{"id":179,"date":"2008-04-26T11:07:00","date_gmt":"2008-04-26T18:07:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/coffeejitters.net\/blog\/?p=179"},"modified":"2021-09-11T12:04:30","modified_gmt":"2021-09-11T19:04:30","slug":"writing-down-the-bones-by-natalie-goldberg","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/coffeejitters.net\/blog\/2008\/04\/26\/writing-down-the-bones-by-natalie-goldberg\/","title":{"rendered":"Writing Down the Bones by Natalie Goldberg"},"content":{"rendered":"

I read Natalie Goldberg’s Writing Down the Bones<\/a><\/em> the first time in 1990. I was twenty and had just decided that I want to be a writer when I grow up. I had never imagined such a book: a writer writing about writing. It’s a simple concept, I know. But it blew my mind. I devoured every word and then went back and read it again. I was so full of hope and ambition and passion. I went out and bought myself a big beautifully bound journal in which I would practice my craft.<\/p>\n

I went to a bustling cafe, sat down with my big steaming cuppajoe, got out my new pen and stared at the blank page while I waited for a jewel of inspiration. Nothing. Nothing in my head was worthy of that fancy journal. Crap. Drivel. Cliche. Not a single thought that tickled my brain or twitched the nib of my pen was good enough to commit to paper. How the hell do writers do this? Everyday?<\/p>\n

Damn.<\/p>\n

I missed the basic premise of the book: just do it.<\/strong> Don’t wait for it to be perfect, don’t repaint your walls to create the perfect writing room, don’t wait for the soundbites that everyone will still be quoting 50 years after you’re gone. Just write. You find the good stuff in editing.<\/p>\n

Eighteen years later I reintroduced myself to an old passion that never died; the dream of making a living as a writer. It’s different this time. I write every day. Most of what write is crap, and that’s a beautiful thing. I celebrate the shit. I write in spiral bound notebooks that pile up and clutter our apartment. I write, I doodle, I daydream, I do timed writes, I write even when my head is completely empty. I write when I don’t know what to write. Sometimes I just write “I don’t know what to write” over and over until my pen writes something else. It’s not glamorous, it’s not inspirational, it’s not perfect. It’s just writing down the bones.<\/p>\n

I re-read Writing Down the Bones<\/a>\u00a0<\/em>and this time I got it. You have to be willing to be not perfect. I still have times when I find it critically important that I reorganize my files, or transcribe an entire spiral bound notebook into my computer, but on closer inspection that usually means I’m procrastinating and I’m afraid I might write crap. So then I sit down and write crap anyways.<\/p>\n

<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

I read Natalie Goldberg’s Writing Down the Bones the first time in 1990. I was twenty and had just decided that I want to be a writer when I grow up. I had never imagined such a book: a writer writing about writing. It’s a simple concept, I know. But it blew my mind. I […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":8243,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"jetpack_seo_schema_type":"","_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[763,770],"tags":[4,48,671,6,886],"class_list":["post-179","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-creating-a-living","category-writing-blogging","tag-books","tag-inspiration","tag-life-lessons-2","tag-reviews","tag-writing","et-has-post-format-content","et_post_format-et-post-format-standard"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/coffeejitters.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/07\/bird-4.png?fit=640%2C457","blog_post_layout_featured_media_urls":{"thumbnail":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/coffeejitters.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/07\/bird-4.png?resize=150%2C150",150,150,true],"full":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/coffeejitters.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/07\/bird-4.png?fit=640%2C457",640,457,false]},"categories_names":{"763":{"name":"Creating a Living","link":"http:\/\/coffeejitters.net\/blog\/category\/creating-a-living\/"},"770":{"name":"Writing & Blogging","link":"http:\/\/coffeejitters.net\/blog\/category\/creating-a-living\/writing-blogging\/"}},"tags_names":{"4":{"name":"Books","link":"http:\/\/coffeejitters.net\/blog\/tag\/books\/"},"48":{"name":"inspiration","link":"http:\/\/coffeejitters.net\/blog\/tag\/inspiration\/"},"671":{"name":"life lessons","link":"http:\/\/coffeejitters.net\/blog\/tag\/life-lessons-2\/"},"6":{"name":"reviews","link":"http:\/\/coffeejitters.net\/blog\/tag\/reviews\/"},"886":{"name":"Writing","link":"http:\/\/coffeejitters.net\/blog\/tag\/writing\/"}},"comments_number":0,"wpmagazine_modules_lite_featured_media_urls":{"thumbnail":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/coffeejitters.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/07\/bird-4.png?resize=150%2C150",150,150,true],"cvmm-medium":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/coffeejitters.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/07\/bird-4.png?resize=300%2C300",300,300,true],"cvmm-medium-plus":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/coffeejitters.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/07\/bird-4.png?resize=305%2C207",305,207,true],"cvmm-portrait":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/coffeejitters.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/07\/bird-4.png?resize=400%2C457",400,457,true],"cvmm-medium-square":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/coffeejitters.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/07\/bird-4.png?resize=600%2C457",600,457,true],"cvmm-large":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/coffeejitters.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/07\/bird-4.png?resize=640%2C457",640,457,true],"cvmm-small":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/coffeejitters.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/07\/bird-4.png?resize=130%2C95",130,95,true],"full":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/coffeejitters.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/07\/bird-4.png?fit=640%2C457",640,457,false]},"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p1fDeG-2T","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":12145,"url":"http:\/\/coffeejitters.net\/blog\/2023\/02\/18\/6-benefits-of-freewriting\/","url_meta":{"origin":179,"position":0},"title":"6 Benefits of Freewriting","author":"Judy Schwartz Haley","date":"","format":false,"excerpt":"Freewriting is a simple writing practice that helps prime the writer for creativity and inspiration among other benefits","rel":"","context":"In "Inspiration"","block_context":{"text":"Inspiration","link":"http:\/\/coffeejitters.net\/blog\/category\/life-skills\/inspiration-living-well\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/coffeejitters.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/6-benefits-of-freewriting.png?fit=1200%2C675&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/coffeejitters.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/6-benefits-of-freewriting.png?fit=1200%2C675&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/coffeejitters.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/6-benefits-of-freewriting.png?fit=1200%2C675&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/coffeejitters.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/6-benefits-of-freewriting.png?fit=1200%2C675&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/coffeejitters.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/6-benefits-of-freewriting.png?fit=1200%2C675&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":252,"url":"http:\/\/coffeejitters.net\/blog\/2008\/07\/03\/women-authoring-change\/","url_meta":{"origin":179,"position":1},"title":"Women Authoring Change – Whidbey Island Writers Association","author":"Judy Schwartz Haley","date":"","format":false,"excerpt":"Whidbey Island Writers Association hosts an open house the first Tuesday of every month at the Rockhopper in Clinton. This Tuesday I hopped on a ferry to Whidbey Island to attend the meeting. I'm so glad I did. The focus of the July meeting was Hedgebrook, a retreat for women\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Creating a Living"","block_context":{"text":"Creating a Living","link":"http:\/\/coffeejitters.net\/blog\/category\/creating-a-living\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Whidbey Island Writers Association","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/coffeejitters.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2008\/07\/WIWA-Logo.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":10745,"url":"http:\/\/coffeejitters.net\/blog\/2021\/07\/12\/15-journaling-and-writing-prompts-about-friendship\/","url_meta":{"origin":179,"position":2},"title":"15 Journaling and Writing Prompts about Friendship","author":"Judy Schwartz Haley","date":"","format":false,"excerpt":"Friends are the family we choose. Just like our families, their influence on our lives, and how we perceive and interact with the world is vast. It could even be argued that because we choose each other, who we befriend may influence us and say something about us even more\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Journaling"","block_context":{"text":"Journaling","link":"http:\/\/coffeejitters.net\/blog\/category\/life-skills\/journaling\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/coffeejitters.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/prompts-about-friendship.png?fit=1200%2C675&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/coffeejitters.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/prompts-about-friendship.png?fit=1200%2C675&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/coffeejitters.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/prompts-about-friendship.png?fit=1200%2C675&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/coffeejitters.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/prompts-about-friendship.png?fit=1200%2C675&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/coffeejitters.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/prompts-about-friendship.png?fit=1200%2C675&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":171,"url":"http:\/\/coffeejitters.net\/blog\/2008\/04\/09\/my-aspirations-or-why-i-want-to-be-a-food-writer\/","url_meta":{"origin":179,"position":3},"title":"My Aspirations, or Why I Want to be a Food Writer","author":"Judy Schwartz Haley","date":"","format":false,"excerpt":"According to Womens Wear Daily, during Monday's New York Women in Communications' Matrix Awards, \"Top Chef\" judge Padma Lakshmi was quoted saying: \"I'm living my mother's dream, I sit on my ass, I eat and I talk.\" .","rel":"","context":"In "Creating a Living"","block_context":{"text":"Creating a Living","link":"http:\/\/coffeejitters.net\/blog\/category\/creating-a-living\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/coffeejitters.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/07\/bird-2.png?fit=640%2C457&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/coffeejitters.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/07\/bird-2.png?fit=640%2C457&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/coffeejitters.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/07\/bird-2.png?fit=640%2C457&resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":9230,"url":"http:\/\/coffeejitters.net\/blog\/2020\/12\/20\/a-fresh-start-for-the-new-year\/","url_meta":{"origin":179,"position":4},"title":"A Fresh Start for the New Year: Are You Ready to Turn the Page on 2020?","author":"Judy Schwartz Haley","date":"","format":false,"excerpt":"the year is almost over. It's time for a new year. A new page. We will still have the same problems once the bell tolls us into 2021, but we can stop, take a breath, hit reset, and then tackle the new year with a plan. Let's take a moment\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Courageous Courses"","block_context":{"text":"Courageous Courses","link":"http:\/\/coffeejitters.net\/blog\/category\/courageouscourses\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/coffeejitters.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/RESET-2021-twitter-no-date.jpg?fit=1200%2C675&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/coffeejitters.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/RESET-2021-twitter-no-date.jpg?fit=1200%2C675&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/coffeejitters.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/RESET-2021-twitter-no-date.jpg?fit=1200%2C675&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/coffeejitters.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/RESET-2021-twitter-no-date.jpg?fit=1200%2C675&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/coffeejitters.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/RESET-2021-twitter-no-date.jpg?fit=1200%2C675&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":216,"url":"http:\/\/coffeejitters.net\/blog\/2008\/05\/30\/the-reading-room\/","url_meta":{"origin":179,"position":5},"title":"The Reading Room","author":"Judy Schwartz Haley","date":"","format":false,"excerpt":"For the past couple of months the Husband has been encouraging me to pack up my goodies and go spend a day studying in the reading room in the Suzzillo Library at the University of Washington. It's just a couple blocks away, but I've been resisting. For some reason I\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Adventure"","block_context":{"text":"Adventure","link":"http:\/\/coffeejitters.net\/blog\/category\/life-skills\/adventure-living-well\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"suzzallo reading room","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/coffeejitters.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2008\/05\/harry-potter-room.png?fit=1200%2C800&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/coffeejitters.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2008\/05\/harry-potter-room.png?fit=1200%2C800&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/coffeejitters.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2008\/05\/harry-potter-room.png?fit=1200%2C800&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/coffeejitters.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2008\/05\/harry-potter-room.png?fit=1200%2C800&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/coffeejitters.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2008\/05\/harry-potter-room.png?fit=1200%2C800&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_likes_enabled":false,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/coffeejitters.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/179","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/coffeejitters.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/coffeejitters.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/coffeejitters.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/coffeejitters.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=179"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"http:\/\/coffeejitters.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/179\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":10920,"href":"http:\/\/coffeejitters.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/179\/revisions\/10920"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/coffeejitters.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/8243"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/coffeejitters.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=179"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/coffeejitters.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=179"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/coffeejitters.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=179"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}