This was such a nice love letter to writers and Maggie Smith is such an inspiration. I highly recommend this one to all!!

Thanks to Atria and Netgalley for this eARC.

💌 A Love Letter to the Writer Within - Maggie Smith’s Dear Writer is less a manual and more a mirror—one that reflects the tender, tangled interior of the creative mind. With the same lyrical clarity that made her poetry resonate with millions, Smith turns her attention to the writer’s life, offering not just advice but companionship. This is a book that doesn’t shout from the mountaintop—it sits beside you on the floor, gently reminding you that you are allowed to try.

🧠 Structure: Fragmented Wisdom, Wholehearted Voice - Structured as a series of short, epistolary meditations, Dear Writer reads like a collection of letters from a wiser, kinder version of yourself. Each entry is a stand-alone spark—some practical, some poetic, all deeply human. Smith doesn’t prescribe a formula for success; instead, she offers a framework for self-trust. The fragmented format mirrors the creative process itself: nonlinear, intuitive, and often surprising.

💬 Tone: Gentle, Fierce, and Unapologetically Honest - Smith’s tone is a rare blend of nurturing and no-nonsense. She acknowledges the emotional labor of writing—the imposter syndrome, the rejection, the paralysis of perfectionism—but never lets the reader wallow. Her pep talks are not saccharine affirmations; they are grounded in lived experience and hard-won clarity. She writes as someone who has been through the fire and come out with her voice intact.

✨ Themes: Permission, Process, and the Power of Showing Up - Dear Writer is about giving yourself permission: to begin, to fail, to rest, to return. Smith dismantles the myth of the tortured genius and replaces it with something far more radical—sustainable creativity rooted in self-compassion. She reminds us that writing is not just about producing work; it’s about becoming someone who listens deeply, both to the world and to oneself.

🖋️ For Writers at Every stage - Whether you’re staring down a blank page or navigating the complexities of publication, Dear Writer meets you where you are. It’s equally useful for emerging writers seeking courage and seasoned ones in need of recalibration. Smith’s advice is not bound by genre or career stage—it’s about the emotional architecture of making art.

🌟 A Creative Companion You’ll Return To - Dear Writer is the kind of book you don’t just read—you live with. It belongs on your desk, on your nightstand, in your backpack. It’s a balm for the discouraged and a spark for the stalled. Maggie Smith has written a book that doesn’t just tell you to keep going—it makes you believe you can.

Rating: ★★★★★ (5/5)

Recommended for: Writers, artists, and anyone navigating the vulnerable terrain of making something from nothing. Fans of Anne Lamott’s Bird by Bird, Rainer Maria Rilke’s Letters to a Young Poet, and Julia Cameron’s The Artist’s Way will find a kindred spirit here.

Lovely read for writers and creatives in general. I got a lot out of Maggie’s advice and insight, and enjoyed the prompts and activities.

Dear Writer is a great book for the beginner writer to understand their writing process and put in place a writing process for success. I would say that this book seems best for Poets but novelist and non-fiction writers will benefit from the useful tips. However, as a writer with a current case of writer's paralysis, this helped me feel a bit of inspiration to return to the craft.
Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

GOOD LORD I loved this book. Tripped over myself to buy a hard copy and will highlight it until the pages fall out. If you are a writer, this book will feed your soul and give you courage.

A master class for any writer. Filled with close readings of her deeply personal and award winning work, Maggie Smith brings us behind the veil into the sacred work of creating the art that transforms us. Thoroughly practical and filled with excellent examples and reference materials, Dear Writer is a must have for all of us who must write.

This was a wonderful book to read. I absolutely loved the writing exercises and suggested readings at the end of each chapter. I ended up researching a lot of the suggested readings and currently have several books on hold at the library. It's worth mentioning that this book primarily focused on writing poetry, but I can see using some of the tips in other forms of art and writing.

I really loved this - I got it as an ARC but I’m going to purchase a print copy of my own. The writing + potential exercises is a super helpful writing book and I want to go through it again with more time to breathe on the exercises.

Maggie Smith is generous with her writing advice! The writing is enjoyable, entertaining, and instructive. Writers who are serious about improving their writing will find inspiration and advice within these pages. The author offers her own poetry for illustration and analysis. Poets may find the practical advice useful.

Thanks #NetGalley @AtriaBooks for a complimentary eARC of #DearWriter upon my request. Opinions are my own.

This did feel like big magic by Liz Gilbert. I wish I had read more of Maggie’s work before reading. But that was not a necessity. Lots of helpful tips I will be utilizing in the future. Would recommend.

In Dear Writer, Maggie Smith has crafted part love letter, part pep talk,part syllabus, part creative writing class on paper. Through multiple aspects of the writing craft, Smith gives examples, encouragement and strips down not only writing poetry but all creative endeavors to the most do-able of parts of the whole. Sprinkled with writing exercises and reading lists, this book is a must read for those who dream of writing, but reminds them that if they write, they are already writers

Leave it to Maggie Smith to write an inspiring & beautifully worded creative manual. There is so much wisdom to be learned from this book. It’s one to have on hand!

Loved Smith's conversational style and the examples and poems she shares. I loved Keep Moving and her memoir too. This felt a bit more geared toward poets but still worth the read for non-poets as well.

I wanted to read this because I love Maggie Smith’s writing. I am not a writer myself so this book was not geared towards me. I ended up not finishing it, but I think it would be a great read for writers.

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This is a wonderful book that I found very helpful!

Excellent! Like being inside Maggie Smith's brain during poet-teacher mode, this book is a gold mine of craft tips and writing inspiration. Thank you for the ARC Netgalley!

I love Maggie Smith! She is a wonderful writer, and her book is thoughtful and her advice is easy to follow.

As a writer and someone who loves these type of memoir style writing books, I really appreciate seeing writing through the eyes of another writer, regardless of their preferred genre of writing. But I also think it's important for readers to take some time to get to know authors themselves and how they see their own writing which can bring about better understanding of the stories they write and more compassion overall as we learn about other people's lives.

Thank you Net Galley and Atria Books for the ARC in exchange for my honest review. Although I am not a writer, I thoroughly enjoyed this book and the author's writing. She breaks down writing and creativity into ten ideas and writes beautifully about each, in a relatable way that made me contemplate a different perspective towards writing. I highly recommend this book for anyone.

Everything that Maggie Smith writes is magic. She has a way with words and this was no exception. I would recommend this to anyone who is a writer, wants to be a writer, or just loves to read others' writing. It's a beautifully written book.