If I had a book on the shelves, I would want it to look like this, evidence that somebody, somewhere, is reading it.

When I searched for the book at my local library I was expecting to find it in the “books about writing” section; I was surprised to find that it was actually cataloged under biography. I eventually found this copy in the Young Adult section under “Required Reading”. The notes written on a few of the pages led me to believe it was used as a resource for English classes in the local high school.

Stephen King On Writing page shot

As for the content – interesting. Very interesting. Mr. King actually warns readers that the information in the book is based on his own experiences and opinions. He openly acknowledges that he has, on more than one occasion, operated contrary to standard protocol. And, like so many other amazingly successful people, he strongly emphasized that nothing happened overnight. There was a learning curve to be mastered, and his success was realized after several years of hard work punctuated with multiple failures and roadblocks. In other words – no magic bullet.

Speaking of learning curves, I can’t tell you (or perhaps I just don’t choose to tell you) what it was about the book that drew me in and helped me to see my own path more clearly. I believe that this is a very individualized journey for each reader, one that you will have to experience for yourself. The parts of the book that made an impact on me could very well hold no interest for another reader. We are all starting or proceeding from different places on this road to discovery, and the book takes you from where you are. I think that is what makes it so highly recommended by so many people. I will say, reading this memoir actually reinforced something I have known for quite some time – I have my own style, and it’s OK to have my own style, even if it is contrary to standard conventions. Who wants to be conventional anyway?

In one section of the book Mr. King talks about talent, using his son’s saxophone experience, and how being interested in something doesn’t automatically equate to talent in said something (and I can vouch for this based on personal experience). He notes that when you have a true talent for something, you enjoy doing it just for the joy of doing it. According to Mr. King, writing is a talent. Before you take exception to that statement, let me just say, I can sing – but I sincerely doubt anyone would want to hear it. Yes. It’s that bad. Definitely not a talent.

Continuing that talent train of thought, Mr. King calls out Harper Lee (To Kill a Mocking Bird) for only writing one book. He wonders why Ms. Lee, and several other talented writers, produced so little in the literary world. This is an excerpt of what he wrote:

…but I always wonder two things about these folks: how long did it take them to write the books they did write, and what did they do the rest of their time?…If God gives you something you can do, why in God’s name wouldn’t you do it?

Well, Mr. King, with all due respect, I can’t speak to the specifics of the authors mentioned, but some people are blessed with multiple talents. God gives some of us more than just one something to do. Some of those talents may be meant to serve a specific purpose for a specific time, and then one must move on to fulfill the other talents – even if those talents involve knitting afghans for church bazaars, or making blankets for babies in the Neonatal ICU, or teaching crafts at a Senior Center, or… OK, the plum thing – maybe not so much.    -Gert

Stephen King On WritingKing, Stephen
Stephen King on Writing A Memoir of the Craft
2000

Pocket Books
New York, NY 10020

ISBN-13:978-0-7434-5596-1

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I'm just an Owl trying to make it in this Early Bird world. I'm dealing with early morning Personality Disorder...and other issues surrounding the sleep-wake cycle. You can call me Gert, and this is my Therapy Journal. Welcome to my world.

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