Natalie Goldberg’s “Rules for Writing Practice” | whisper down the write alley
Natalie Goldberg, author of several books on writing including Wild Mind: Living the Writer’s Life, starts every writing class she teaches with “The Rules of Writing Practice” and so do I. She says that if you want to be a writer, or to improve your writing, or to come to know your own mind, fill a notebook a month by writing for 20 minutes or longer on specific topics from “I remember” to “I don’t remember” to your grandmother’s kitchen to your favorite teacher to teeth to…you name it. What follows are Natalie Goldberg’s rules in bold from Wild Mind: Living the Writer’s Life and with my interpretations: 1. Keep your hand moving. No matter what, don’t stop. Write whatever comes to your mind. Outrace the editor with your writing hand. If you keep your hand moving, the writing will win. 2. Lose Control. Let it rip. Don’t worry that someone will judge you. 3. Be specific. Get in the habit of using nouns, verbs, colors, textures. If you realize you’ve written a sentence that’s full of gen
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