I Love Books!

Writing Down the Bones by Natalie Goldberg

The book was made required reading by my writing coach.  I already owned it, and had read it before, but it was wonderful to re-read this classic on writing. 

Dozens of unnumbered, short chapters come together to become Writing Down the Bones: Freeing the Writer Within.  The chapters each stand on their own and complement one another.  You can read the book straight through, scan the table of contents to find an appropriately helpful sounding chapter, or just flip through the book randomly for writing inspiration and guidance. 

A warning though, some of the chapter titles, while intriguing don't make much sense until you read the section.  For example, "Man Eats Car."  Doesn't seem to ring with writing advice does it?   Goldberg shares a story about a man who ate an entire car.  She uses this idea of not cherry picking the choicest parts (are there choice parts of eating a car?) but just writing down all of it.  She also expands on the absurdity of a man eating a car and how that can open the imagination. 

One of the things I most appreciate about this book is Goldberg's willingness to be completely honest. She talks about all of the junk writing she does, the stuff that mortifies you when you go back and re-read it, the whiny self-pitying, berating, critical schlock that shows up more than you would hope for in a regular writing practice. 

She also reminds us that in all that junk are sometimes beautiful, truthful things, bits or more that capture something important.  Sometimes you just need a little distance.  And sometimes, it is still junk, but once it's out of the way there's a space for more interesting things to surface.

A little something on writing

Recently, I made a little to-do about adjusting the focus of this blog, adding writing to the reading.  Since I've finally gained the distance to begin editing a novel I wrote in December 2004, I wanted to have a place to write about the process.  But I've neglected to write about writing, or anything else, except reading, so now, I'm finally going to write a little bit about writing.

I've been working with a great writing coach who's helping me with the editing process and improving my writing in general.  But you probably already noticed that.  Ha. Coach L and I get together every couple of weeks and she gives me feedback on my writing and gives me assignments.  The assignments may or may not be related to the novel, although all the writing practice is definitely improving my writing.   

One of the things I've been working on are character sketches.  Little vignettes about people I'm observing.  It's been great writing and an excellent excuse for hanging out in coffee shops and cafes.  (The conversation in my head in case anyone inquired as to what I'm doing:  "No, I'm not a feckless loser with nothing better to do than hang out for two hours on a Tuesday morning nursing an iced chai.  I am a writer, honing my craft!"  Of course no one asks, probably because they don't want to be asked themselves.)

But sometimes, I don't even manage to get my arse off the chair at the kitchen table and get outside.  Sometimes I observe in the comfort of my own home.  Click here to read the result of that.