In her latest book, Dear Writer, Maggie Smith extends a warm invitation into the creative process with the intimacy of a trusted mentor and the wisdom of an experienced guide. As someone who has found solace and inspiration in Smith’s poetry collections like Good Bones and her memoir You Could Make This Place Beautiful, I approached this book with high expectations—most of which were met, though not without some reservations.
Smith’s approach feels simultaneously practical and poetic, breaking down creativity into ten essential principles: attention, wonder, vision, surprise, play, vulnerability, restlessness, connection, tenacity, and hope. What emerges is less a conventional writing manual and more a heartfelt conversation about cultivating a creative life in all its complexity.
The Heart of the Matter: Smith’s Ten Principles
The framework of Dear Writer feels organic and intuitive. Each chapter begins with a letter addressing the reader directly, followed by craft essays and generative exercises. This structure creates a rhythm that alternates between inspiration and application, theory and practice.
Smith’s first principle, attention, sets the tone for the entire book. “Attention is a form of love,” she writes, reminding us that the writer’s primary task is to observe the world with care and curiosity. Here, Smith’s background as a poet shines through in her ability to find beauty in the ordinary. Her anecdote about “beauty emergencies”—those fleeting moments that demand immediate notice—resonated deeply with me as both a writer and a human being navigating an increasingly distracted world.
Other standout sections include:
- On Wonder: Smith’s rejection of cynicism in favor of what she calls “poet’s eyes”—the ability to maintain childlike awe when encountering the world
- On Vulnerability: Her honest discussion about the courage required to create, acknowledging that “there is no vulnerability without courage”
- On Feedback: Practical advice about receiving criticism that emphasizes questioning over prescriptive suggestions
Throughout, Smith weaves personal stories from her own writing journey—including the viral phenomenon of her poem “Good Bones”—that ground her advice in lived experience. Her discussion of how she navigated sudden fame while staying true to her creative voice offers valuable perspective for writers at any stage.
Strengths: Where the Book Truly Shines
Dear Writer by Maggie Smith excels in several key areas:
1. Authenticity and Accessibility
Smith writes with refreshing candor about the creative process, demystifying aspects of writing that often intimidate beginners. Her confession that she doesn’t write every day challenges the often-repeated advice that “real writers” maintain rigid daily practices. Instead, she offers permission to find your own rhythm: “When I do write, I’m not picky about where or when… I usually write longhand first, in a notebook (blank, dotted, lined) or on a legal pad.”
2. Craft Insights That Transcend Genre
While Smith is primarily known as a poet, her advice applies across genres. Her discussions of sensory details, metaphor, and sentence structure offer valuable tools for fiction writers, essayists, and poets alike. The section “On Shape” brilliantly compares stanzas to rooms in a house, providing a concrete metaphor for thinking about structure in both poetry and prose.
3. Practical Exercises With Depth
The generative writing activities that close each chapter strike an effective balance between structure and openness. Rather than prescribing rigid formulas, Smith offers jumping-off points that encourage experimentation. The “Springboard” exercise, which involves finding inspiration in others’ writing, acknowledges the collaborative nature of creativity without sacrificing originality.
4. Community and Connection
Smith emphasizes that writing, while often solitary, doesn’t happen in isolation. Her discussions of literary community and the importance of finding trusted readers (like her “poetry wife” Catherine Pierce) remind us that creativity thrives in connection. As she writes, “Nothing that any of us makes or achieves happens without community. Period. We need each other.”
Limitations: Where the Book Falls Short
Despite its many strengths, Dear Writer by Maggie Smith has some limitations worth noting:
1. Repetitive Elements
Certain themes—particularly the importance of giving yourself permission to create—appear frequently throughout the book, sometimes with diminishing returns. While this repetition likely stems from Smith’s genuine belief in these principles, more varied framing might have reinforced these ideas more effectively.
2. Less Technical Than Some Might Expect
Readers seeking highly technical instruction on grammar, plotting, or publishing mechanics will need to look elsewhere. Smith’s approach favors inspiration and broad principles over granular technique. While this aligns with her stated purpose, it means the book serves better as a complement to more technical guides rather than a complete writing manual.
3. Light Treatment of Some Topics
Some topics that many writers struggle with—like structuring longer works, managing research, or navigating the business side of writing—receive relatively little attention. This reflects Smith’s strengths as a poet who crafts shorter works, but it creates some gaps for writers working in longer forms.
4. Occasionally Lofty Abstractions
At times, Smith’s poetic sensibilities lead her toward abstract concepts that, while beautiful, might leave pragmatic readers wanting more concrete examples. The section on “vision,” while inspiring, sometimes hovers at an elevation that makes application challenging.
Who Will Benefit Most from This Book?
Dear Writer by Maggie Smith will resonate most strongly with:
- Beginning writers seeking encouragement and fundamental tools
- Experienced writers facing creative blocks or seeking renewal
- Poets and flash fiction writers working in shorter forms
- Creative writing teachers looking for fresh approaches to common concepts
- Anyone interested in cultivating creativity beyond writing
The book’s primary strength lies in its ability to nourish the creative spirit rather than simply teaching technique. As Smith writes, “Making your life is the ultimate creative act.” This holistic approach makes the book valuable even for those who don’t identify primarily as writers.
In Context: Smith’s Body of Work and Similar Guides
Dear Writer fits beautifully within Maggie Smith’s existing body of work, which includes poetry collections (Good Bones, Goldenrod, The Well Speaks of Its Own Poison) and her memoir You Could Make This Place Beautiful. Readers familiar with her work will recognize her characteristic blend of wisdom and vulnerability, though here it’s directed toward nurturing others’ creativity rather than expressing her own.
In the landscape of writing guides, Dear Writer by Maggie Smith occupies a middle ground between practical manuals like Strunk and White’s The Elements of Style and more philosophical explorations like Anne Lamott’s Bird by Bird or Elizabeth Gilbert’s Big Magic. Smith’s approach most closely resembles Natalie Goldberg’s Writing Down the Bones in its focus on developing a writing practice rooted in mindfulness and observation.
Final Assessment: A Worthy Addition to Any Writer’s Shelf
Dear Writer by Maggie Smith earns its place in the canon of writing guides through its blend of practicality and heart. Smith has created not just a manual but a companion for the creative journey—one that acknowledges both the joy and struggle inherent in making art.
The book’s greatest gift may be its insistence that creativity isn’t a rarefied talent possessed by a few, but a birthright we all share. “I believe creativity is our birthright as human beings,” Smith writes. “Yes, all of us. Creativity is life-changing, and we all deserve that kind of transformation.”
Despite its few shortcomings, Dear Writer succeeds as both a practical resource and a source of inspiration. Smith’s generosity of spirit permeates every page, creating a reading experience that feels less like being instructed and more like being welcomed into a conversation with a wise and compassionate friend.
For writers seeking not just to improve their craft but to enrich their relationship with creativity itself, Maggie Smith’s Dear Writer offers a path forward marked by attention, wonder, and hope. In a world that often devalues creative pursuits, this book stands as a powerful reminder of why we write and why it matters.
Dear Writer by Maggie Smith reminds us that the creative journey isn’t about perfection but presence—about showing up with our full selves, again and again, to the blank page and to life itself.
