Another little bit about Dorothea Brande before I close up her book and put it on the shelf… I have found yet another thread of wisdom about writing that has been pulled into the works of contemporary writers such as Natalie Goldberg and Sophy Burnham.

It is the idea that writing is a meditative process. Back when dear Dorothea was writing she didn’t come out and call it ‘transcendental meditation’ or ‘sitting zazen’, but she describes the experience in detail and it’s bang on with things that Natalie Goldberg has mentioned in her books on writing. (Writing Down the Bones, Wild Minds, Thunder and Lightning)

I must agree…magic happens when I can free my mind from the crosshatches of the mundane. Chase off monkey mind and I am left with a space where my best thoughts rise to the top. They come while walking the loop, picking rocks on the beach, soaking in the tub, between the end of the day and sleep. (and don’t fool yourself into thinking they will last…the notebook must be handy at all times!)

The reading – a wonderful night for all five participants in the WFNS mentorship program. We done ourselves proud.

I was nervous right up until I was standing at the front of the room. Once I started reading, the characters took over and told their own stories. What a freeing and exhilarating experience. I have to say that I love all aspects of being a storyteller…the written and the spoken word. It brings out the Dickens in me.

Natalie Goldberg

WFNS