10.03.2011

heart of writing

"Writing practice knows this, knows we are not our thoughts, but lets the thoughts, visions, emotions run through us and puts them on the page. Writing is the crack through which you can crawl into a bigger world, into your wild mind." -Natalie Goldberg

Ah, the dry spell has been broken. It's always Natalie Goldberg, digging into the heart of writing, and inspiring me to get pen to page. I started reading "Wild Mind: Living the Writer's Life", and along with some encouragement from my dear friend Jessie, I sat down last night and did some writing. The thing with writing is, as Natalie Goldberg says, a writer can't stop writing. She might take a few months off, but not writing is like suicide. It will drive the writer into depression or drinking, or sometimes both. A writer just has to write.

I love Natalie Goldberg's method of creating a writing practice. It's not journaling, but just filling pages. Sometimes I do timed ten minute jaunts, sometimes I think of a subject and fill a few pages - ignoring margins and lines - until it wraps up on its own. Writing practice is a bit different than sitting down to write a novel, but writing practice is a great warm up for working on a novel. The novel I've been working on is taking some time off from me, it seems, but ideas for it keep rolling in, much to my delight. I think I've got to do some plot mapping, which I have no idea how to approach, but I feel I need to get myself organized before I continue.

For now, I'll be enjoying the drop in the temperature by going on long walks with my kids, picking up treasures all the way home. Magnolia pine cones, rocks, pecan shells, and red mottled leaves seem to be most popular these days.My personal treasures include reading late at night, my writing practice, and chilly mornings with black coffee, looking through the condensation covered windows, watching my little ones play together.
What sorts of treasures are you enjoying these days?

7 comments:

SherilinR said...

this fabulous, cool, good-smelling weather is the BEST! enjoy your walks with your littles before they're old enough to zoom off ahead of you on their big bikes with their hair flowing out behind them.

Maggie Ann. said...

This beautiful post was a treasure in my day, uncovered late in the evening. *delight*
As a sister writer I can totally attest to the truth of a writer's inability to stop writing. Though I have not found the space to share this tumultuous trail I've been trekking here lately on the more public forum of my blog, I have been processing through so much in writing practice categorized by Julia Cameron as "Morning Pages". They have saved my sanity countless times, creating release and space for these harder things I've been managing, which then allows me to be more mentally, emotionally, and spiritually stable for my little man & life in general...
Blessings to you on your heart journey <3

Ivy Bliss said...

Now I must dig out my Natalie Goldberg and read her again. Thank you for the reminder.
Just write.
Write. Now.
That is what is on my mirror these days. I am glad you are back in practice mode! It feels so good. :)

Debbie Maxwell Allen said...

I'm enjoying the treasure of snow! And a fresh from the oven loaf of banana bread. :)

~Debbie

Mare said...

Hi there, I've been wanting to add you to my blogroll for a while, and wanted to ask if you have a grab button I can use. If not, I'll just add a link, but those are so boring, you know? Let me know!

Lainey Seyler said...

have you been reading orangette lately? she's been writing about writing a bit lately and i've found it encouraging as well.

Alexis said...

I'm not very familiar with Natalie Goldberg, but I'll have to check out "Wild Mind"!

I'm enjoying drinking my chai tea while sitting on the couch wrapped in a blanket, reading a good book.

ps - I love your blog header! So cozy, makes me want to pull up a chair and do some crafting.