Writing and Teaching Writing: Learn from the Master, Natalie Goldberg

Natalie Goldberg is a very influential figure in the fields of both writing and teaching writing. In 1986, with her book entitled Writing Down the Bones: Freeing the Writer Within, she started what could be called a revolution. The book became extremely popular, and is still quoted today. Since then Goldberg has continued to write, and to draw on her philosophies about writing to help both teachers and students of the practice. Many of her ideas stem from her Buddhist ideologies, the formation of which are illustrated in her book The Great Failure- a combination autobiography and guide to writing.

Goldberg's ideas are widely acknowledged and accepted by other writing theorists. Many proponents of writing (myself included) respect her ability to get pens moving and writers writing. However, Goldberg also speaks to all people: up-and-coming writers, philosophers, teachers, and to those journalists who wish to connect to and explore their own lives. A passionate and personable teacher, Goldberg never treats any of her students as inferiors.

As I mentioned earlier, the "bones" of Natalie Goldberg's own ideas were laid out in her first book, Writing Down the Bones. Throughout the books and interviews I perused (Writing Down the Bones, The Great Failure, Long Quiet Highway: Waking Up in America, and Thunder and Lightning specifically), the main premise underpinning her theory seems to be that "the show must always go on". This idea is conveyed by her philosophies on both the physical act of writing and on living as a writer as well. She teaches that when a writer sits down to write, they should write continuously for a set period of time; that the act of writing this way can become a meditation in and of itself. As Goldberg says in her interview with The Sun Magazine, "The idea is to keep your hand moving for, say, ten minutes, and don't cross anything out, because that makes space for your inner editor to come in. You are free to write the worst junk in America" (5). Goldberg also has this "keep moving" attitude when it comes to living the life of a writer. She encourages writers to write whether it's an up day or a down day, whether we feel like it or not, and not to impress, but for our own personal satisfaction. She encourages us to learn from what we perceive to be failures, because if we embrace our lives' difficult events as she did in her book The Great Failure, then they will not be failures at all.

It becomes obvious from Goldberg's theories, which could just as easily be called teachings, that the product of writing is never as important as the process. She has been quoted as saying, "That's very nice if they want to publish you, but don't pay too much attention to it. It will toss you away. Just continue to write." Goldberg consistently tries to push writers this way: out of their comfort zone and into real, fluid writing from the core of their consciousness. As her book, Writing Down the Bones states, "We think our words are permanent and solid and stamp us forever. That's not true. We write in the moment" (32). The reason she so ardently reinforces this part of her philosophy is to help writers prevent their "inner editor" from taking control of their writing. Her theories and exercises help us to separate the creator from the inner editor which, she claims, pushes us to fulfill the expectations we either have for ourselves or think that others have for us.

I think that Goldberg's theories, when taken together, amount to a very minimalist way of teaching writing. This stands in opposition to much of what students have been taught about writing. Too many students see writing is one of the most rule-laden academic practices. To Goldberg, this is one of the main problems for many writers; they write based on expectations. Her theories strive to make writing a natural, spiritual process- an idea that most surely has root in the Buddhist philosophies she so lovingly practices. One of the main things I think we as tutors or teachers can learn from her theories is that we have to help our students be less afraid to fail. If we allow our students the opportunity to learn from "failure", we may find that their work and their willingness to work both improve.

I believe that Natalie Goldberg's theories could be beneficially applied in a tutoring session. Most of us have hit that "writing brick wall" at one time or another and many of her ideas can help us break through it. I see her theories as a well for students and teachers- a place they can go to replenish the ideas and vitality of any writing, whether it be personal journaling or a long research paper. However, when it comes to the research papers that many of us tutors will be dealing with, I don't think that we can be helpful using only Goldberg's theories. As helpful as "keeping the pen moving" can be, I think that many research papers take more than that. Since many research papers are rooted in brute facts, I don't think this strategy alone can carry the entire paper-writing and researching process.

This is not to say, however, that her theories don't have a place in academics. On the contrary; I think that when it comes to teaching writing she has an extremely solid theory. Although a lot of Goldberg's theories seem to be geared toward writers and teachers of writing, this process is obviously a huge part of academic papers as well. Many students struggle with the organization and layout of their papers, and I think in many cases the problem is simply that they need to start writing. What better theory than Goldberg's to get those wheels turning?

When it comes to tutoring, I think we should consider Natalie Goldberg's ideas more of a strategy for tutoring than a philosophy of tutoring. She is a theorist I would definitely draw motivation from in one respect: I think we need to allow students to write for themselves and from their own unique perspectives. Too often we as tutors are tempted to "iron out" a paper, to make it sound more academic, or even to make it sound more like our own. These practices stamp out our students' voices; a practice Natalie Goldberg can teach us to stop.

Sources:

Goldberg, Natalie. Long Quiet Highway: Waking Up in America. New York: Bantam, 1994.

Goldberg, Natalie. The Great Failure. San Francisco: Harper, 2004.

Goldberg, Natalie. Thunder and Lightning: Cracking Open the Writer's Craft. New York: Bantam, 2000.

Goldberg, Natalie. Wild Mind: Living the Writer's Life. New York: Bantam, 1990.

Goldberg, Natalie. Writing Down the Bones: Freeing the Writer Within. Boston: Shambhala, 1986.

Zeiger, Genie. "Keep The Hand Moving: Natalie Goldberg On Zen And The Art Of Writing Practice." The Sun. Nov. 2003: 4-7.