Summary Of Writing Down The Bones By Natalie Goldberg

Writing Down the Bones is Natalie Goldberg’s first book out of the ten she has written. The book is internationally known and has sold over a million copies. This is not hard to believe, at all . Goldberg touches on important tactics that help one develop into becoming a strong writer, using examples through out her life and her path to writing her first book.

Goldberg compares writing to the spiritual practice of Zen. She refers to the environmental, mental and physical aspects of writing. Goldberg shares with the reader that writing is showing, not telling and the importance of listening when writing. She strongly emphasizes the importance of listening, and specifically writing those details by showing the reader what is meant as opposed to telling.

“Writing, too, is 90 percent listening. You listen so deeply to the space around you that it fills you, and when you write, it pours out of you. If you can capture that reality around you, your writing needs nothing else. You don’t only listen to the person speaking to you across the table, but simultaneously listen to the air, the chair, and the door… Listen with your whole body, not only with your ears, but with your hands, your face, and the back of your neck.” (page 58)

This tactic shows the reader what the writer is seeing, rather than being told. Goldberg emphasizes descriptive writing that triggers the reader’s sensory emotions. Their wrist becomes relaxed, flowing across the page as they begin to observe what’s around them; this creates what is classified as a powerful story. On page 103, Goldberg mentions “Zen teachers talk about our rooms as an indication of our state of mind.” She refers to the writing space that a writer devotes to free writing, either being in a decorated room, local cafes, or New