Natalie Goldberg

"As writers we have to walk in the world in touch with that present, alert part of ourselves, that animal sense part that looks, sees, and notices - street signs, corners, fire hydrants, newspaper stands."

"You tell the truth and you depict it in detail."

"Learning to write is not a linear process. There is no logical A-to-B-to-C way to become a good writer. One neat truth about writing cannot answer it all. There are many truths. […] Some techniques are appropriate at some times and some for other times. Every moment is different. Different things work. One isnt wrong and the other right. In class we try different techniques or methods."

"I went home with the resolve to write what I knew and to trust my own thoughts and feelings and to not look outside myself. I was not in school anymore: I could say what I wanted."

"First, consider the pen you write with. Think, too, about your notebook. […] A cheap spiral notebook lets you feel that you can fill it quickly and afford another. Also, it is easy to carry."

"Dont worry about your talent or capability: that will grow as you practice. […] If you want to write a novel, write a novel. If its essays you want or short stories, write them. In the process of writing them, you will learn how. You can have the confidence that you will gradually acquire the technique and craft you need. […] We learn writing by doing it. That simple."

"This is the practice school of writing. Like running, the more you do it, the better you get at it. […] You practice whether you want to or not. Through practice you actually do get better. Sit down with the least expectation of yourself; say "I am free to write the worst junk in the world." You have to give yourself the space to write a lot without a destination."

"In a rainstorm, everyone quickly runs down the street with umbrellas, raincoats, newspapers over their heads. Writers go back outside in the rain with a notebook in front of them and a pen in hand. They look at the puddles, watch them fill, watch the rain splash in them."

"Of course, you can sit down and have something you want to say. But then you must let its expression be born in you and on the paper. Dont hold too tight; allow it to come out how it needs to rather than trying to control it."

"Read a lot, listen well and deeply, and write a lot. […] If you read good books, when you write, good books will come out of you."

"Writers move with grace in and out of many worlds."

"The basic unit of writing practice is the timed exercise. 1. Keep your hand moving. 2. Dont cross out. 3. Dont worry about spelling, punctuation, grammar. 4. Lose control. 5. Dont think. Dont get logical. 6. Go for the jugular. […] That is the discipline: to continue to sit."