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PR Isfeld

Reading: "Writing Down the Bones"
Reading: “Writing Down the Bones”
  • PR Isfeld
  • Writing

“Writing about writer’s block is better than not writing at all.”

—Charles Bukowski

Since its first publication in 1986, Natalie Goldberg’s Writing Down the Bones has inspired writers around the world. Her strong insights and unconventional approach encourages everyone, from beginner to professional, to put pen to paper and find creative freedom.

This is not like most of the writing books published over the last thirty years. Goldberg doesn’t get into the usual topics like plotting, character creation, or finding an agent. Instead, her work focusses on the idea of writing as a path to self-knowledge, and is heavily influenced by the many ears she has spent practicing as a Zen Buddhist. This is a book about writing as process, not product.

One of the core messages of the work is the importance of writing a little every day. She advocates for writing as a daily practice, in which the writer should tap into their raw and unfiltered thoughts. Free writing without editing, Goldberg promises, can be a powerful tool for unearthing buried memories, suppressed emotions, and untapped creativity.

Goldberg dismisses the idea that writing is something that is open only to those with some kind of a gift. She shares her personal experiences and struggles as a writer, dispelling both the image of the tortured artist and the myth of ease. Self-compassion is an essential prerequisite of her recipe for creativity.

Writing Down the Bones is structured as a series of short, digestible chapters, making it easy to dip in and out of as needed. Each chapter is filled with practical exercises, anecdotes, and thought-provoking reflections, all in Goldberg’s conversational, open style.  She encourages writers to take a mindful approach to life by connecting with their surroundings, observing the world around them, and infusing their writing with vivid imagery.

For inspiration, here are some writing exercises inspired by Writing Down the Bones:

  • Exploring memories: pick a vivid childhood memory and write about the sensory details associated with it.
  • Writing in the moment: spend a few moments focussing on your immediate surroundings, then write down the details of what you see, feel, hear, and smell, in a stream of consciousness style.
  • Compost material: make a list of 10 things you’d like to write about, no matter how big or small.

Captives
A psychological mystery that explores the aftermath of a brutal abduction and the secrets that haunt the survivors.

Three years ago, Samantha Gilchrist and her friends Amanda, Kaylee and Maria forged an unbreakable bond when they survived a brutal kidnapping in Kandahar. Sam wrote a best-selling memoir about their ordeal and moved on to a great new career as a journalist and a happy relationship with Dave, a handsome intelligence officer she met in Afghanistan. Still, she can’t help wondering about the reasons behind their capture.

On their way to Maria’s remote Gatineau cottage to commemorate the anniversary of their escape and rescue, Sam and Kaylee hear news reports about a missing Afghan diplomat. Then, they think they see Ali, their former interpreter and the mastermind behind the hostage-taking, who was supposed to have died during their rescue. When Amanda’s lifeless body is found the next morning, the friends’ suspicions lead them down a dangerous path that uncovers dark secrets and hidden motives.

The narrative alternates between the present day and the version of events presented in Sam’s memoir, as she and her friends struggle with their grief over the loss of Amanda and lingering trauma and jealousy over their differing fortunes in the aftermath of the kidnapping. As tensions rise and secrets are revealed, Sam starts to question everything she thought she knew about her friends, her lover, and herself, not just in the past, but in the here and now. 

Full of suspense, complex characters, and unexpected twists, Captives will cause fans of mystery and psychological thrillers to make irresponsible decisions about their sleep. 

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