EXCERPT: On beginnings - The reader should be intrigued, drawn in, propelled forward. It doesn't matter how powerful the middle of the story is, or how gorgeous and resonant the ending is, if the reader never reaches it.

ABOUT 'DEAR WRITER': Drawing from her twenty years of teaching experience and her bestselling Substack newsletter, For Dear Life, Maggie Smith breaks down creativity into ten essential attention, wonder, vision, play, surprise, vulnerability, restlessness, tenacity, connection, and hope. Each element is explored through short, inspiring, and craft-focused essays, followed by generative writing prompts. Dear Writer provides tools that artists of all experience levels can apply to their own creative practices and carry with them into all genres and all areas of life.

MY THOUGHTS: Dear Writer worked for me on many levels. Initially I was disappointed because it appeared to be angled solely towards advice for poets. But, as I read, I came to realise that much of this advice can be applied equally well to any form of writing and I began to feel excited and inspired to the point where I was up at 3am reworking my writing group assignment, which I had been feeling unhappy with, the morning it was due.

The 'pep talks' start with the salutation "Dear Writer", finish with Maggie's signature and, while not always containing new advice, certainly reinforces what I have read before. But there are things that were new to me, advice that was a little more practical than that I have read before. Advice that is enormously valuable to someone who writes or wants to write but is also juggling family and career commitments. Life doesn't always allow us to sit down daily at a prescribed time and churn out a prescribed number of words, and Maggie Smith acknowledges this and provides alternative strategies.

Maggie stresses the importance of slowing down and paying attention to the world around you, to utilising all your senses - not just your sight and hearing; of jotting down words and ideas as they come to you - something I am guilty of NOT doing. I thought that if I repeated things to myself three times, I would remember - that definitely does NOT work for me! Pen and notebook, phone - it doesn't matter what you use - write on your arm if you need to!

She sets "Generative Writing Activities", some of which I am going to suggest to the writing group I attend, and provides lists of reference materials and recommended reading.

The text also contains a number of her own poems, most of which I lingered over and reread many times, and frequent references to her memoir, You Could Make This Place Beautiful, which I am going to find and read.

I have highlighted so much good advice and relevant information that I know I am going to come back to this text time and time again.

Thank you, Maggie Smith. You have not only actively inspired my writing, but reignited my long dormant passion for poetry.

⭐⭐⭐⭐.3

#DearWriter #NetGalley

MEET THE AUTHOR: I’m a poet, writer, editor, and teacher. I’ve published several books of poetry and prose, including Good Bones (you might know the title poem) and two recent bestsellers, Keep Moving and Goldenrod. My memoir, You Could Make This Place Beautiful, is a New York Times bestseller.

My poems and essays have appeared in the New York Times, The New Yorker, the Guardian, the Paris Review, Tin House, the Washington Post, and The Best American Poetry. When I’m not writing, teaching in an MFA Program, or editing books for other poets, I’m usually hanging out with my two favorite human beings: my daughter and son. We live in the Columbus, Ohio, area. Yes, it’s my hometown. (Source:maggiesmithpoet.com)

DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Canongate Books via NetGalley for providing an e-ARC of Dear Writer by Maggie Smith for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.

Generous advice for writers, this focuses primarily on poetry, which is understandable given that Smith is best known for her poetry. Having said that, she is keen to expand the practice and ideas she offers into all areas of creativity and this feels very inclusive and encouraging no matter what kind of creative process you're working with. Each chapter takes a theme, with an essay followed by a series of explanations and exercises that help you unpack the nuance of each theme. There is a reading list at the end of each chapter to inspire and guide you further. I loved this. It was gentle but powerfully encouraging.

As someone who loves the arts and has a great respect for the craft I am delighted to have the opportunity to bring advice from the great Maggie Smith to readers. I learned so much and wow what a life and legacy.