Writing the Shadow by Joanna Penn

Do you want to connect with readers on a deeper level?

Do you want your books to stand out in a sea of content by being authentic and personal in your writing whatever the genre? 

Are you interested in creative self-development?

If yes, Writing the Shadow is for you. 

This is a book of my heart and it contains many personal stories — but this book is really about helping you reach readers with your words — and move to the next level in your writing.

Because we all long to write boldly, without filters or fear.

To spin stories that capture the messy beauty of what it means to be human. Tales that lay bare the truth of living — darkness and all.  

But something holds us back. 

Whispers of “Who do you think you are?” and “You don’t have permission to write that.” Our own self-censorship and the judgment of others keep us from writing freely — and sometimes, from living fully.

 But all great art taps into darkness, and your most compelling work emerges when you embrace your full humanity—both light and Shadow.

In Writing the Shadow, I’ll guide you on an intimate journey to explore the darkness and discover the gold lying hidden in its depths. Gold that may be the source of your best creative work in the years ahead.

The Shadow is calling. It’s time to turn your inner darkness into words.

Part 1 goes into the various ways you can tap into your Shadow. Since it lies in the unconscious, you cannot approach it directly. You need tools to help reveal it in different ways. 

You will find ideas here — ranging from personality assessments and identifying Shadow personas to mining your own writing and exploring your true curiosity — as well as ways to protect yourself so you don’t get lost in the dark.

Part 2 explores how the Shadow manifests in various aspects of our lives. I discuss the creative wound and how it may still be holding you back in your writing life, as well as aspects of traditional and self-publishing, then expand into work and money, family and relationships, religion and culture, the physical body and aging, death and dying.

Part 3 explores ways that you can find the gold in your Shadow, and turn your inner darkness into words through self-acceptance, letting go of self-censorship, deepening character and theme in your work, and opening the doors to new parts of yourself.

While the book is designed to be read in order, you can also skip directly to the sections that resonate the most.

There are Resources and Questions at the end of every chapter that will help you reflect along the way. You can answer them in your own journal or use the Companion Workbook if you prefer to write in a more structured way.