Natalie Goldberg’s “Writing Down The Bones” is a classic book in the world of writing.
Natalie Goldberg wrote ‘Writing Down the Bones’ after many years of practicing writing as a form of meditation and self-discovery. In the book, she shares her experiences and insights on how writing can be used as a tool for personal growth and artistic expression.
Goldberg was initially inspired to start writing as a way to deal with her own feelings of anger and frustration. She found that the act of putting pen to paper helped her to release these emotions and gave her a sense of clarity and peace.
Over time, she developed a writing practice that incorporated Zen meditation and became a way for her to connect with her inner voice and explore her thoughts and emotions.
Here are ten lessons I learned from it.
- Write as if your life depends on it. Approach your writing with a sense of urgency and importance, as if it’s a matter of life and death.
- Don’t worry about writing well or making sense. Let go of the pressure to write perfectly. The goal is to free your mind to explore new ideas and techniques.
- Keep your hand moving. Keep your hands moving across the page, no matter what. This helps to keep the momentum going and prevents you from getting stuck in your thoughts.
- Don’t cross out or edit while writing. Embrace the idea that writing is a process and that it’s okay to make mistakes. It’s about trusting the process and letting the words flow without worrying about making mistakes.
- Write for a set amount of time. Set a timer and write for a specific amount of time, without stopping. It will keep you focused and encourage you to keep writing, even if you aren’t sure where your writing is going.
- Be specific. Write concrete, specific details rather than vague, abstract ideas. It will bring your writing to life and make it more interesting and engaging for the reader.
- Use your five senses. To make your writing immersive, memorable and a vivid experience for readers, use all five senses.
- Write about what is right in front of you. Write about what is happening in the present moment, rather than what happened in the past or what might happen in the future. This helps to keep the writing focused and grounded in reality.
- Don’t write what you think you should write. Write what you want to write, rather than what you think you should write. The goal is to free the writer’s mind from the expectations of others and to allow them to explore their own unique voice.
- Trust the process. Writing is a journey and the process of writing is just as important as the end product. The process will lead to growth and discovery, even if the end result isn’t what you had initially envisioned.
The success of Writing Down the Bones can be attributed to Goldberg’s ability to articulate the connection between writing and mindfulness in a way that resonates with readers. The book has become a classic in the world of writing and continues to inspire and guide writers of all levels.
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