Creative Writing and the Critical Commentary

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).

• Part One: Introductory1. Preface2. On Reflection in Creative Writing3. On Influence in Creative WritingPart Two: Sample Critical Commentaries4. The Personal Is Always Political, by Karen Stevens, University of Chichester, UK 5. The Art of Persuasion, by Jo Nadin, University of Bristol, UK6. On the Genealogy of Memoirs, by Jonathan Taylor, University of Leicester, UK7. ‘The Community of Sorrow,’ by David Swann, Royal Literary Fund Fellow at the University of Cumbria, UK8. The End is Never Where You Think, by Dan Powell, Independent Scholar9. The Age of Influence in the Age of Authenticity, by Jemma Kennedy, Independent Scholar10. 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, UKPart Three: Postscripts16. Further Reading: Selected Bibliography17. About the ContributorsBibliography Index

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.