About the Book
In this unique collection of essays, published writers offer an intimate view of how their work has been informed, shaped and transformed by their literary, political, philosophical or personal influences. Providing models of the critical commentaries that all students of creative writing must write, each essay from contemporary authors of fiction, creative non-fiction, poetry, scripts and digital writing demonstrates how what writers write is determined by what they have read, and what they read is then determined by what they are writing. As writers reflect on their process of moving from sources of inspiration to a finished and original piece of writing, they reveal their anxieties, passions, discoveries and motivations, offering fascinating insights into the imagination's journey. Introductory chapters explore why writers reflect on their own work, and place this practice in wider contexts, offering theoretical frameworks for understanding process, influence, and inspiration.
As illuminating for aspiring writers as it is for students reflecting on their research and process as part of writing courses, Creative Writing and the Critical Commentary will change the way writers talk about and engage with other texts.
Table of Contents:
Part One: Introductory
1. Preface
2. On Reflection in Creative Writing
3. On Influence in Creative Writing
Part Two: Sample Critical Commentaries
4. The Personal Is Always Political, by Karen Stevens, University of Chichester, UK
5. The Art of Persuasion, by Jo Nadin, University of Bristol, UK
6. On the Genealogy of Memoirs, by Jonathan Taylor, University of Leicester, UK
7. 'The Community of Sorrow,' by David Swann, Royal Literary Fund Fellow at the University of Cumbria, UK
8. The End is Never Where You Think, by Dan Powell, Independent Scholar
9. The Age of Influence in the Age of Authenticity, by Jemma Kennedy, Independent Scholar
10. Go Outside, by Shaindel Beers, Blue Mountain Community College, Oregon, US
11. Jesus, Fairy Tales and Flash Fiction, by Kit de Waal, Jean Humphreys Writer in Residence, Leicester University, UK
12. Alternate Truths and Fake News, by Anietie Isong, Independent Scholar
13. Memoir and Main Character Syndrome, by Jenn Ashworth, Lancaster University, UK
14. Experimental Poetic Autography, by Lila Matsumoto, University of Nottingham, UK
15. Digital Narratives, Technology and the Domestic Gothic, by Kate Pullinger, Bath Spa University, UK
Part Three: Postscripts
16. Further Reading: Selected Bibliography
17. About the Contributors
Bibliography
Index
About the Author :
Karen Stevens is Senior Lecturer in Creative Writing at the University of Chichester, UK, where she specializes in teaching fiction. She is an author and editor, and has edited two critical and creative anthologies: Writing a First Novel: Reflections on the Journey (2014) and High Spirits: A Round of Drinking Stories (2018). Her debut collection of short stories Brilliant Blue (2025) was published with Barbican Press.
Jonathan Taylor is Associate Professor of Creative Writing at the University of Leicester, UK. An author, editor, lecturer and critic, his books include the short story collection, Scablands and Other Stories (2023), and two memoirs, A Physical Education: On Bullying, Discipline & Other Lessons (2024), and Take Me Home (2007).
Review :
This book opens the door to the mirror-world of Creative Writing and reveals the art behind the art. Clear-sighted, rigorous and genuinely illuminating, it shows students and writers how reflective practice can sharpen craft, deepen self-knowledge and turn process into insight. Drawing together incisive theory, practical guidance and exemplary commentaries by leading author-academics, it addresses a long-neglected gap in Creative Writing pedagogy. It is essential reading for anyone who wants to understand not only how to write, but how to think as a writer.
