Thank you, NetGalley & Pen & Sword | White Owl for access to this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I needed a couple of days to sort out my feelings on this book. To think about its purpose and whether it has been achieved.

The short answer: yes, I believe it did provide a small introduction to some of the many facets of creative writing.

Was the whole book useful? No, entire sections and chapters felt like a waste of time; their advice was beyond logical or, considering its intended audience, quite pointless. I'm looking at the journaling, diary, and letter-writing sections specifically.

Did it make me think about the stories I intend to write, thus indirectly helping me develop them a bit a bit further? Yes. It wasn't for my intended story, but another did progress a fair amount.

Was the guide easy to read and process? Definitely. However, it did take me longer than anticipated due to its pointless sections, as mentioned above.

Overall, I found only 30 pages of the book useful, at most, but I did appreciate and bookmark some of the tips from those parts.

This has come in so useful! I have always wanted to write my own book, and this has given me a great jumpstart. With practical advice and exercises, this is the perfect book to get you started! This would also be super useful in a creative writing class - I wish I had it when I taught it!

A great reference book for new and aspiring writers especially.

This book covers a little of everything. There are sections on Non-Fiction, Fiction, Poetry, Legacy, etc. There are answers to common issues when writing. It covers different ways to publish. The book covers different style of writing. How to use tense. It covers why having someone else edit / proofread for you is so important. Prompt. Fan-fic.

It’s all here. Well written. Very useful book to have on your shelves, especially for on days that you are struggling to write and need motivation.

A huge thank you to Netgalley and SJ Banham for giving me the chance to read ''A Guide to Creative Writing'' in exchange for my honest review.

As a person who strives to be a writer, this book gave me real perspective when it comes to the entire "writing experience".
It did not only give me so many useful insight as to how to get into "writing mode" with all the amazing advice and exercises it provided, but it also instilled to me lessons I should keep in mind whenever I'm writing but also when I read other books or even when I'm just doing routine daily life stuff. Everything plays a part in the writing process and this book helped me understand it better.
I really great book for anyone who's interest in creative writing ,as a hobby , as their job or even as their past time activity, it gives tools,lessons and advice about writing ,all in one with great care and greater love for the reader. Definetely would recommend to friends who love to write and seek advice and guidance to better their skills.

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this eARC.

In “A Guide to Creative Writing,” SJ Banham provides a friendly, accessible tone that equips both beginners and seasoned writers with the tools they need. Between practical suggestions, insightful tips, engaging anecdotes, and thought-provoking exercises, readers glean a mountain of information.

Whether you’re new to creative writing or already have a few books under your belt, this guide offers inspiration, guidance, and encouragement. Banham’s passion for the craft shines through, making this book a valuable companion for anyone who wants to write for the love of it or take their writing journey further.

If you’ve ever wondered how to unleash your creativity, this book is a must-read.

A generally very useful and inspiring guide to the ins and outs of creative writing full of helpful exercises and covering everything from the importance of good habits, discipline and organisation to useful insights into style and technique.

A Guide to Creative Writing is a concise, useful, and well written guide for writers and other creatives compiled and written by SJ Banham. Released in the UK 13th June 2024 (rest of the world 30th Aug), it's 216 pages and is/will be available in paperback and ebook formats.

This is written by a prolific published writer, about her experiences in the field, to help other writers and creatives. She has an encouraging and egalitarian voice, and her recollections of starting out as a writer and being discouraged by the very people who should have been inclusive and encouraging were poignant, and could be especially important to neophyte writers who don't have the benefit of hindsight to know they can and should persevere.

The information is arranged logically and accessibly: the benefits of handwriting (and how to get thoughts onto "paper"), projects & maintaining a habit of actually writing, exercises (for all ages), fiction (a huge and information dense chapter), nonfiction, poetry, legacy/recollection history, and a tie-together troubleshooting chapter.

Each chapter contains numerous prompts, exercises, explanations, and guides for doing the included assignments. They're not onerous and they're open ended. In fact the author has a gentle and encouraging touch with her guidance.

Four and a half stars. It would be difficult to work through the chapters systematically and -not- see a significant improvement in the reader's ability to get coherent thoughts onto paper. It's not a "how to make a zillion dollars in publishing overnight" and doesn't claim to provide quick and easy ways to avoid putting in the work of actually -writing-.

This would be a good choice for public or school library acquisition, writing workshops, classroom instruction, readers' own self-study, or possibly gifting purposes.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

If you’re looking for advice on how to write any type of fiction or nonfiction, this little book will have some great tips for you. I appreciated the summaries at the end of each chapter, and Banham also includes some helpful exercises to get the creative juices flowing. The author is British, and thus many of the recommendations are as well, but the book is for anyone. This was just published, so check it out!

Thank you to NetGalley and White Owl for the eARC. All opinions are mine.

A GUIDE TO CREATIVE WRITING would be an excellent guide for first-time creative writers. As in newbies - those looking for advice on how to get started writing their first novel.

I've got a couple of unpublished novels already I've written under my belt ... alas, So A GUIDE TO CREATIVE WRITING was a bit too basic for me.

However, I think new writers would learn a lot. I particularly enjoyed the chapter on problem solving and troubleshooting.

Thank you NetGalley and Pen & Sword/White Owl for an e-copy of A GUIDE TO CREATIVE WRITING to review.

I rate A GUIDE TO CREATIVE WRITING three out of five stars.

This is a good book for inspiring new authors who are looking for some ideas how to finish that first story or book. There is some good advice in the book, and might help many writers who are stuck with something. The book is divided into several different parts, so it is easy to read and get to the section you need right now, without having to go through the whole book. I would most definitely recommend this to ‘new’ creative writers.

Pen and Sword provided an early galley for review.

As a lifetime amateur writer, I am always looking for helpful books on the subject of writing. My personal collection has several in this category. I also moderate a monthly writing group at our library branch, so I am always eager to find books on the subject to suggest to my friends there.

Banham covers a wide range of topics over ten chapters - from the inspiration to plans for publication. She hits upon various different format as well - fiction, nonfiction and even poetry. There is a little bit of something for everyone in this one.

The longest chapter by far is the one dedicated to fiction (though it does also include sections on inspiration and process - two key aspects of creative writing). As someone whose creative writing mostly falls into the fiction bucket, I certainly appreciated this part of the book. The chapter on troubleshooting also had several useful pointers and tips.

Banham's gentle approach and voice are welcoming and very encouraging. She opens herself to the reader through her own experiences with the hope that they can enlighten those just starting on their writing journeys and to reignite the fires in those who have stepped away from the craft for awhile. She also makes it a point to present potential writers with options; she reiterates often that what might work for one writer might not for another. This is an important point that I don't see often enough in these kinds of books.

Packed with tons of information. This book is a great resource for people new to creative writing, as it hits on a lot of pertinent topics.

I enjoyed the Take Away Tips at the end of each chapter. And I was a particular fan of problem/solution chapter toward the end of the book.

A valuable resource for those ready to dip their toes into the world of creative writing.