post by Chintana Ahlund

“I like to listen. I have learned a great deal from listening carefully. Most people never listen.” ~ Ernest Hemingway

Photo by karith on flickr

When students ask what they need to do in order to write, Natalie Goldberg offers three pieces of advice:

1. Listen – writing is 90% listening – so, listen.
2. Read - to write well, read good writing.
3. Write - shut up and write. Keep the pen moving.

I’ve just returned from a weeklong retreat in Taos, NM where Natalie had us read Bones of the Master by George Crane and The Ballad of the Sad Cafe by Carson McCullers.

As a group, we discussed the structure of each book: the title, the dedication, the publisher, the sections, the chapters, the author’s bio, the use of photos or maps. We learned to view each book as a way to study the mind of an author. It is a process that trades in opinion for observation. Much like zen, there is no good or bad, there just is.

So, let reading shape writing. Read books, essays and writing by authors whom inspire you. Let their words sink into your body and resurface in your own writing. Also, practice paying attention as you read. Was the moon described in a different way? Was a character detailed uniquely? Did dialogue close a gap in the storytelling? Underline these observations and use it in your own writing.

Natalie also gives us permission to steal - as does Oscar Wilde, who famously suggested: talent borrows, genuis steals.

Writing off the page

Get out a book and flip to a page. Then randomly select a writing prompt off that page. 10 minutes. Go. This is what Natalie Goldberg calls “writing off the page.” It’s a great way to study an author while allowing his or her words to inspire your own writing.

I did this with George Crane’s book. Page 197 – you never know when tree will fall. Read what I wrote in 10 minutes.

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