This was such an amazing book. As a writer, it helped me tap into my writing practice on a different level. I will be recommending to all my writer friends.

I've always appreciated Natalie Goldberg's words of wisdom on writing. "Writing Down the Bones" is one of my favorite books on the writing life. This new book, "Writing on Empty" was not my favorite. In this book, the author tells of how she struggled to write during the pandemic. I just couldn't relate; I got lots of writing during the pandemic. This might be a good book for writers who do struggle to write, for whatever reason. I appreciated this book, but it was just not for me.

Many readers, if they think about it, would probably say writing is a solitary process. For some, that may be true. Locking themselves away and growling at those who'd dare distract them from the muse. For others, however, they need people. They flock to the nearest coffee shop, quaint little cafe, or even the library. They simply need people and the hum of life about them. That was Natalie Goldberg. She needed the energy, spark, sheer inspiration of not being isolated. Then covid happened. This is her story of dealing with writer's block during the forced isolation of the pandemic and ultimately reclaiming her muse..

Although marketed as a guide for writers, this is a partly memoir, partly a deep dive into herself and relationships, and, yes, a guide for writers. The guideline doesn't really appear in plain words until the end and then it pretty obviously wasn't written by Goldberg, hence my 4.5 rounded to a 5 star. It does, however, tie all the many, many threads together in my mind. I'm not going to detail them aside from saying personal experiences and structure are vital. In the process of getting to the guidelines/suggestions, you'll get to know Goldberg well, including her family and friends, not to mention idol Hemingway. Oh, he's dead you say? No reason you can't sit at his graveside and chat with him anyway, right? Goldberg is open and intense and her writing shines. I felt taken in by it immediately and as if she were talking to me, not writing words in a spiral notebook (more on that in the book). She shares those uncertain, uneasy early days of the pandemic when we all thought it would be brief,as well as real life outside, taking those of us who shared those same events back with her. It isn't always a comfortable journey by any means, but it's real and personal. We also get to see how her own past and sense of isolation as a child, in particular, helped form the Natalie Goldberg that is.

Bottom line, being more introverted than not, I realize now that my relatively easy sailing through the pandemic wasn't the norm. Yes, many of us arranged strategic, supposedly safe meetings in parks and such with friends, but in the process, Goldberg segues from topic to topic, sharing with friends and in her own head. It's all fascinating and a bit confusing at time but never dull. As noted, I felt pulled in from the first page. The epilogue, which is where the author instructions/suggestions finally appear, manages to maintain something of that air of intimacy while offering connections and possible writing prompts. This is a book that will draw you back from time to time, I'm thinking, too. Her personal saga and insights are worth the return visits. Thanks so much to #NetGalley and #StMartin'sPress - #StMartin'sEssentials for sharing this wonderful bit of memoir and inspiration with me. Writers or simply readers who wonder what might go on inside the writer's head while producing books, this book should be a must on your tbr list.

Based on the title and subtitle of the book, I thought it would be similar to books like On Writing Well and Bird by Bird. It was less of a how-to or inspirational book on finding your writing voice and more of a specific account of all the conversations and excerpts that led the author back to her own voice during the pandemic. It was a fine book, just not what I had expected.

Like a cozy chat with an old friend, Writing on Empty reminds us of the early days of the Covid epidemic when nothing was certain and for many of us, like Natalie Goldberg, our creative life disappeared. If you've never read her writing, this is a great book to start with. If you're already a fan, don't miss this. For those of us who are also writers, Natalie helpfully includes some writing exercises at the end.

This is tough to review and rate because, as others have pointed out, the description is misleading.. This is a memoir, not a writing guide or "a guide to finding your voice". The book doesn't release until July, so I would suggest Macmillan update the cover with a more accurate tag line. Maybe something like: The author's personal journey to rediscovering her voice. Just an idea. :) I would have given it at least 4 stars if it hadn't been marketed as a book on writing.

This is a memoir by Natalie Goldberg through the lens of her struggles with creativity during the pandemic: from connections to lack of them. She rallies against the internet and technology, and loves in person connection with others and nature. My major bump reading this is that it's marketed as a writer's instructive guidebook, as a writer's craft book. It's not, aside from a tacked on epilogue, that doesn't seem to be written by Goldberg.

I would recommend this book to anyone who is a fan of Goldberg and would like some insight into her views on creativity and connection. I would recommend anyone looking for a writer's craft book to read her seminal text Writing Down the Bones.

“Writing on Empty” is a lovely memoir of how beloved teacher Natalie Goldberg overcame the isolation of COVID and her ensuing writer’s block. Using her own life as an example, Goldberg’s essays and writing tips will help writers and others find their creative spark when it appears to be gone.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the digital ARC.

I was so excited to get a change to review this work! I'm a huge fan of Writing Down the Bones, and her newest work did not disappoint. Her books are inspiring and useful to writers of all genres.

Not at all what I expected. The premise is well intended and something every writer and reader alike can relate to, as many of us faced difficult transitions, isolation, and a greater appreciation of our own mortality during the pandemic. However, the book reads more like a memoir than a guide. I loved all of Goldberg’s previous books, but in this one, her writing tips don’t appear until more than halfway through the book. There are some important takeaways, such as confronting the past in order to write more freely and respecting what voices in our history can still teach us today. It would have been more appropriate to name this book — Writing on Empty: A Journey of Self-Discovery and Affirmation During the Pandemic.

DNF. Not for me. Too triggering. I opened to the description of the mental pain of being unable to be creative in March 202o, almost threw up, and closed the book.

I thought this was a great book about rediscovering your creativity and love for writing. I'll admit that it was challenging to read about the pandemic--it's still a difficult time to talk about--but it was a necessary reminder to understand why so many of us are still struggling to find our creative groove again.

Engaging and accessible. A recommended purchase for collections where writing craft titles are popular.

My review has been published here, on Goodreads:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6329588297

Ah! This one sounded so promising. I kept checking to make sure I was reading the right book. Nothing about it is instructional or helpful for “finding your voice.” It’s really a memoir about Goldberg’s writer’s block during COVID and then just pages and pages of her railing against the internet (in general, but also as a means of research for writing or finding books to read). It should be called something like “Exploring Your Own Story and Leaving the Internet Age Behind.” The very end contains some hyper-specific writing prompts that I didn’t find compelling at all. So bummed!

Thank you to Net Galley, St. Martin’s Essentials and the author for the advance copy.

I was really anticipating reading this book--the initial premise led me to believe that it would be an inspirational how-to, more of a self-help title, but it fell short from those expectations. This is more memoir than anything, and deeply rooted in a Covid-narrative that this reader wants desperately to escape from. It wasn't until the last 10% or so that this gives any sort of advice/prompts and I was left wishing there was more of this, though I appreciated the personal narrative of the author.

Thank you to the publisher for inviting me to read this for review through NetGalley.

Writing Down the Bones was my first introduction to Natalie Goldberg. I read it for one of my MFA classes. It had a delightful structure, one I was unused to in craft books. One of the things I love about her writing is that it doesn’t seem like a lesson. It’s a conversation. A free write morphed into a lesson. On the face of it, this book may seem like a person’s mind wandering and not about writing through writer’s block. On the contrary, it teaches you that very thing. By her free writing her essays through her block, she learned how to write again. That is a strategy I’ve gotten comfortable with over the years. When I can’t write, I just write. It may not be in one of her spiral notebooks, and I can’t write in a cafe to save my life (too noise sensitive). But free writing anything is the only way I can break myself from a block. She teaches that in order to write, you have to experience life. And while I’m sick to death of talking about COVID, she has an absolutely valid point. COVID got most of us writers used to solitude. So the only way for her to break that block was to experience life on life’s terms and write about anything that came to mind. This book is a great reminder of that. If you don’t experience life, you have nothing to write about.

Huge thanks to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for sending me this ARC for review! All of my reviews are given honestly!

I've been reading Natalie Goldberg books for over 30 years. She is a teacher, poet, fiction writer, memoir writer, painter and Zen Buddhist. Natalie's way of teaching is unique and soulful. Her books are one part writing advice and two parts memoir. In the midst of her writing about hiking in the mountains, swimming in a cold river, or visiting the grave of a dead writer, we learn how to express our own voices. In this book Natalie writes about her struggles during COVID and how the lack of being able to go to her usual places to write and her inability to travel and see her friends led her to a writing drought.

Many of us felt the same way during the pandemic and Natalie talks about how she got herself out of the rut she was in and promises us we can do it to if we simply start writing. Natalie always comes back to telling us to write about what we see, we feel, we dream. If you can't get out of your house write about your dreams and memories. This is also a novel about getting older. The author is in her 70's now and is a cancer surviver. She contemplates moving into a senior community and all the things she will miss when she dies. At the end of the book is a roadmap where she gives the readers some concrete writing advice and writing prompts. I felt strongly tied to Natalie in this book although I have never met her nor have had a life traveling the world and becoming friends with famous authors and other artists. Yet she hits on some universal truths in life and writing and I was glad to share this journey with her. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this ARC in exchange for a review.

I will read anything Natalie Goldberg writes, and "Writing on Empty" was just what I needed at this time in my life. This is a memoir of Goldberg's journey to find purpose and healing as she becomes paralyzed in her writing life during the pandemic. Her answer? To take a road trip through the West, searching for inspiration. You'll have to give this a read to find out what she learns. Highly recommended for fans of Goldberg, readers, writers, artists, and spiritual seekers. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.
#WritingonEmpty #NetGalley

I've always been a fan of Natalie Goldberg, and this book is not exception. We are starting to see many books come out with the pandemic in the plot or having been written during the pandemic. The memoir gives us another side of that. Crippling writer's block, a time of seclusion, and trying to save one's career during a time that careers seem to be the least important thing in the world.
Thank you to St. Martin's Press and Net Galley for a digital ARC in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

I feel that this book wants to be two things and can’t quite decide if it’s a memoir or self-help book, The subtitle is “A Guide to Finding Your Voice,” but the actual guidance didn’t come in until 92% of the way into the book. If you’re looking for a book that contains a woman’s travels during the pandemic, this might be for you. I was expecting more of a guidebook and motivational tool as an aspiring writer, and this fell flat.