Writing Down The Bones
Yesterday was a long day. I’ve been on a mission to beautify this whole house, room by room. With each room I have been purging, tidying, deep cleaning and decorating them into bohemian coziness and warmth. I completed the last room yesterday.
Along with that, I started this blog and that was no easy task, as I’m technically disabled and it took three days, trying out four different blog sites, several mood swings intertwined within many daylight and evening hours. I finally settled on this site. This site is an old friend. I had a blog on here for years. So, we are now back together.
I am not sure it’s a wise endeavor for a writer to have a blog since it takes time and energy away from writing books. However, it is a wonderful way to share and express my daily thoughts and workings. I miss YouTube and this is an outlet. It is also suggested that a writer do a daily writing that has nothing to do with novel writing. So, we have that.
After a day of setting up and beautifying the last room on the list, I made two pasta dishes for dinner (chow mien and a garlic vegan butter pasta since not everyone was thrilled with the chow mien), got the blog started up and running, did some hours of editing and proof reading on the fiction book I’ll have published soon, and I’m done with the long day!
I get into pajamas, dish up some chow mien and get ready to watch the last two episodes of Resident Alien, my new addiction, and suddenly a dispute breaks out with the father and eldest. It quickly escalates into a court room battle with the other child jumping in, and the chicken coop erupts into cawing and crowing.
I realize that I won’t be treating myself to Resident Alien and I’ve lost my appetite. I try to not get involved because I have control issues and I am adopting Tabitha Browns mantra of “That’s not my business. This is my business and that isn’t my business”. I did have to interject a few words to calm the mob, but then I went to my room with a book, a highlighter and tabs to do some nighttime annotating.
I received this book yesterday in the mailbox. I had earned enough points on Thriftbooks for a free book under $5. This was the only book on writing and outlining under $5. I read a couple good reviews and ordered it. It turns out it was a gift from the Universe. It’s one of those things that you think will be a simple book you’ll skim and throw on the book shelf to collect dust, but it’s a clever gift to inspire and support the work.
I started with the preface, I don’t usually read the preface of any book. I dive in and skim, sometimes I don’t even finish even if I do like the book. But I felt like I wanted to give this book a 100% chance and start from the very beginning.
What a delight! I’m read the preface and now I’m a few pages into the introduction and I’m in love. Natalie Goldberg takes writing into a spiritual practice and healing realm and I am already inspired, I have barely skimmed the book and I feel the ambition rising.
She talks about working with a Zen master for six years with her meditations and at one point he says to her, “Why do you come to sit meditation? Why don’t you make writing your practice? If you go deep enough in writing, it will take you everyplace.”
It is true. Writing is a practice of meditation, healing, escape, and delving into a made up world or our own subconscious.
It is a portal to other realities and a friend waiting to do therapy with you.
When I get through the whole book, I will return with the final review. You can also join me on Goodreads.
