writing down the bones

Writing Down the Bones by Natalie Goldberg.

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“I used to think freedom meant doing whatever you want. It means knowing who you are, what you are supposed to be doing on this earth, and then simply doing it.” — Natalie Goldberg, Writing Down the Bones

Ah, words of wisdom.

I was assigned Writing Down the Bones by Natalie Goldberg for a creative writing course in college. We were supposed to read a chapter or two a week, but I had a hard time putting it down and ended up inhaling the entire volume in a couple of days. It’s one of the best writing resources on the market, but what’s great about this book is that it’s a blast to read.

Goldberg, who has penned a number of books about writing, including several well-known writing resources, mastered the mechanics of writing in college. It was later that she discovered how to tap into her creativity and write more artfully. Four years after that discovery, she began teaching writing workshops and has since become a widely adored master of the craft.

Priceless Writing Resources

“This is the practice school of writing. Like running, the more you do it, the better you get at it.” — Natalie Goldberg, Writing Down the Bones

Writing Down the Bones is a good place for young or new writers to start. The first chapter discusses pen and paper and how to select appropriate materials, supplies, and other writing resources.

Yet the book is also ideal for seasoned writers who are ready to get serious about the craft. That’s where I was with my writing when I was introduced to this book, and it made me realize that writing could be more than just a way to pass the time when I was feeling inspired.

Natalie Goldberg will teach you how to freewrite (she calls this the timed exercise), how to make writing a daily practice, and she’ll give you countless ways to explore your writing on a deeper and more creative level. From setting up your own writing space to finding topics to write about and unlimited sources of inspiration, she crams in enough ideas to keep you busily writing for years to come.

“Natalie’s experience in Zen meditation, which is essentially a subtractive process, has provided her insights.” — Robert Pirsig, author of Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance

You can read this book from cover to cover, or you can read a chapter or two whenever you have time. You can open it to a random page. However you read Writing Down the Bones, you’ll get some good gems of writerly insight and inspiration.

With over seventy chapters, each just a couple of pages long, this text is a quick and easy read. At the same time, it’s packed with ideas, information, inspiration, exercises, and writing tips that will get you writing and keep you on task.

writing down the bonesWriting Down the Bones is one of my favorite writing books, and the first one that I recommend to anyone who loves to write and everyone who shows the slightest interest in writing.

Have you read Writing Down the Bones? What did you think of it? Are there any other books or writing resources for creative writers that you would recommend?

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