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Women's Fiction
Wild Mind : Living the Writer's Life

Wild Mind : Living the Writer's Life

List Price: $16.00
Your Price: $10.88
Product Info Reviews

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Rating: 5 stars
Summary: excellent for use on ooodles of levels
Review: the person who gave 'Wild Mind' a (1.) saying she's a Zen flying all over the country seems to be missing the boat big time and could use some therapy herself or something...besides Zens are suppose to fly all over the country with friends...thank God...gee wizards, lighten up...Natalie's humor, insight and wonderful practices are fun , playful (the only way to learn) and freeing...her analogy of writing to sex and living i love...i got this little gem in Ashland, Oregon...just jumped out as books do...people who die with the most toys, win...nope...people who make people laugh and who can laugh, win...Natalie does that so well as she shares her fullness and wisdom...practical guide to life, sex, humor and writing...i don't care if the 'sour puss' writing the review can write better or worse than Natalie or me...that's not the point...better hasn't a thing to do with writing...Natalie can write, write well, share well, write for everyone and herself and helps so many with practical suggestions about living a full and fulfilling life...this isn't just a book on basic writing...this is a grand philosophy book...nice, compact, practical, fun, hands on, "Be Here Now

Rating: 1 stars
Summary: You can do better than her
Review: This book gave me great confidence as a writer, because I know I can at least write better than Goldberg! All you can learn about writing from this book is in chapter 1: Don't edit while writing. Use the first word that comes to mind. Show, don't tell. Don't think; let it flow. Don't worry about grammar. Write badly if you need to. Write what's hard and hurts.
The other 61 chapters are from the diary of an over-sensitive Zen student in therapy, flying all over the country with numerous friends. I found it annoying and would rather recommend On Writing by Stephen King.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Wish I Had Discovered This Book Earlier......
Review: This book is yet another treasure from Natalie Goldberg. It is like being invited into her home for a while, observing her in process... gleaning what gold you can.

Sipping tea, doing writing practice, laughing at her jokes and I imagine telling a couple of your own once you win her favor.

I have incorporated several of the "Try This On" exercises into my own writing practice and have been delighted at the result. It seems as if each "Try This On" yields some benefit, usually beyond what I expect.

My only wish is that I discovered Natalie Goldberg's writing sooner. This is a delicious, filling offering.... Perfect for using after "Writing Down the Bones."

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Wish I Had Discovered This Book Earlier......
Review: This book is yet another treasure from Natalie Goldberg. It is like being invited into her home for a while, observing her in process... gleaning what gold you can.

Sipping tea, doing writing practice, laughing at her jokes and I imagine telling a couple of your own once you win her favor.

I have incorporated several of the "Try This On" exercises into my own writing practice and have been delighted at the result. It seems as if each "Try This On" yields some benefit, usually beyond what I expect.

My only wish is that I discovered Natalie Goldberg's writing sooner. This is a delicious, filling offering.... Perfect for using after "Writing Down the Bones."

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Incredibly inspirational, it got me writing!
Review: This book really is good for writers in need of a push. My best friend, Cari, read it and is working on her first novel as a result. It is an easy read. I finished it in a few hours. Truly essential for any writing desk.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Life-Changing!
Review: This is one of the best books I have ever read. It is bursting at the seams with wise advice, warm compassion, and endless inspiration.

Reading this book helped me come to terms with what I want out of my writing, how to get it, and how to enjoy myself in the process. It made me confident in my abilities to write and provided me with all the resources I needed to get started. It also helped me to become a little more aware and appreciative of the world around me.

This book does not deal with the different styles of writing. It doesn't explore grammer, punctuation, or other mechanical details. However, it does offer a warm hand to hold as you journey down the difficult (but always worthwhile) path of the Writer's Life.

Don't hesitate from purchasing this book. It's well worth it.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: More of the same...
Review: This is the follow up volume to the excellent Writing Down the Bones. If you have read the first book, and still feel blocked, then this book could prove very useful. What I feel is that she covered most of the important aspects of being an aspiring writer in 'Bones, so I feel their is some rehash, and some material that is just not as good as 'Bones.
Still, she builds more on both zen and jewish wisdom, and it does not do anyone any harm to read it.
Of course, this book helped me to appreciate haiku, and that counts for something!

Rating: 2 stars
Summary: A Disappointment after Bones
Review: While some will love this book, I found it terribly disappointing after reading Writing Down the Bones -- which I loved. Perhaps this is because Bones was so wonderful this could not compete. I found the writing in Wild Mind cloying and self-indulgent -- to the point of irritation. There are many more inspiring writing books than this. Don't bother with Wild Mind unless you want if for its great cover art!

Rating: 1 stars
Summary: YOU CAN SKIP THIS ONE AND SAVE YOUR MONEY
Review: Wild Mind is a rambling assortment of stories told by the author ... many of which have nothing to do with the craft of "writing." Ms. Goldberg spends too much time discussing "how she came out of the closet" and her new gay lifestyle, and how it has somehow impacted her writing. In the end, the book includes very few useful writing tips or examples. I am completely amazed that it has received anything more than below average reviews. Save your money, this one is not worth it.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Wild Mind: A Book Review
Review: Wild Mind: A Book Review Writer's block. It can be a mind numbing and frustrating experience. Wild Mind: Living The Writer's Life written by Natalie Goldberg, a Zen Buddhist and author of Writing Down The Bones, helps writers realize that writing is all in their mind and not the pen. No matter who you are, Wild Mind is a book you should have on your bookshelf. The book is written in the first person and is an extremely fast read. The chapters are short-sometimes one or two pages-and tease you to continue reading. Throughout the 238 pages there are many "Try This" sections. They are lessons she uses to help people write better. Don't just breeze over these sections. Give them a shot. They're fun and exciting. Wild Mind also focuses on getting rid of what Goldberg calls "Monkey Mind." Monkey Mind is annoying and I hate it. It's that little critic that says I stink at writing. "So our job as writers is to not diddle around our whole lives in the dot [monkey mind] but to take one big step out of it and sink into the big sky and write from there. Let yourself live in something that is already rightfully yours-your own wild mind" (33). This book was an extra special treat for me to read because it mentioned Buddhism. I've been studied Buddhism for an entire semester.. While reading Wild Mind, I found an answer to a test question.. I was dumfounded. The funny thing is that if I had read that section in Wild Mind earlier, I would have gotten the question right.


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