Some good advice

Even though I am in the middle of reading The Count of Monte Cristo (which is a great read!), I started reading Writing Down the Bones by Natalie Goldberg. Just like in the store, the book just seemed to say READ ME! I already read through 3 chapters which are short (14 pages in) and I'm already feeling inspired.

The first chapter she discusses the importance of writing tools. She advises to get a pen that is loose flow since when your ideas are flowing through we don't have time to write slowly. She uses the Sheaffer fountain pen which is funny because I was looking at them myself. When I was younger, I used to write with a quill pen that was inspired from Jo in Little Women. As for paper, the point is to experiment to find what is for you. She uses spiral notebooks with funny characters on them so that you can write freely or as she says write what is junk. I prefer a composition notebook myself or a legal pad.

In the next chapter she discusses your first thoughts. She advises writing practice sessions including timed sessions. Start out small and after a week increase the time.but whatever time you give you have to commit and for that period
1)keep your hand moving (don't pause to reread the line you have just written. That's stalling and trying to get control of what your saying)
2)Don't cross out (that is editing as you write. Even if you write something you didn't mean to, leave it.)
3)Don't worry about punctuation, grammar, spelling and don't even worry about staying in the margins and lines on the page.
4)lose control
5)Don't think. Don't get logical
6)Go for the jugular ( if something comes up in your writing that is scary or naked, dive right into it. It probably has lots of energy.)
-natalie goldberg
She explains writing as a practice in her next chapter.

I tried this when I went on the cruise in May on the one day that I did sit down and write. It worked. I wrote for a good hour without worrying. I didn't think about what I was writing but I just kept at it. I forgot even where I was. As I got past those first thoughts it became easier and I just kept writing. It was so inspiring.

I am loving this book so far but I'm taking it one chapter at a time and trying out her advice. Tonight, after reading those first three chapters which ended with her telling the reader to stop right now and write whatever they were thinking and I wrote two full pages in my journal about my eye and ended up with how much work that I had at work. It was good not to think completely what I was writing. I felt liberated!!!