Writing Down the Bones - Natalie Goldberg
Amazon Link: here
Date Finished: 2-22-2026
Score: 10/10
Super Short Summary
In this book, writer Natalie Goldberg combines her expertise in writing with her experience in zen meditation, to share a unique perspective on the craft of writing.
She covers how to improve your writing, how to write consistently, writerās block, self-doubt, creativity, and countless other areas of the craft, so whether youāre new to writing or more experienced, thereās a plethora of wisdom here to be gained.
Some of my favorite highlights/notes
āYou should feel that you have permission to write the worst junk in the world and it would be okā
āIf every time you sat down, you expected something great, writing would always be a great disappointment.ā
Free yourself from all expectation and just get the words out. You can polish them later.
āBasically, if you want to become a good writer, you have to do three things. Read a lot, listen well and deeply, and write a lot.ā
Like anything, you have to put in the reps. But you also canāt pour from an empty cup. Read so many books and stories that you intuitively know what good and bad writing is. Read until itās etched into your brain. All the while pouring everything onto the page.
Other misc. thoughts and notes:
Try writing in different places: Restaurants, bars, coffee shops, libraries, parks.
Use a timer. Set a timer for 10 minutes, or 20, and bang out as many words as you can without stopping. Or set a time for 3 minutes and try to write a poem in that time.
Write about anything and everything. Write about love. Write about your favorite meal. Write about your pain. Thereās no writers block if you consider even the mundane a possibility to write about. Write about the most boring thing you can think of, and try to make it interesting.
Writing is lonely. Make writer friends. Share your work with each other. Join writing groups, poetry groups, or attend workshops. Find people who help you grow, support you, and make the journey a little less lonely.