Alfred Street (University of Auckland Store)
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Writing Down The Bones : Freeing The Writer Within
Paperback Edition: 1
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.
The way that Natalie Goldberg writes makes it seem almost as if she could be right there giving a writing workshop to a group, or giving feedback to a friend. She gives interesting exercises to complete that are simple and effective. They could be done in as much or as little time as you have to spare wherever you are. The key thing of course is to actually do them. To attempt to rid yourself of the 'goodie two shoes' traits that require you to always write something great rather than to genuinely engage with what you are doing. Her passion for stories and finding the words with which to express them is infectious.
Each chapter of her book has a different resonance each time I read it depending on my mood. It is a welcome companion for putting pen to paper, and I do not doubt that this book will continue to be at the desks of writers for many years to come."
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ubiq Staff Pick! - by Jessie
"Anyone with even the most vague interest in writing would find a welcome companion in this book. The process of writing here is not put into a sort of container to be made separate from life as it happens unpredictably. Life informs writing as much as writing can inform life - if we let it. There is a give and take between the two, and therefore I think that much of what she goes into could apply to almost any endeavour requiring a specific skill.The way that Natalie Goldberg writes makes it seem almost as if she could be right there giving a writing workshop to a group, or giving feedback to a friend. She gives interesting exercises to complete that are simple and effective. They could be done in as much or as little time as you have to spare wherever you are. The key thing of course is to actually do them. To attempt to rid yourself of the 'goodie two shoes' traits that require you to always write something great rather than to genuinely engage with what you are doing. Her passion for stories and finding the words with which to express them is infectious.
Each chapter of her book has a different resonance each time I read it depending on my mood. It is a welcome companion for putting pen to paper, and I do not doubt that this book will continue to be at the desks of writers for many years to come."
Pages : 198
Publisher : Shambhala
Publication date : 2016-05
Subjects: Non-fiction, Education / Language / ESOL, Medicine, Health And Personal Development