A Practical Guide to In My Bones by David Cumes
I ran into this book a few years back when someone on a writers forum recommended it for its unvarnished approach to the writing craft. I picked it up out of curiosity, read it in two sittings, and found myself going back to certain passages more than once. It isn't flashy. That is kind of the point. In My Bones David Cumes is a collection of essays and reflections on the writing life, the creative process, and the kind of honesty that doesn't come easily when you are trying to make art your career. The title comes from a phrase that keeps showing up in the work — something you know deep down, even when you can't articulate why.
What the Book Actually Covers
Most of the essays deal with the gap between what you want your writing to accomplish and what you are actually capable of doing on a given day. Cumes doesn't offer a five-step program. He talks about showing up, dealing with rejection, writing through periods where nothing feels good, and the particular kind of self-doubt that comes with putting words into the world. One chapter that stuck with me discusses how first drafts are almost always wrong, not because you are bad at writing, but because you don't yet know what the piece is actually trying to say. That isn't a new idea in the writing world, but he frames it in a way that feels less like advice and more like confirmation. You weren't failing. You were just doing the thing that needs to happen before the real work starts.
How to Approach the Book
If you are looking for a structured course, this isn't it. The essays are standalone, which means you can jump into any of them without losing the thread. I recommend reading one essay at a time and actually sitting with it. Some of the shorter pieces are only a couple of pages, but they tend to carry more weight than their length suggests. I ran into a situation where I was stuck on a project for about three weeks. Everything I wrote felt forced. I went back to the essay about the first draft problem and re-read it slowly. Then I did something I hadn't been doing — I wrote a terrible version of the piece without editing anything. It took me an afternoon. The actual revision took about a week. That pattern of just getting something on paper before judging it has come up a lot since then.
Get the Full Details
Where to Find It
The book is available through standard retail channels. I would check Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and the author's own website if one exists. Sometimes these kinds of books are easier to find through independent bookstores, especially if you call ahead and ask them to order it. The paperback edition is usually the most affordable option, though the Kindle version works fine if you prefer reading on a screen. There is no official free download, and any site claiming to offer one is likely distributing a pirated copy. I don't think that is worth the risk. The book is short enough that paying for it doesn't hurt, and it supports the author directly.
Who It Is For and Who Might Want to Skip It
Beginner writers will probably get the most out of this. If you are just starting out and feeling like you are doing it wrong, Cumes' tone is exactly what you need — not condescending, not overly encouraging, just straight about how hard this stuff actually is. Experienced writers might find it repetitive since many of the themes overlap with books like Stephen King's On Writing or Anne Lamott's Bird by Bird. The main limitation of the book is that it doesn't go deep into technical craft. If you need detailed instruction on plot structure, dialogue, or pacing, you will want to pair this with something more hands-on. It is more about mindset and sustainability than technique. That is intentional on the author's part, but it is worth knowing upfront so you aren't disappointed. I still keep a copy on my desk. Not because I read it cover to cover every year, but because opening to a random page and reading a few paragraphs tends to reset whatever angle I was approaching my work from. That has happened more times than I can count.
