natalie goldberg old friend from far away

In Old Friend from Far Away she focuses her advice on memoir writing. In Writing Down the Bones Natalie Goldberg produced what has become a classic manual for writers eager to stir up their creativity. Old Friend from Far Away: The Practice of Writing Memoir The goal is to allow the written word to connect with your original mind, to write down the first thought you flash on, before the second and third thoughts come in. All the other rules of writing practice support that primary rule of keeping your hand moving. It’s no good.” But when you have to keep the hand moving, it’s an opportunity for the creator to have a say. The editor is always on our shoulder saying, “Oh, you shouldn’t write that. The reason you keep your hand moving is because there’s often a conflict between the editor and the creator.

I consider writing an athletic activity: the more you practice, the better you get at it. Goldberg focuses on what she calls writing practice, which she describes like this:

Natalie Goldberg has been conducting workshops and retreats about writing as Zen practice for 30 years. At about the same time that she began her Zen studies she also began writing and painting, and those three activities have coalesced into an active philosophy of living creatively. She studied Buddhism with a teacher in Minnesota for 17 years. Natalie Goldberg grew up on Long Island, New York.

Natalie goldberg old friend from far away