Writing Down the Bones: Freeing the Writer Within (Shambhala Library)

by Natalie Goldberg

Julia Cameron (Foreword)

3 of 5 stars 1 rating • 1 review • 9 shelved
Book cover for Writing Down the Bones

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The all-time best-selling writer's handbook turns thirty.

With insight, humor, and practicality, Natalie Goldberg inspires writers and would-be writers to take the leap into writing skillfully and creatively. She offers suggestions, encouragement, and solid advice on many aspects of the writer's craft: on writing from "first thoughts" (keep your hand moving, don't cross out, just get it on paper), on listening (writing is ninety percent listening; the deeper you listen, the better you write), on using verbs (verbs provide the energy of the sentence), on overcoming doubts (doubt is torture; don't listen to it)—even on choosing a restaurant in which to write. Goldberg sees writing as a practice that helps writers comprehend the value of their lives. The advice in her book, provided in short, easy-to-read chapters with titles that reflect the author's witty approach ("Writing Is Not a McDonald's Hamburger," "Man Eats Car," "Be an Animal"), will inspire anyone who writes—or who longs to.
  • ISBN10 161180308X
  • ISBN13 9781611803082
  • Publish Date 2 February 2016 (first published 30 March 2010)
  • Publish Status Active
  • Publish Country US
  • Imprint Shambhala