Writing Creativity and Soul
Published by: KnopfRelease Date: October 21, 2025
Pages: 214
ISBN13: 978-0593804643
Buy the Book: Penguin Random House, Amazon, Apple Books, Barnes & Noble, Books-A-Million, IndieBound, Bookshop.org, Audible
Overview
- Published by Knopf October 21, 2025
- Instant National Bestseller
Part memoir, part philosophical investigation, part advice to aspiring writers, Writing
Creativity and Soul is a touchstone for the spirit, a work of profound pilgrimage that
will be of value to aspiring writers and anyone who hungers to lead a deeper and
more fulfilling life. “If you encounter writing infused with soul, you know it,” writes
Sue Monk Kidd. It feeds you somewhere inside . . . our internal revolutions, our
reach for our true selves, our struggle to write unsayable things with brave voices
comes about through a succession of brief, amazing moments. This is a book about
writing that is so much more—an exhortation to dive deeply into the creative
instinct, whatever form it happens to take, to nourish the imagination and cultivate
a practice of attention to the mysteries and yearnings of our own hearts.
Everything readers love about Sue Monk Kidd is in these pages: the warmth,
the fierce intelligence, the wit, and the search for beauty and meaning and wonder
in the world through the sacred act of storytelling.
Praise
“Part memoir, part words of encouragement for anyone who seeks to do creative work, this is a book that unfolds like the best conversation with the wisest friend you’ve ever had.”
- The Boston Globe
”A beautiful ode to creativity and the inner world of the writer and artist. This book offers a gentle journey through many of Sue Monk Kidd’s own inspirations. I read it in a single sitting and came away both inspired and deeply moved."
-Emma Gannon
"One expects to walk away from this title a little more in tune with the burning core of our own artistic selves, and a wish to share it with the world"
-Lit Hub
“VERDICT - Lyrical and poetic. Kidd’s monograph is a welcome addition for aspiring writers.”
-Library Journal (starred review)
"A gorgeous memoir of the creative life, designed to bring out the writer's voice in all of us."
—Kirkus (starred review)
"A lyrical read and a generous companion for writers especially those seeking depth in the process."
-Booklist
"The book flows easily, its rapid-fire chapters interspersing writing tips with pilgrimages to the homes of literary role models, examples from her books and others', and inspirational quotations. A trove for Kidd's fans, this accessible toolkit for budding authors is also suited to readers of Elizabeth Gilbert's Big Magic."
-Shelf Awareness
“Warm and inspiring . . . Sue Monk Kidd is a treasure, and I feel lucky to have this book, a blend of memoir and thoughts on craft and writing life, to keep on my desk and read early mornings and late nights as I write something new.”
-Megha Majumdar, author of A Guardian and a Thief
“A beautiful, generous gift to aspiring writers!”
-Lily King, author of Heart the Lover
“This is a magnificent book that will enrich your life whether you are a writer or not. Sue Monk Kidd is a treasure. I hope you'll read it and press it into the hands of the people you love.”
-Dani Shapiro, author of Signal Fires
“A lovely read for anyone exploring creativity as a way to come to know yourself.”
-Meg Waite Clayton, bestselling author of Typewriter Beach
“Her exploration of art, humanity, and the mystical realms between is a must for all writers, creatives, and seekers . . . This book is a portal to greater things. As ever, Sue is guiding us toward them.”
-Sarah McCoy, New York Times, USA Today, and international bestselling author of Whatever Happened to Lori Lovely?
“This one is phenomenal. It is a primer for everyone who ever loved to read or loved to write.”
-Adriana Trigiani, author of The View From Lake Como
“For all who are seeking creativity within themselves, for all who perhaps feel they have something to write, something to say to their families, the world, even themselves, this book encourages you, inspires you, to take that journey . . . If you are a writer, or want to be, this book is for you.”
-Mary Alice Monroe, author of Where the Rivers Merge
“Sue Monk Kidd’s beautiful memoir is a must read.”
-Anne Burt, author of The Dig
“A deeply personal book about a life in writing — creativity, spirituality, and growth, in Sue's unmistakably wise, generous voice.”
-Christina Baker Kline, author of The Exiles
“If you are writing something or creating something, if you want to create something, if you are feeling stuck or are doubting yourself, this book is such a helpful companion. Sentences like this one are fuel that can keep you going as you slog through the thickets of creativity: "The common heart is the place of our deep and shared belonging. As a writer, I believe in this place. I find meaning in the hope that a writer's work can be a portal into it."
-Elizabeth Lesser, author of Cassandra Speaks
“A terrific book about writing a book, along the lines of Bird by Bird. It’s perfect for anyone who wants to write a book, is writing a book, or has written a book.”
-Fiona Davis, author of The Stolen Queen
“An absolute gem. The way this resonates with what l experienced in my own writing process of Awake. . . . Sue beautifully expresses how writing is a powerful tool for our self-discovery and personal transformation.”
-Jen Hatmaker, author of Awake
“A masterful book—my new bible for creativity and soul.
-Jennifer Rudolph Walsh
“One of the greatest voices of our time.”
-Kristy Woodson Harvey, author of Beach House Rules
“Beautiful. I hope everyone picks up a copy to read about the connection between creativity & spirituality. Sue is a wonderful woman, who has many insights on life and love.”
-Lisa See, author of Lady Tan’s Circle of Women
“A luminous meditation on making art and making a life. Sue's work has been a compass for me, and this book points true north.”
-Paula McLain, author of The Paris Wife
Excerpt
When I was a young writer of thirty and just setting out, I traveled to North Carolina to hear Maya Angelou give a lecture on writing. I sat on the sixth row of the large auditorium while the tall woman with the powerful presence spoke about the cost of carrying untold stories inside, about wielding a voice in the world, about writing that brings the reader alive. Her words stirred up every longing I had. I sat there like a snow globe turned upside down.