Sieun Stacy Jang Will Ramirez

(GROUP 7 STUDY GUIDES) Writing Down the Bones by Natalie Goldberg Be An Animal Make Statements and Answer Questions Go Further The Samurai Rereading and Rewriting

Part 1: summary Natalie Goldberg provides five suggestions to beginning writers; be an animal, make statements and answer questions, go further, be a Samurai, and reread and rewrite. Even though we, the beginning writers, are not always physically writing, our identity as a writer doesn't go away. We are always writers, therefore we have to be alert all the time using all our sense like an animal so that we can write with everything in us. Beginning writers, especially females, (according to a study done on women and language) tend to use indefinite words as being self critical. It's important for us to learn to trust our own mind and stand with our thoughts. Natalie Goldberg strongly recommends that we should make clear, assertive statements without any vague, indefinite words. Rather than being self critical, we can write a question and answer it on our own from a deeper level inside of ourselves. When we write, there comes a moment we feel we're done and think we've written enough amount. According to Goldberg, that moment is actually the edge of beginning of our writing work. She says that when we push ourselves beyond the moment, something powerful and stronger automatically comes to us. However, we don't always realize if we have written something strong. That's why rereading and rewriting are essential. We have to make sure that we look at our work from distance with

objectivity. This doesn't mean that we have to focus on the negativity and the internal critic. What Natalie Goldberg tells us to do is that we should try to catch how our mind works with honesty like a Samurai. In other words, we need to avoid being sentimental about our writing and "beating a dead horse into running again." We should be willing to have honesty about our own work and take only good parts of the work. Part 2: Formal Outline I. Beginning writers need to be aware that they are always writers no matter what they do. 1. The identity as a writer doesn't disappear even though when they are not physically writing. 2. It is important to get all their senses intent like an animal to improve their writing. 3. They need to observe the world in touch with the present part of themselves, reminding themselves of the fact that they are always writers. II. Beginning writers need to practice in expressing what's really in their mind. 1. They should try getting rid of all vague, indefinite words and phrases. 2. It's important to make clear, assertive statements, because that helps them practice in trusting their own mind. 3. When they write a question on our paper, they should know how to answer it and stand up with their thoughts. J 4. Their deeper level inside is where they can find endless resources for their writing. III. Beginning writers can improve their work by going further than they think they can. 1. The point when they feel they're done is the edge of beginning thinking you're done. 2. They shouldn't be afraid of expanding their thoughts on areas they think they've already written enough. 3. Something strong and powerful comes out beyond the point when they think they're done.

IV. Rereading and Rewriting with honesty is essential to the beginning writers. 1. It's important for them to be ready to look at their work from distance and with objectivity. 2. The point of rereading and rewriting is to catch how their mind works, not to be negative and self-critical about their work. 3. They should prevent themselves from being sentimental about their own work A. It's good for them to learn to be a Samurai; learn to be willing to look at their work with a clear, piercing mind. B. Don't try to beat a dead horse into running again. Cut it out. C. Honesty will help them be willing to let go of their non-best parts of work. 4. Taking only the good parts and expanding it would be helpful tool for them to make their work more interesting and creative.

Part 3: Helpful Vocabulary or New Concepts with the definitions Envision -- to think of (something that you believe might exist or happen in the future) : to picture (something) in your mind Piazza -- Italian word for an arcade, covered walk, gallery or in front of a building. Pounce -- to swoop down suddenly and grasp something Vague -- not clear or distinct to the sight or any other sense; perceptible or recognizable only in an indefinite way Prose Piece -- prose pieces are considerably shorter than a short story Discursive -- proceeding coherently from topic to topic Blur -- something moving or occurring too quickly to be clearly seen Ego -- the self especially as contrasted with another self or the world

New concept Being a Samurai -- having the courage to cut out anything that is not present in your writing (a great warrior with an empty mind who cuts his opponents in half)

Part 4: Discussion Questions Do you agree with Goldberg's statement that we are always writing even if we are not necessarily writing on the paper? What kinds of evidence do you see or do you not see? Do you often ask a question to yourself or the readers when you write? How do you feel when you answer the question that you made? How do you think answering your own question can help you develop your writing? What kinds of methods do you think writers use to get the readers' attention? What method works for you? How would you try to attract the readers' attention in your writing? What kind of feelings or emotions that drives us to write? What are some ways we could check if you wrote a good piece? Why first thought important for writers and how it uplift writers?

Part 5: Reflections The five lessons demonstrated by Natalie Goldberg connect back to the articles that we read in Week 1 such as "First Thoughts," "Freewriting," "Critical Thinking." These articles and the five sections from the book by Goldberg show how we can write what we want to express on the paper with confidence. I think Goldberg's suggestions in her book are all helpful to us, because we can learn how to write more effectively and how to work with our deeper level of mind to build more developed, organized thoughts on the paper. I can see the concept of growth mindset from Goldberg's suggestion. People with a growth mindset believe that practice with a lot of

effort makes themselves eventually capable of doing what they are not naturally good at. Goldberg says that even though we are not professional writers, if we practice in trusting our own mind to stand up with our thoughts beyond the point we think we are done, we will eventually be able to write something powerful and strong.