Book Meme

This is my Book Meme and I have been tagged by Zoe, via her blog The Glory Hole.

The rules are:

1. Pick up the nearest book (of at least 123 pages).

2. Open the book to page 123.

3. Find the fifth sentence.

4. Post the next three sentences.

5. Tag five people.

Okay, here goes. The nearest book, as I am sitting at my computer, is "Writing Down the Bones, Freeing the Writer Within" by Natalie Goldberg. It is the Shambhala Pocket Classics edition and usually lives in my handbag for those emergency I-need-something-to-read! moments, but I had evicted it from said bag on Friday before going away for the weekend.

Page 123 falls at the beginning of the chapter entitled 'Big Concentration'.

"As you become single-minded in your writing, at the same time something in you should remain aware of the color of the sky or the sound of a distant mower. Just throw in even one line about the street outside your window at the time you were carving that spoon. It is good practice."

The book only measures 7.5 cms by 11.5 cms and it usually goes everywhere with me. It is what I turn to for comfort. It's a bite-sized book, formed of bite-sized chapters. I've been a fan of Natalie Goldberg since the brother of my mother's late partner (that's a convoluted link!) was recommended "Wild Mind: Living the Writer's Life" at a Skyros writing course. The brother (Paul) bought a copy for Michael, and Michael bought me a copy. In Wild Mind the writer refers to "Bones", and my sister bought me a copy for my 40th birthday. It's never far from my side and usually fulfills the title 'nearest book'. I use it for those moments when I want to write, but my brain says: "What?"

Now, to tag five others. If you read this, consider yourself tagged! (But I'll be back to check if I have five 'tagees'!)