What I have learned from Natalie Goldberg's 'Writing Down the Bones':

SUMMARY - For more than twenty years Natalie Goldberg has been challenging and cheering on writers with her books and workshops. In her groundbreaking first book, she brings together Zen meditation and writing in a new way. Writing practice, as she calls it, is no different from other forms of Zen practice —"it is backed by two thousand years of studying the mind."

This new edition, which marks almost twenty years since the original book's publication, includes a new preface in which Goldberg expresses her trademark enthusiasm for writing practice, as well as a depth of appreciation for the process that has come with time and experience. Also included is an interview with the author in which she reflects on the relationship between Zen sitting practice and writing, the importance of place, and the power of memory.

Natalie Goldberg believed The Ballad of the Sad Café by Carson McCuller (which she read in ninth grade) inspired her to put pen to paper at 24 years old. She received a BA in English literature from George Washington University and an MA in humanities from St. John’s University. Goldberg has painted for as long as she has written and some of her art can be viewed at the Ernesto Mayans Gallery on Canyon Road in Sante Fe. She has taught writing and literature for the past 35 years and leads national workshops and retreats.

Originally, this book was on my Creative Writing BA list of essential reading. As with all reading lists provided by courses, I kept an open mind but didn't expect to enjoy it as much as I did. It was an easy read and offered a new perspective on the writing process, focusing on Zen practices. There were writing exercises and tips woven throughout the book which enabled me to practice as I read. And there are lots of other prolific writers mentioned throughout; I have yet to check out their work, but I have them all highlighted in my copy. Below, is a list of my favourite lines and their page numbers. It took me a while to whittle them down to a handful of quotes (the amount of highlighting in my copy of this book is wild), but I hope you find these little bits as helpful as I did.

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'So it is very deep to be a writer. It is the deepest thing I know. And I think, if not this, nothing - it will be my way in the world for the rest of my life.'

(p.146)

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• " Trust in what you love, continue to do it, and it will take you where you need to go." (page 2)

• '[...] you should feel that you have permission to write the worst junk in the world [...]' & 'A cheap spiral notebook lets you feel that you can fill it quickly and afford another.' (page 6)

• 'Sit down with the least expectation of yourself;' (page 11)

• 'We must continue to open and trust in our own voice and process. Ultimately, if the process is good, the end will be good. You will get good writing.' (page 13)

• 'If you do not fear the voices inside you, you will not fear the critics outside you.' (page 19)

• 'There is a Zen saying: "Talk when you talk, walk when you walk, and die when you die." Write when you write.' (page 26)

• '[...] don't get caught in the endless cycle of guilt, avoidance, and pressure.' (page 27)

• 'It is important to separate the creator and the editor [...] so that the creator has free space to breathe, explore, and express.' (page 28)

• 'Don't worry about your talent or capability: that will grow as you practice.' (page 32)

• 'Allow yourself to be awkward.' (page 39)

• '[...] using the details you actually know and have seen will give your writing believability and truthfulness.' (page 45)

• 'This is what it is to be a writer: to be the carrier of details that make up history [...]' (page 48)

• 'Writing, too, is 90 percent listening. You listen so deeply to the space around you that it fills you, and when you write, it pours out of you.' (page 58)

• 'Dive into absurdity and write. Take chances. You will succeed if you are fearless of failure.' (page 74)

• 'Don't tell readers what to feel. Show them the situation, and that feeling will awaken in them.' (page 75)

• '[...] we should always concentrate, not by blocking out the world, but by allowing it all to exist.' (page 80)

• 'The more you are awake to all aspects of language, the more vibrant your writing will be.' (page 97)

• 'Learn to write about the ordinary.' (page 109)

• 'It's enough to know you want to write. Write.' (page 122)

• 'What is important is not just what you do - [...] - but how you do it, how you approach it, and what you come to value.' (page 127)

• 'When you want to write in a certain form - a novel, short story, poem - read a lot of writing in that form.' (page 133)

• '[...] at some point in our lives we have to be crazy, we have to lose control, step out of our ordinary way of seeing, and learn that the world is not the way we think it is [...]' (page 137)

• 'Give yourself tremendous space to wander in, to be utterly lost with no name, and then come back and speak.' (page 139)

• 'Art is communication.' (page 150)

• 'If you avoid something, it becomes obvious in your writing.' (page 153)

• 'Lighting a candle helps to create a sense of magic.' (page 156)

• 'It is very difficult for us to comprehend and value our own lives.' (page 166)

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This ended up being a lot longer than I had planned, but there were too many quotes I wanted to include and many I couldn't bring myself to cut out. I hope you enjoyed reading this post as much as I enjoyed writing it! Until next week :)