Overview

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.

Full Product Details

Author:   Dr Karen Stevens (University of Chichester, UK) ,  Dr Jonathan Taylor (Associate Professor of Creative Writing, University of Leicester, UK)
Publisher:   Bloomsbury Publishing PLC
Imprint:   Bloomsbury Academic
Dimensions:   Width: 15.60cm , Height: 2.50cm , Length: 23.40cm
Weight:   0.454kg
ISBN:  

9781350439887

ISBN 10:   1350439886
Pages:   208
Publication Date:   25 June 2026
Audience:   College/higher education ,  Tertiary & Higher Education
Format:   Hardback
Publisher's Status:   Forthcoming
Availability:   Manufactured on demand  

Table of Contents

Part One: Introduction Chapter 1: What Is This Book? Chapter 2: What Is Reflection in Creative Writing? Chapter 3: What Is Influence in Creative Writing? Part Two: Reflective Commentaries Chapter 4: Case Study 1: The Personal Is Always Political, by Karen Stevens (on short stories) Chapter 5: Case Study 2: Education, Education, Education, by Joanna Nadin (on children’s writing) Chapter 6: Case Study 3: On the Genealogy of Memoirs: Influence, Revenge and Ressentiment, by Jonathan Taylor (on memoir) Chapter 7: Case Study 4: Pick Up the Pieces, by David Swann (on novellas) Chapter 8: Case Study 5: The End is Never Where You Think: How Preclosure Theory Turned Finally into a Collection of Short Fiction Obsessed with Ending, by Dan Powell (on short stories) Chapter 9: Case Study 6: Influence, Imagination and Authenticity, by Jemma Kennedy (on scriptwriting) Chapter 10: Case Study 7: by Shaindel Beers (on poetry) Chapter 11. Case Study 8: Life in Miniature, by Kit de Waal (on flash fiction) Chapter 12. Case Study 9: Alternate Truths and Fake News, by Anietie Isong (on the novel) Chapter 13: Case Study 10: by Jenn Ashworth (on creative non-fiction) Chapter 14: Case Study 11: Experimental Poetic Autography: Writing the Languaged Self, by Lila Matsumoto (on experimental poetry) Chapter 15. Case Study 12: From Print to Digital and Back Again, by Kate Pullinger (on digital writing) Part Three Chapter 16. Conclusion Bibliography Index

Reviews

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. * Professor David Morley FRSL, Warwick Writing Programme, Warwick University *

Author Information

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).

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