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Writing about Old Friend From Far Away


Going writing with Natalie Goldberg

Reading, or rather working through Natalie Goldberg’s Old Friend From Far Away.

It is meant for memoir writers, but the exercises are good for all creative writers, and then there is her voice, a curious mix of reassurance and tough love that draws you in and keeps you going. This video of Natalie Goldberg in an interview on writing says it all.

I have a new notebook that I broke in, and a gazillion different colored pens, and I’m thinking of making this notebook the sole keeper of all the exercises I do from this book. And I mean to do them all.

I like how Goldberg says: “A dancer doesn’t practice a kick one time in one day and consider her practice finished. Keep these topics in your back pocket and exercise them often.”

I like the writing prompts I wrote on a few days ago, and then again today:

“I’m looking at….”

and

“I’m thinking of….”

The idea is to keep coming back to the writing prompt every time you get stuck and begin a new paragraph.

They are a great way to begin your day, I’ve found, and absolutely fabulous journaling prompts.

Damyanti Biswas

Damyanti Biswas is the author of You Beneath Your Skin and numerous short stories that have been published in magazines and anthologies in the US, the UK, and Asia. She has been shortlisted for Best Small Fictions and Bath Novel Awards and is co-editor of the Forge Literary Magazine. Her literary crime thriller series, the Blue Mumbai, is represented by Lucienne Diver from The Knight Agency. Both The Blue Bar and The Blue Monsoon were published in 2023.

I appreciate comments, and I always visit back. If you're having trouble commenting, let me know via the contact form, or tweet me up @damyantig !

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