What’s the difference between a house plan and a hammer?

“We think of this book as our mental toolkit, a collection of essential instruments that extend our reach, improve our aim and efficiency and make our craft much easier.”

“And that’s our intention with this collection of tools for crafting stories, to resurrect and restore some of these time-worn implements so that you can use them in your work, and maybe even make music with them. Use them to make your stories dance and sing.”

“We hand off the tool kit and the discussion to you, to build on these approaches, to refine them and make them your own.”

“So we wish you well, hoping you will use these tools for the greater good and enjoyment of all.”

Christopher Vogler, Memo from the Story Department

Shooting the Moon, a memoir, by Louis Nowra

It’s interesting reading a book that tugs at things that are obviously much more about me and my issues than they are about the book itself or, being a memoir, about Louis Nowra and his issues. (And he does have issues; like a cliche, they are the meat and sauce in his memoir's sandwich.)

Why do I write?

“Every morning, no matter how late he had been up, my father rose at 5:30, went to his study, wrote for a couple of hours, made us all breakfast, read the paper with my mother and then went back to work for the rest of the morning. Many years passed before I realised he did this by choice, for a living, and that he was not unemployed or mentally ill.”

I bought Bird by Bird after having dipped into it when I visited a friend of mine, and then again at The Brunswick Street Bookstore, and then again at the bookstore from which I purchased it, Readings on Lygon St. I kept dipping into it before I finally sat down to it. Each time I thought it was a winner.

And in one sense it is. It’s funny as well as good for you, like a hot cup of water with honey and lemon. The only problem is it's got way too much honey and lemon.