Review: Writing Down the Bones by Natalie Goldberg
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I’d always heard Writing Down the Bones by Natalie Goldberg was a quintessential writing text but hadn’t read it, until my friend Robert sent me a copy in the mail. It is his favorite writing text and one way to let someone get to know you, is to have them read one of your favorites.
Goldberg is much more practical than many of the texts that I have read. She gives you much to hold onto. Like buying spiral notebooks during the back-to-school sales and fill one up each month. They are cheap. You don’t feel like your writing has to be perfect and fancy in a notebook like that. She talks about working in cafes or restaurants, connecting with the energy of the people around you.
But it isn’t just practical aspects of writing like this, she shares fantastic prompts, ways to structure a group writing session and writers live twice, first experiencing the moment and then reliving it, slowing it down as we write down the moment.
I’m looking forward to using some of the techniques in this book. Why even today, I am working in a café to soak in the atmosphere.
