Writing Down the Bones: Freeing the Writer Within

By: Natalie Goldberg

Narrated by: Natalie Goldberg

Length: 8 hrs and 29 mins

Publisher's summary

What is writing? Can anybody do it? What's the best way to get started? And keep going? Over a decade ago, when

Writing Down the Bones first appeared, Natalie Goldberg started a revolution in the way we practice writing. Instead of looking at writing as something open only to a few, she made it available to everybody. Her simple, ingenious exercises set free a generation of writers waiting to experience the inner and outer pleasures only writing can provide. Now, for the first time, Goldberg reads her classic work, while offering new commentary about the creative, spiritual, and practical dimensions of writing. This collector's edition also includes an exclusive interview with the author.

Please note: This 1999 recording represents the technology of the time when it was produced. This is currently the best available source audio from the publisher.

©1999 Natalie Goldberg

Poor audio quality: static and muffled

The author's voice is incredibly muffled and the quality is static. It seemed like corners were cut for whatever reasons.

Loved it!!!

I enjoyed every minute of this book. It motivated me to finally start writing. At age 56! It's never to late to just shut up and write.

Wonderful

This book is the best I've read from Audible since I've become a member. The audio itself is a little sketchy...I believe it wasn't recorded in the same way as most books. But none of that matters, just turn the radio up higher, and on headphones, you don't even notice it.
Natalie Goldberg is a treasure. Her accented style of speaking makes the reading sound cozy, like you are getting stories from a neighbor or friend. And if you don't want to write, this book is still immensely enjoyable and pleasurable. I don't know if it has to do with Natalie's practice of Zen Buddhism, but her speech is slow and measured, without being monotonous. Everything is explained, you are never left to wonder. The entire effect made me feel peaceful whenever I listened. And it's a good long book....I can't remember exactly, but I'm thinking in the realm of 5 hours. I wish it had gone on longer.

Wow! So amazing!

This book was recommended to me and I absolutely love it, adore it, and I will read it probably again and again after this. It’s so much more than a writing book. it’s a book about life and finding you are. Read this book.

Great writer but poor reader!

Nat is a great writer and I really like her but she is the worst narrator on Audible! I can't understand why she can't read her own book! Gee! Did she even listen to herself after recording this!

This book is like an old friend

I read this book around 20 years ago and some of the writing principles I learned from it have stuck with me through the years. Since I am currently doing a sort of personal survey of many books on writing, I thought I would reacquaint myself with the first book on creative writing I ever read. I was not disappointed with this audio edition.

Generally, I prefer the author not be the reader of his or her own audio book - the professional readers pleasanter listening. Therefore, I was a little dismayed at first to find out Natalie would be reading her own book. In this case, I was pleasantly surprised. It did not take me long to get used to her voice and it turned out to be fitting, pleasant, and warmly sincere. As a neat bonus, Natalie includes an updated commentary on each chapter as an older woman looking back at her younger self. She confirms the techniques that are still valuable, and talks about how her ideas have played out over the years in her own writing.

As a student and practitioner of Buddhism, Natalie's central idea is writing as a meditative practice. She gently explains how to use writing practice tap into our personal resources to find out what we really want to say. The focus of the book is really how to get the writing process going in your life and how to keep it going, but she also talks about how to keep our writing from moldering in a pile of notebooks and getting out there to be read. Refreshingly, she keeps the art and practice of writing separate from technology: her tools are her mind, her experiences, and her pens and notebooks. I found this book inspiring the first time I read it and it continues to be a source of encouragement and inspiration for my own writing.

An excellent edition to any writer's toolbox!

There's a sweet, gentle reflection in her voice as she reads Writing Down the Bones, fourteen years later. From a different perspective she is able to connect with the listener, answer questions of why she continues to write, how she has grown as a writer since the success of the book, and tell that she became depressed after Writing Down the Bones was published. With as much insight and hindsight, Natalie, at age 50, offers new advice at the end of each chapter, discusses how her opinions have changed and matured, and shares fresh points of view that an established writer, or someone new to the art, will be surely gain from.

The Best Writers Book

This is Natalie reading her 1st book years and years later. She reads the chapter and then reflects on anything she has learned since or wants to add 15 years later. This is a special special edition!!!! To hear her actually speak is great but the "update in time adds much".
Thanks Audible!!!....lynnr

"Poor sound quality, snooze-inducing narration."

Is there anything you would change about this book?

I'm glad I've also got the print edition because I'm not sure if I can get through this book on audio. First, the recording sounds like the microphone was under a blanket. Muffled.

Second, the author/narrator has no zest or pizzazz in her voice. Because of the subject, it is like listening to your grandmother read a cookbook or from the telephone book. Zzzzzzz. Except for a very VERY few high points.

I've always enjoyed writing. Began journaling as a pre-teen, and have blogged, etc. on and off since then. I've wanted to put my own story to paper for a few years now. I remember listening to this book years ago (on cassette tape).

Third, I'd forgotten how very anti-inspiring it is. Her method in a nutshell: You must spend years just writing, writing, writing. Filling notebooks with words, by hand, be it trash or treasure, before you can hope to be a

Interesting Book but Poor Audio Quality

This book needs to be remastered as the audio is not consistent. Frustrating listen for what is a classic book full of good ideas and encouraging words.