Rent Writing Down the Bones: Freeing the Writer Within (Shambhala Pocket Classics)

Synopsis

Creating vivid images on the page is not just a matter of innate talent or perseverance, it also requires freeing the mind and entering the stillness of the moment. In other words, writing is Zen practice. In this widely influential guide, Natalie Goldberg, a writing teacher and dedicated Zen meditator, encourages writers to bring their deep, abiding selves to their work. She prescribes some specific techniques, chiefly a timed writing practice during which the pen never leaves the paper and editing or crossing-out is not allowed. Goldberg offers over 60 brief, heart-infused essays about the nature of the mind, the importance of compassion, the power of specificity, and the necessity of setting aside the ego in order to create. Within a few chapters it’s clear that her wisdom can be applied not just to writing but to any art, including the art of living itself.

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