Rating: 
Summary: writing teacher loves Goldman
Review: I spend time telling my students to be themselves, to write what they know, to use their natural voices. Then I give them a handout with lead paragraphs from a cross-section of student writings. Invariably the "good" students--those who can write in complete sentences, who manage to find the spell-checker, and who know how to use punctuation--will pick the academic sounding leads. They all believe that they must use four syllable words to impress the teacher. They repeat the same abstractions over and over, stretching nothing of importance to three full pages. So when Natalie Goldman tells us "write clearly and with great honesty" and then calls it "writing down the bones," something in her essay rings very true. Goldman's book is a series of commentaries on the tools, the mindset, the insecurities, practices, and disciplines of the writer. She pushes her audience to take chances, to not only let themselves fail but to learn from their failures. She tells us that: "When you learn to write this way--right out of your own mind--you have to be willing to write junk for five years." At the same time, however, she expects--and it is clear that she, herself, feels--a level of joy in the process. She tells us to seek our safety in the right pen, a good notebook, and to use the technology we find comfortable. She allows us to appreciate the ego within, to go ahead and celebrate the our internal "voices" even when they produce "terrible self-pitying junk for page after page." Out of sheer volume and continual practice Goldman expects the writer will be reborn in her students. From the tricks to get around the writer's block to the rewards for filling a page Goldman is a goldmine of simple advice and ideas that I find exceptionally suited for use in my own classes with my own budding student writers.
Rating: 
Summary: Hippie Bones Lie Near Parched Death Valley Dry Lake
Review: The Beat Generation
is so Over.
Zen Buddhism is
a big, big, big
confidence game.
Natalie Goldberg,
a very nice person,
and Zen Veteran,
from Looooooong
Guyland, got
sucked into
the Naropa Institute/
Allan Ginsberg
spiritual/poetic
writing ghetto
and never escaped.
On the other hand,
she absolutely
fosters and encourages
any and all writers
to go the last mile
to become a writer-
which is a great and
good, admirable
feat.
Her Voice, Her Persona
are Irresistable: Charming, Loveable,
Kittenish.
Her cloddish references
to her Zen teacher
Katagiri-roshi,
become annoying.
The sub-text of
this cassette:
Zen-Lesbian-Vegetarian-
JournalWriting-Ageing
Hippie=GOOD,
All others=BAD,
handicaps this
cassette.
I listened to 9 hours
of this cassette, plus
3 hours of the cassette
THUNDER AND LIGHTNING,
before stuffing
the cassettes back in the
box.
I cannot deny my love
for Natalie,the person, as she appears on this tape.
She is so charming!
I cannot deny my irritation
with her presentation,
which so quickly
wears thin.
A Big conflict.
However, I believe she could
write a dozen
great novels:
She has the Heart, Mind,
Guts, Sensitivity and
Insuperable Diligence
to create good fiction
far into the future.
Am I, then, a
mean man?
P.S.: I think... Good Writing can be found in the Final movie-script of "Galaxy Quest",for example,which
sings like a taut violin string.
The Shooting script of "Galaxy Quest"
[at scifiscripts.com],however
is lumpy and flaccid.
Much can be learned I believe
from comparing the two
danny
Rating:
Summary: An awesome book for right brain writers
Review: I absolutely love this book! It is such an encouragement to me as a writer. Goldberg has a way of dispelling the haze that often accompanies perfectionism, writer's block, or feeling like you have to be a "goody two shoes", as she says. (Goody two shoes writer are ones that faithfully write *every* day, but their writing lacks life and energy. They are writing because they're "supposed" to.) Granted, this isn't a book for logical, left-brain, or technical writers. They won't "get" it. But for poets, or any other writer that wants to treat themselves gently, or have a cup of proverbial tea with an encouraging comrade, this book is a must. It's very Zen-like, and I love the down-to-earthiness of the author. It's obvious she lives in joy, and sees so much past the obvious.
Rating:
Summary: Terrific!
Review: Having already had one book published in the nonfiction genre, I have been struggling to find the common sense answer as to how to enter and delve into the fiction genre, as I have battled my nagging and persistent questions and doubts about my writing ability that are clogging my mind making me wonder if I can meet such a feat. I have had "Writing Down the Bones" displayed on my book case for over 5 years and have through the years maybe dabbled a bit here and there on a page or two...but the book never truly caught my attention, making me wonder why I bought it in the first place. For some odd reason, recently, I felt as if the book was calling me to read it. I did and now feel refreshed, renewed, and equipped to proceed in my new writing venture as I travel down a different writing path with my second book. Ms. Goldberg is obviously talented, gifted and empathetic to her readers as she can relate from her own experience through her own struggles, tell you what it is you are up against and/or feeling in your current writing atmosphere...whether you have been previously published or not. I highly recommend this book to both unpublished and published writers...an open mind is a beautiful thing...it's a great read, a great tool for producers of the written word.
Rating:
Summary: What a Wonderful Book for Writers!
Review: I can't believe all the bad reviews I've read here. This is a beautiful book. If you love writing, I mean really love it: If writing is a part of who you are, if you constantly see stories/poems in every part of your daily life (no matter how mundane), this book is for you. I appreciate Goldberg's passion for writing and it is evident on every page. Okay, she gets into some spiritual/philosophical issues I don't agree with, but I can still enjoy the book for what it is: A celebration of the passion and joy of writing. I can't imagine anyone who loves writing not having a great time with this wonderful book.
Rating:
Summary: indescribably bad
Review: This lady, herself, can't write a lick, and she tries to teach you to do the same. She comes off exactly like Deepak Chopra or one of those similar new-age hacks, putting together a series of meaningless, stream-of-consciousness psychobabble catchphrases and then marketing it as some kind of how-to book. There isn't one sentence of useful information in this thing. I say all this from the perspective of a person who has actually had things published, including a how-to book, in fact, and it strikes me that what is presented here is the sort of romantic fantasy about writing that people who have no chance of getting anything published like to delude themselves with, which explains its popularity. I guess that the most amazing thing is that every so often one of these clowns does somehow manage to get one of these vague, feelgood books in print that then sells a zillion copies to other, like-minded dreamers. Go figure.
Rating: 
Summary: A bit of useful advice
Review: I read this book, expecting something closer, perhaps, to Julia Cameron's "Artist's Way". It really wasn't what I expected at all. Later books that Goldberg wrote after this one, such as Wild Life, were much better. One good bit of advice was actually doing your daily pages with a 'fast' pen, such as a fountain pen. I have to admit, that did help me quite a bit, if only just to assist with easing carpal tunnel! Although where she was getting fountain pens for a mere [price] is a mystery to me! The adage to just keep writing is about as useful as it gets in this book.
Rating: 
Summary: May be helpful for you, but useless for me.
Review: I turned to this book when I had the idea for my first novel, thinking it would help inspire my creativity and get my story from my brain to the page. Rather than offering practical advice, I found the book romanticized the process. At the time I read it, I was looking for a guide similar to Vicki King's How to Write a Movie in 21 Days (except for novel writing). I have yet to find that sort of a book, but I just completed the first draft of my novel mostly on the advice from Stephen King's On Writing, and a few select parts of Jack Bickham's work. If you actually want to get some work done, read the aforementioned books. If you would rather read about writing (or are looking for advice like, "Try writing at a coffee shop"), then you might try this book.
Rating: 
Summary: LOVE GOLDBERG!
Review: Love, love, love Natalie Goldberg! She gives us all hope...
"Anyone can write!" She says so confidently. That means Me! And You. "If you go deep enough in writing, it will take you every place." Goldberg says. "When I teach class, I want my students to be writing down the bones, the essential, awake speech in their minds." Writing Down the Bones has many short chapters...
Obsessions, Man Eats Car, Fighting Tofu, Don't Marry a Fly, Be an Animal, Nervously Sipping Wine---
just to name a few. Catches your interest, Huh? When Goldberg insists we use first thoughts and originality she
practices what she preaches. "First thoughts have tremendous energy." -Goldberg- "Bones" teaches us that if we think too much or worry about what people think, or try too hard... we will lose our original thoughts. "Monkey Mind" takes control.
The reader will know instinctivly that we are holding something back. Believe me, they know and the piece becomes... Boooooring! "Bones" is filled with practical tips about the writing life... Take leaps, first thoughts (duh), there is not separation between writing and life, Let go of everything, read a lot, and listen very deeply. "Let your whole body touch the river you are writing about." Yes, baby, I feel it! This is what you want the reader to experience.
The cold liquid on skin. Goldberg says we all have the potential to write... Where we are now. This moment. Today.
Without a million classes or a degree in English. "It's where our writing is burning through brilliance that it finally becomes a poem or a prose piece---something that comes from the source, from first thoughts, wakes and energizes everyone." -Writing Down the Bones- We all have that fire in our belly. Are you going to use it?
If so, write. Just write. Where you are. Now. Today. "May we all meet in heaven cafe writing for eternity." -Goldberg-
Rating:
Summary: Bravo
Review: Some of my greatest inspiration for writing comes from books about writing--especially good ones. This is one of the best ones I've read so far. The idea of practice writing introduced in this book has been an enormously valuable exercise for me. Just write for a set amount of time. It doesn't matter what about or what you write--just as long as you write. Because of this, I have learned that writing is one of the best things for a writer to do. Makes sense, right? It's just like playing an instrument. If you don't practice, you'll never get better. Goldberg's book is filled with tips and information, and it is an interesting and fun book to read. It's a valuable resource for any writer.
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