Bird by Bird 3

Perfectionism

Perfectionism is the voice of the oppressor. It is the enemy of the people. Perfectionism will ruin your writing. Writing needs to be breathe and move, it effects that. You will not get far in your writing if you dont let go of your perfectionism. It will make you mad. During that day, the work might not have been planned, but being perfect will make your writing be held back.

Effect on writing

Thinking you have to be perfect will only negatively effect your writing. Perfection holds writers back and it does not let their good work shine through.

School Lunches

When someone couldnt find a place to start writing she asked the students to think about school lunches. Within the school lunch the sandwhich is the main thing. Same with the writing. The sandwich is the center piece. Using this technique you just keep writing. From all the things you wrote down you can go form there. Pick what you want or dont want, just like a school lunch.

Effect on writing

Make multiple drafts and write everything down. Cut out some ideas and out of all of your ideas there will be something that is usable. Edit and shape writing.

Polaroids

Writing a first draft is very much like watching a Polaroid develop. When starting a piece of writing you dont know exactly the finishing product just like a Polaroid you cant see everything in the picture. From watching something you can describe it, hear it, and smell it in words.

Effect on writing

Writing the first draft takes time. You have to think of ideas and just wait for the paper to develop as a whole. Many writers think a paper is going to end one way and when they finish the paper not how they expected. As you watch something try to put it into words in your head and add what you feel, smell, and hear.

Character

Knowledge of your characters also emerges the way a Polaroid develops. It takes time for you to know them. Be specific when writing. You will love some of your characters becasue they remind you of yourself or someone you like. Know your charcters as best as you can. A way to familiarize yourself with your characters is by basing them on someone you know. She likes the narrators to be the people she would choose as a friend. A narrator has to be reliable. Readers do not want to be manipulated.

Effect on writing

When picking your characters, base them off someone you know. As the writer, you have to know them.