Writing book hits close to the bone

By Kelsi P.

Writing Down the Bones by Natalie Goldberg is a non-fiction, instructional guideline that helps free the reader’s inner writer. Other well known novels by Natalie Goldberg are Wild Mind, Thunder & Lightning, and Old Friend from Far Away. In her intriguing novel, Writing Down the Bones, she gives numerous tips and wise pieces of advice on how to become the best writer the reader can become. She uses creative chapter names such as “Fighting Tofu”, “Man Eats Car” and “Writing is not a McDonald’s Hamburger” to keep the reader interested and curious on what the chapter may consist of. Throughout the book there are constant suggestions that Goldberg reinstates every few chapters that she strongly supports. Some of these suggestions consist of writing in many different places to get the feeling of multiple surroundings to feel inspired and not pressured to write. Also, she explains how writing can be about anything. It can be a sad memory the writer may have never been willing to share openly about or it can be about the puddles in rainstorm or the colors on the leaves. In the novel she makes it very clear to the reader that everything is significant and you should acknowledge it for what it is, by saying its name and giving details to really involve a reader in one’s writing.

The book was very well written and kept me interested to see the many techniques she uses during her writing process. Being a young writer with only the experience of a ninth grade writing level, the techniques she expressed in the novel seemed extremely creative and helpful. I loved the many quotes said by Katagiri Roshi. Each quote was perfectly worded and very motivating. Natalie Goldberg does not miss one detail about the writing process, allowing the reader to feel comfortable and trusting in her work. She also states many of her writing accomplishments and writing jobs for an extra reinsurance that she is trustworthy when she gives her writing advice. Another part of the book that I liked and found unique was the chapter set ups. Each chapter lasted just a few pages, getting straight to the point and also keeping the reader’s interest. Although I really liked the book, the only thing that I noticed that did not seem right about the novel was the many metaphors. Even though I did understand most of them, there were still a few that were a little far-fetched and hard to fully understand what she was trying to express to the reader.

I would definitely recommend the book to anyone, of all ages, who are trying to improve their writing. It is a great writing utensil to have on hand while writing any piece of literature whether it be a poem, novel, or short story. If the reader is looking for a book on how to become a better writer than I would have no hesitation when recommending Writing Down the Bones by Natalie Goldberg. The book is easy to understand and the tips and knowledge she passes on to the reader that she has learned over the course of her life, is amazing and very helpful. You can find Natalie Golberg’s novel, Writing Down the Bones, at your local library, Amazon.com and in the Itunes store.