Bad writers borrow; good writers steal.
from  Becoming a Prose Thief (Finding Your Writer's Voice)
 
 
 

EXCERPTS from. . . .

Writing Down the Bones by Natalie Goldberg

I took the liberty of selecting paragraphs from each chapter of this powerful book to guide you through the process of "freeing the writer within."

The Writer's Journey by Christopher Vogler

If The Writer's Journey is a simplified version and a practical guide to Joseph Campbell's "A Hero With A Thousand Faces",

I have further simplified Vogler's book into an outline form with a brief description of each topic.

Messiah's Handbook by Richard Bach

This is a compilation of maxims and short paragraphs from Richard Bach's "ILLUSIONS: The Adventures of a Reluctant Messiah"

 
 
 
 
 
WRITING DOWN THE BONES
by Natalie Goldberg
 

"When I teach a class, I want the students to be 'writing down the bones,' the essential, awake speech of their minds. . . .

It is the same for reading this book. The book can be read consecutively and that may be good the first time through. You may also open to any chapter and read it. Each chapter is designed to be its own whole. Relax as you read and absorb it, as by osmosis, with your whole body and mind. And don't just read it. Write. Trust yourself. Learn your own needs. Use this book."

Natalie Goldberg
Introduction
 

 

  1. Beginner's Mind, Pen and Paper
  2. First Thoughts
  3. Writing as a Practice
  4. Composting
  5. Artistic Stability
  6. A List of Topics for Writing Practice
  7. Fighting Tofu
  8. Trouble With the Editor
  9. Elkton, Minnesota: Whatever's in Front of You
  10. Tap the Water table
  11. We Are Not the Poem
  12. Man Eats Car
  13. Writing is Not a McDonald's Hamburger
  14. Obsessions
  15. Original Detail
  16. The Power of Detail
  17. Baking a Cake
  18. Living Twice
  19. Writers Have Good Figures
  20. Listening
  21. Don't Marry the Fly
  22. Don't Use Writing to Get Love
  23. What Are Your Deep Dreams?
  24. Syntax
  25. Nervously Sipping Wine
  26. Don't Tell, but Show
  27. Be Specific
  28. Big Concentration
  29. The Ordinary and Extraordinary
  30. Talk is the Exercise Ground
  31. Writing Is A Communal Act
  32. One Plus One Equals a Mercedez-Benz
  33. Be An Animal
  34. Make Statements and Answer Questions
  35. 'The Action of a Sentence
  36. Writing in Restaurants
  37. The Writing Studio
  38. A Big Topic: Eroticism
  39. A Tourist in Your Own Town
  40. Write Anyplace
  41. Go Further
  42. Engendering Compassion
  43. Doubt is Torture
  44. A Little Sweet
  45. A New Moment
  46. Why Do I Write?
  47. Every Monday
  48. More About Mondays
  49. Spontaneous Writing Booths
  50. A Sensation of Space
  51. A Large Field To Wander In
  52. The Goody-Two-Shoes Nature
  53. No Hindrances
  54. A Meal You Love
  55. Use Loneliness
  56. Going Home
  57. A Story Circle
  58. Writing Marathons
  59. Claim Your Writing
  60. Trust Yourself
  61. The Samurai
  62. Rereading and Rewriting
  63. I Don't Want to Die
  64. Epilogue

 

 

 

THE WRITER'S JOURNEY
Mythic Structure for Storytellers & Screenwriters
by Christopher Vogler
 

"I invite you to join me on a Writer's Journey, a mission of discovery to explore and map the elusive borderlands between myth and modern storytelling. We will be guided by a simple idea: All stories consist of a few common structural elements found universally in myths, fairy tales, dreams, and movies. They are known collectively as The Hero's Journey. Understanding these elements and their use in modern writing is the object of our quest. Used wisely, these ancient tools of the storyteller's craft still have tremendous power to heal our people and make the world a better place."

Christopher Vogler
Introduction: Preparing For the Journey
 
  1. The Stages of the Hero's Journey
  2. The Archetypes