The True Secret of Writing Connecting Life with Language

The beloved teacher and author of the million-and-a-half copy bestseller Writing Down the Bones reveals a new method of writing in “a priceless distillation of her accumulated wisdom and experience as a writer, coach, and instructor on mindfulness” (Abraham Verghese).

Sit. Walk. Write. These are the barest bones of Natalie Goldberg’s revolutionary writing and life practice, presented here in book form for the first time. The True Secret of Writing provides a whole new method of writing that Goldberg developed since the publication of her classic, Writing Down the Bones.

The capstone to forty years of teaching, The True Secret of Writing is Gold­berg’s Zen boot camp. Stories of her own search for truth and clarity as well as her students’ breakthroughs and insights give moving testament to how brilliantly her unique, tough-love method works. As Goldberg says, “To write is to be empow­ered. . . . Writing is not just for someone who wants to write the great American novel.” Learning “the true secret” allows you to mine the rich awareness in your mind and to ground and empower yourself in a way that leads to deep, eloquent self-expression. Goldberg’s beautiful homages to the work of other great teachers and observers of mind, life, and love provide further secrets and inspiration to which you will return again and again.

In her inimitable way, Goldberg will inspire you to pick up the pen, get writ­ing, and keep going. The True Secret of Writing helps you with your writing—and your life.

Natalie Goldberg is a poet, painter, teacher, and the author of twelve books, including her classic, Writing Down the Bones: Freeing the Writer Within (which has sold more than 1.5 million copies) and Old Friend from Far Away: The Practice of Writing Memoir. She has been teaching seminars for thirty-five years to people from around the world and lives in New Mexico.