Writing Down the Bones: Freeing the Writer Within

Writing Down the Bones: Freeing the Writer Within by Natalie Goldberg is one of my all-time favorite books about the writing life. Even though the original was published back in 1986, it remains relevant and relatable. I recently listened to the audio version of the 30th anniversary edition. I read this for the first time years ago, and I’m pleasantly surprised at how much it all came back to me. I love that the author herself is the one reading the audiobook. She will pause occasionally to offer commentary on her own writing, which is both helpful and entertaining. At some point in the past I owned a copy of this book in paperback. I donated it during a bookshelf clean out long ago; I don’t even remember what house I last had it in. I have no idea why at the time I thought I didn’t want it anymore. Now it has earned the distinction of being the only book I have ever parted with and then end up repurchasing years later. The book is divided into many small sections that stand on their own, rather than grouped into traditional chapters or sections. You could flip to any of the more than five dozen individual pieces and read whatever you land on; the order is not critical. Most of these self-contained parts only run between two to five pages. Following are some of my favorite takeaways from my most recent read of Writing Down the Bones: Writing requires practice, a lot of practice. You can’t just say I’m going to write a novel, or a poem, or an essay. You have to put in the practice work. It is similar to the way you couldn’t simply decide: I’m going to go run a marathon. The training you do prior to that event is critical. There’s a reason journaling sessions and writing prompts are frequently referred to as writing exercises. The only way to improve your writing muscle is to use it. Be willing to write until something beautiful emerges. Sometimes we have to put down some really, really bad stuff before we get to the really, really good stuff. You might write for many, many pages and simply think none of it makes sense and it’s all complete trash. But then you hit up on something and realize what is emerging is what you were looking for all the time. In the book she compares it to composting; sometimes you need to sift through a lot of what looks like garbage to get to the beautiful flower. Pay attention to detail, but don’t marry the fly. Specifics can be very important {as mentioned next} but don’t become so distracted by them that you drift too far from your main point. You don’t want the reader to become disillusioned with where the story is heading. Be precise, but don’t let your love of description cause your mind to wander. Stay on target so you don’t lose the reader. Be as specific as you need to be. If an exact word can be used, you should use it. If this means you need to put in the effort to learn the specific names of things, then by all means do it. In the book she uses the example of learning the names of trees and flowers in a specific area and how details such as these make you feel more connected to your writing. Drop qualifiers from your statements. Ooh. This is such a hard one for me personally. Don’t undermine your own writing by including a lot of wishy-washy terms, such as I think, maybe, I’m not sure but, etc. if you have something to say, say it. If you need to question something, question it. It’s not enough to just show up and follow the rules. The author refers to this as “the goody two-shoes nature.” While goals to write every day or to fill up a certain number of pages can be useful in getting you started, ultimately you need to put your heart into your writing. Knowing when to take chances and knowing when you need to step back and rest are both equally important. Developing a strong connection to your writing is worth the effort. Gaining confidence in your own writing can be challenging. Trusting in the process and trusting in yourself both take time. Have patience. This is truly a lovely book and definitely worth a read {or listen}. The 30th edition also includes an interview with the author. One additional point I feel I should mention: The author makes multiple references to Buddhist philosophy and Zen practice. I did not find that this distracted from the overall message of the book, but it is a rather obvious recurring theme. I’m not usually crazy about writers who try to tie in spiritually to the writing process, but it seemed to work here.

This is a necessary read for writers , readers and everything else in between . Quite simply put , this is one of the best books Ive ever read, and will read over and over again . The infornation is universal and can be applied to ALL aspects of life and enlightenment . Inspiring , motivating ating and comforting . Writing Down tbe Bones is visiting an old friend for coffee , donuts and cigarettes, a conversation over the phone with an old friend on a rainy afternoon. Its a classic read . I love this book .

Natalie Goldberg opens with this request: "listen to my slow Jewish voice." Which, upon first hearing, made me think, "Oh brother." It didn't take long to lose the resistance at all. Writing Down the Bones is a gem of a listen, it's like the oddest little ear candy ever. Her steady metronome style of speaking is filled with rules of engagement, with kindness, and with some arguments to counter your own self when you meet your true resistance. This was written well before the marketing / writing / promoting self-help boom came along, and thank goodness. Natalie Goldberg's book is entirely without jargon and tactics, god how I hate that word now, and yet it is a complete guide to "writing your asses off." I lived in Boulder and went to Naropa and everyone and their dog was all agog over Writing Down the Bones. It reminded me of being in junior high when all of the girls in my grade were going crazy over Flowers In the Attic, which did nothing for me. As a result, ok years later as an adult, I found fault with the title - I hated it actually. And then refused to read it. My own loss. Thankfully, years and years later I was making another long commute in the car, and had run out of things to listen to. Radio reception in the mountains, late at night, meant being hostage to the 3 stations that had no static: orchestral music and Jesus channels. No thank you. I grabbed Writing Down the Bones cassette pack (remember those?) from the library in haste... OK already, I yelled at myself. And popped in the tape and began my drive. It was a delightful late night drive that left me energized, alert, optimistic. She sprinkles in bits about her Buddhist practice which informed her writing of the book, without relying on too much woo, for those of you who think Buddhism is for the birds. It reminded me of my own really haphazard practice of Maitri, which means loving kindness. If you listen to Writing Down the Bones, you are engaging in an act of loving kindness to yourself. And if you allow yourself to take that extra step of actually writing, you're deepening that experience. Or, that's how I take it. You might actually also have a story to show for it. I've gone through the cassettes numerous times. And this is actually my 2nd purchase of the mp3 file since I couldn't recall the account and password I'd used for the first purchase. It's worth it to me to have Natalie Goldberg handy in my back pocket. You might think so, too.

This is an intimate approach to the journey of writing. Goldberg is a writing teacher and a practitioner of Japanese Zen. Goldberg believes that learning to write–that’s the course ahead–hinges greatly on “first thoughts.” These first thoughts have tremendous energy and are unencumbered by the ego. I actually like this path because it probably does free up the writer to let go of all the controls that might deter or stagnate a good story. Of course Goldberg says to trust the mind and body and create your own practice. These are the bones where you create the structure for yourself. Goldberg identifies three things that all writers must do: read a lot; listen well and deeply; write a lot. Zen works from the theory of becoming whole, and this is Goldberg’s theory too. There is a Zen "interconnectedness in your writing–feel it," she says. I've been reading and reviewing lots of writing books lately and this one has not only solid advice but inspiration too.

"Writing Down The Bones - Freeing the Writer Within" did and does exactly what the title says it will, free the writer within. For years I have had stories, thoughts, dreams and aspirations rattling around in my head. Unfortunately, in school I never really grasped the idea of writing as a way to get them out. Normally, I'd just tell someone but there are some things you just don't want to or can not share with others. I was never a person who writes. This book guides people like me through a number of ways to get the ideas out of their heads in fun and clever ways. One of the best things about this book is the chapters are short and easily digestible. For a new writer when you get to the end of one where you feel you missed the meaning, it's only an investment of a few more minutes to read it again. There are some reviews who said this was a poor book because all it really says is to write a lot and write whatever comes to mind. Others say that it's geared toward poetry and not useful for other types of writing. I have to disagree wholeheartedly. Obviously this was not the book for them but it was absolutely the correct one for a person like me. Someone who needs to find his voice and see examples of new ways to write that have never crossed their mind before. Because of the way the book is written, I don't think it was intended for experienced writers like those reviewers seemed to be. The first chapter after the introduction is entitled, "Beginners Mind, Pen and Paper," if that tells you anything. It is not my intention to write "The Great American Novel" as the author, Natalie Goldberg puts it. Not even the "Crumby American Novel." In fact I will likely never even attempt to get any of my work published. Goldberg gets that. If you are a student having trouble writing English papers, a person who wants to write a journal in an intelligent way or someone like me who not only wants to record their thoughts but to do so in a way that conveys the feeling behind them while exercising the mind, "Writing Down The Bones - Freeing the Writer Within" is a must read and you should do it soon.

I think the negative reviews on here are missing the bigger picture. So what if she relates writing through the zen mind thing and speaks a lot about spirituality. The point is to ultimately to get your ass in the chair and write. Quit thinking about it and do it. She also elaborates on writing whatever is in your mind...to just let go and let it come out. Think about your favorite writers. Are they real? Does some crazy stuff come out? Look at best selling writers like Stephen King, Dean Koontz, or even the chick that wrote 50 Shades.....did it takes some courage to write what they do? Don't u think some people think they are crazy? I can remember reading Stephen King's books and thinking this dude lost his mind. I love Stephen King's books. Is their writing the same s*** you read everywhere else? They write some pretty real stuff-stuff that only they could come up with. It's intensely personal, honest and unique to them. They had to dig deep and put down the bones regardless of what others thought. Charles Bukowski comes to mind. Dennis Lehane. James Crumley. Honest, real, raw. Read this book and get down the bones. Stop reading all this how to stuff. Learn writing by doing it. Make it real and personal. People want to read what YOU have to say, not what someone tell you will be a best seller or some dumb s***. Put your heart and soul out there and see what happens. At least you will be sincere and true to yourself and hopefully won't put the same generic crap that everyone else is putting out there.

SPECTACULAR - So helpful!

I think I would have rated this book more highly than 3.5 stars if I hadn't read Carol Lamott's Bird by Bird so recently, which seems a bit unfair considering Goldberg's book was written over 20 years earlier. There is an overlap in the advice between books to burrow deeply into your own life experiences and deepest fears to find subject matter and achieve authenticity in your writing. They also stress the point that it's the process of writing that's important, not the outcome, because it's an incredibly rewarding and enriching activity on its own. I especially appreciated Goldberg's recommendation to do timed writing exercises each day to get the creative juices flowing and find out what it is that you really are compelled to write about. The topics she lists to get started are fun and inventive and I have no doubt her writing workshops are very inspiring. I also enjoyed her exploration of writing as a form of meditation. The book does get repetitive at times, and like Bird by Bird I think it's geared more towards memoir and life writing rather than fiction, borne out by the fact that Goldberg has only written one novel. The rest of her oeuvre consists of poetry and books on writing instruction and memoirs. Despite this there are many gems to be found among its pages for all writers. Here are some of my favourites: "Chogyam Trungpa, Rinpoche, a Tibetan Buddhist master, said, 'We must continue to open in the face of tremendous opposition. No one is encouraging us to open and still we must peel away the layers of the heart.' It is the same with this way of practice writing. We must continue to open and trust in our own voice and process." "Think of writing practice as loving arms you come to illogically and incoherently. It's our wild forest were we gather energy before going to prune our garden, write our fine books and novels. It's a continual practice." "If you are not afraid of the voices inside you, you will not fear the critics outside you." "We are important and our lives are important, magnificent really, and their details are worthy to be recorded. This is how writers must think, this is how we must sit down with pen in hand. We were here; we are human beings; this is how we lived. Let it be known, the earth passed before us. Our details are important." "Play around. Dive into absurdity and write. Take chances. You will succeed if you are fearless of failure." "You should listen to what people say. Take in what they say. (Don't build a steel box around yourself) Then make your own decision. It's your poem and your voice. There are no clear-cut rules; it is a relationship with yourself. What is it you wanted to say? What do you want to expose about yourself?" "You have to make sure that a book comes from a deep passion or even obsession