This is The Recovering Creatives Book Club, a newsletter where I recommend fiction & graphic novels about the writing life.
Personally, I’ve found that reading stories about other writers’ (or more broadly, artists’) creative journeys has always been a massive help to me! Whenever I feel down or alone in my struggles, it helps me to pick up a novel, a comic book, or even a short story that talks through the mechanics of common creative insecurities - from “What if I’m not a real genius after all?”, to “What if no one on earth cares what I have to say?”
In stories, it’s possible to see these fears represented in funny and charming ways, so that you can let off some steam, and get out of your own head. More importantly - as an introvert - I find that books are a low-pressure way to feel connected to other artists across time and space. Reading always helps me to know that I’m not the only human being who has ever felt worried or afraid, when it comes to this career! Our struggles are shared ones - and mostly, they’ve been around forever. No one should have to go through their writing life feeling like they’re an outlier or alone.
So… in this newsletter, I’d like to share some of the best stories that I’ve read in recent years, which have helped me to overcome my own bad feelings as a practising creative person. A little about me, just before we get started: I’m a classical musician-turned-creative nonfiction writer who lives in London, in the UK. You can read some of my work in outlets like Southeast Review and Colorado Review. I’m also currently at work on my first book, a memoir - which has given me lots of reasons to keep fighting my own demons!
I hope that these book recs will help you, fellow writer, so that you can thrive as you go forth and create :-)