Summary: “Index Cards,” “Calling Around,” and “Writing
Groups”
In an effort to be observant and open to ideas, Lamott
carries index cards. She carries them everywhere, not only to record
events but also to remind herself to pay attention to the world
around her, both as a writer and as a human being. She relates a
story with her dying friend, Pam. Pam was watching her young daughter
play, and she was struggling to find the silver lining in her situation.
Lamott offered, “The silver lining is that you’re not going to have
to see any more naked pictures of Demi Moore.” She quickly jotted
down the words “Pammy, Demi Moore” on an index card. Lamott stated
that many writers do fine without lists and index cards, but that
she would feel lost without them. Many small but important moments would
have been lost or forgotten if not for her index cards.
Lamott says that once you truly start looking at the world through
the lens of a writer, you can begin to see nearly everything as “material.”
The index cards record these thoughts and moments. Lamott admits
that she is disorganized, and that she has far more index cards
than she knows what to do with. But every time she feels lost in
a project or stumped, she reviews her index cards and they invariably
jog her memory. She recalls how a woman’s perfume reminded her of
the lemonade her aunt made while she was going through a divorce.
She used a lemonade maker and forgot to add the sugar, but everyone
was so desperate for a happy moment that they happily drank it and
pretended that it was wonderful. She also remembers how, one night,
Sam inhaled deeply and said the night “smelled like the moon.” This
memory was also transcribed on an index card. Lamott admits that
she throws out many of her index cards, but that the ones that remain
will be a kind of piecemeal inheritance for Sam. In a way, her index
cards hold her memories, as well as her writing inspirations.
The act of researching by calling experts makes the process
of writing more communal. Whenever there is something the writer doesn’t
know, it’s important to remember that there are many people who
do possess the information that the writer needs. Calling around
can be the writer’s break. Here Lamott aligns writing and raising
children: every day a child needs both discipline and a break. Through
the act of research, the writer can connect with interesting people,
and these connections might inspire new writing. Lamott relates
a time when she was writing about a man opening a bottle of champagne,
but she didn’t know what the wire thing around the bottleneck was
called. She called a local winery, and as she was being connected
to someone who would know about it, she began to envision the beauty
of the vineyards, and their glowing, translucent grapes. Eventually,
she reached someone who was able to tell her that the “wire thing”
was called the wire hood. From this, Lamott was
able to find some useful information, as well as inspiration to write
a beautiful scene; additionally, she received heartfelt thanks from
her readers for finally answering the question of what that “wire
thing” is called.
Lamott states that while the writer might initially be
enamored of the writing process, eventually most writers will want
feedback. For this, there are writer conferences and writer groups.
Many writers join writing groups or classes to get feedback, to
learn from and offer support to others, to share disappointments
and stories about the writing life, or simply to connect with other
writers. Some beginning writers secretly hope that Lamott will instantly
fall in love with their work and recommend it for publication. This
very rarely, if ever, happens. In general, Lamott supports and encourages
writers, as well as provides advice. Writers can help one another
and provide a supportive community of constructive criticism and
emotional guidance. However, it can be hard to have others read
and critique your work—especially since some people will feel compelled
to be destructive.
Lamott recalls one such incident during a writing class.
A beginning writer had submitted an experimental piece that was
quite weak. Some of the writers tried to point out what was working
and what wasn’t, and how the author could improve. Suddenly, one
student shouted that she felt the story was awful and no one was
being honest with the author. Though this was largely true, it was
very hurtful and the class anxiously awaited Lamott’s reaction.
She told the author of the story that it was better to try something
difficult, even if it didn’t quite work, and that he should work
on it a little more and then move on. She also commended the critic
for speaking up, but later told her, “You don’t always have to chop
with the sword of truth. You can point with it, too.” When writers
ask about how to create a writer’s group, Lamott states that there
are a variety of ways, but reminds questioners that writer’s groups
are not just about getting published, but also about supporting
each other. She recalls one instance when a depressed writer was
reinvigorated by the trials of another writer from her group and
began working on her book again.
Analysis
The chapter on index cards is one of the few chapters
in which Lamott straightforwardly discusses the mechanics of writing,
and yet it is also a chapter in which memories feature prominently.
Lamott states that she uses index cards as a tool to record details
and story ideas. However, the examples she gives prove that the
index cards have a larger significance as a way of memorializing
important moments in one’s life. For example, the simple note “Pammy,
Demi Moore,” has less importance as a possible story line than it
has as a precious memory of an afternoon with Pam. Lamott’s statement that
the index cards will be Sam’s inheritance touches on the idea of using
your writing as a gift to others. She revisits this theme in later chapters.
Once again, writing mingles with real life, and the tools for one
world prove as useful for the other.
