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.

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.