Goldberg, First Ideas

Ideas from reading the first 75 pages of “Writing Down the Bones”, by Natalie Goldberg.

(1) Beginner’s Mind
When I do my Daily Calm meditation or yoga, the master often talks about beginner’s mind. We refer to our sessions as a practice, always striving to improve. If we start becoming complacent, assuming we have little to learn, we will in fact gain little. By resetting our mind, looking at our session as if for the first time, we will always find something fresh and stimulating.

(2) First Thoughts
Back in the days when was running regularly, somewhere around 20-30 minutes into my run, I would almost always get what runners often refer to as a second wind. Often times at the start of my runs I would have thoughts of quitting, making it short, a constant struggle. Long before I discovered yoga or meditation, I found setting my mind on my breath, counting my steps to 100, 1, 2, 3… 10, 1, 2 ,3… 20,… or smoothing my strides would cause my mind to get further and further along into my run. All of a sudden the second wind would occur. It was like a calming came over my entire body, in meditation I would refer to it as being in the present moment, equanimity.

(3) Practice Writing vs Writing Practice
Just as in the Beginner’s Mind thought, I prefer to think of writing as a practice. I’ve been trying to write all my bog entries first doing Writing Practice, using the approach actually described in First Thoughts. That is: not being concerned about spelling, grammar, punctuation; writing continuously; losing control; no stopping to edit in your mind; just write.

(4) Composting
You can always edit a bad page of writing, never a blank page. That actually came during Day 3 of class, a list of “tips for writing”, but it popped into my mind as I reviewed notes in the book.

(5) Artistic Stability
As I reviewed my notebook I’m keeping on “Writing Down the Bones”, I saw an entry “This page intentionally blank”. Apparently on first reading I didn’t find much to note. I read it again. This time I’ll note, “do not be afraid of the voices inside you”.

(6) A List of Topics for Writing Practice
On my blog I have a list that is growing quite long. My plan is to put links to the topics I actually write about. Actually, two links, one normally private, the “practice”, the other what I’m willing to share as my current offering. In the book I wrote idiosyncrasies, I have many.

(7) Fighting Tofu
Add flavorful sauce to your bland, but healthy, ‘tofu’ writing.

(8) Ideas for writing? What’s in front of you is a good start!

(9) Tap into what’s below the surface. It’s free and available for the taking.

(10) We are not the poem
What we have written came about at a moment in time. We are not what we write.

(11) Start your writing simple, exposing yourself in layers

(12) Obsessions
Make a list. {I’m thinking…}

(13) Original Detail
Doesn’t need to be where you found, include original detail. Use enough and you’re done. Be awake to the details around you.

This reminds me of something I have always done, no idea if it’s just one of my many quirks, or if everyone does this. I might stand in front of something, let’s say the Mona Lisa. Everyone looks at the smile, right? Not so for me, I find myself looking at the background. What is it? Mountains? A lake, a stream, a footbridge across a stream? Why did Da Vinci do that? Why isn’t she in a studio? I used to do the same thing when I would go wandering around Manhattan, taking photographs of store windows. I was more obsessed with the details in the edges as I composed the scene. In big screen movies I look away from the main characters, will I see Alfred Hitchcock’s back as he moves around a corner? I’m forever amazed looking at my daughter Hilary’s photos – she’s sold many, I need to write about the one of Nora Ephron, used by Frank Rich in New York Magazine – when I look at the edges, always seemingly effortlessly composed.

I think I need to add this to my list of obsessions. Might be in my list of topics as well.

(14) The Power of Detail
Read this chapter again and again. The opening paragraph is all you really need to read…

(15) Baking a Cake
You have all the ingredients, you need to put them together, you must add the heat and energy of your heart. You need both the ingredients and the heat and energy coming from your heart for writing.
Be totally into your writing… writing does writing.

(16) Living Twice
Writers go back outside in the rain with notebook and pen…

(17) Listening
Writing is 90% listening.

(18) Know your goal, stay with it.

(19) Trust your own voice

(20) It’s time to sip some wine!