Writing the Shadow : Turn Your Inner Darkness Into Words

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.

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

Genres: Writing, Nonfiction, Audiobook, Crafts, Research, Psychology

250 pages, Paperback

First published November 1, 2023

About the author

Joanna Penn writes non-fiction for authors and is an award-winning, New York Times and USA Today bestselling fiction and memoir author as J.F. Penn. 


She’s also an award-winning podcaster, creative entrepreneur, and international professional speaker. She lives in Bath, England with her husband and two British shorthair cats, and enjoys a nice G&T.


See also Goodreads author's profile as J.F. Penn.

Reviews

[Zoë Routh · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it! Poetic, moving, deeply personal, this was a soul-to-soul revelation of how we all have wounds and darkness hat we might bring to our creative process.

I admire Joanna Penn and find her creative contributions to be a true beacon for all creative souls. Her deep humility and courageous honesty is not only disarming but compelling. I feel both encouraged and uplifted as a writer and want to fling myself headlong into the tumultuous headwinds of the creative process, darkness and all.

[Sylvilel · Rating 2 out of 5]

Why do I keep thinking I’m gonna get actual wrtiting exercises, and instead I keep running into this selfhelp crap?

[Susie Murphy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an insightful and inspiring read which focuses not only on aspects of being a writer, but also on aspects of being a person. The themes it explores and the questions it poses made me feel uncomfortable at times, and there are many eye-opening moments throughout. Joanna Penn shares a great deal of vulnerability with courage and grace, for which I am full of admiration. I expect I will return to this book again and again, and that I will learn something new from it each time.

[S.V. Veen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book really helped. It gave me great insight in what I can write and what I want to write. I think we can all benefit from letting our dark horse run.

[Peter Fox · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found this book, Writing the Shadow: Turn Your Inner Darkness into Words, through Joanna Penn's podcast, and it is the first of her books that I have bought and read. Joanna spoke often about how she had taken quite a while to write the book and how impactful it had been on her writing to be able to tap into the shadow. As I read Writing the Shadow and took notes, I realized that this was not just a good book where the author was opening up the world, it was also the book that I needed to read.

Quite often Joanna dives into the source of ideas and inspiration for stories and where they are coming from and the socio-cultural pressure to repress them. Not allowing ourselves the opportunity to follow our instincts, to bring the shadow to the surface and to cultivate true value from this as a creative. The value I took from this book is immeasurable and I am glad that I found Joanna's podcast which led to reading this book.

I have gained a sense of confidence in what I create in my writing for both work and personal pleasure that I had always wrestled and struggled with before. And now that the struggle is not as great, I am now able to refocus on my own personal development which is leading me back to university to start a masters.

Thank you, Joanna Penn.

Joanna looks at the shadow from the psychological perspective, as well as the creative potentiality that can be drawn from it and at the end of each chapter, she a range of prompting and considered questions that the reader can delve into at their own leisure. There are also a wide range of great sayings and all books and authors discussed are professionally referenced. I took the opportunity to give my new Kindle Scribe a good test by reading a chapter and then writing down these prompting questions in order into a notebook. I also wrote down each of the quotations that I loved and or appreciated. I have started some of the questions and I have completed a few but the majority will be worked through at some stage or other. There is no need to rush when it comes to reflection and understanding the shadow of the self.

Writing the Shadow is a good place to start for future writers and for anyone who understands creativity but does not know how to get the full value out that part of the self. I know that I now feel a lot more confident and when I do write and work creatively that I should be embracing and channeling rather than self-doubting and undermining my own confidence.

Once again Joanna, thank you, and keep up the great work. I look forward to reading more of your books in between my studies.

[Andrea Camillo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Il concetto junghiano di Ombra è già in sé un argomento intrigante, ma Joanna Penn lo impreziosisce condividendo la propria storia personale, senza tirarsi indietro. Di "Writing the Shadow", così, ho apprezzato soprattutto il tono confidenziale, che permette al manuale di auto-aiuto per chi scrive di unirsi al memoir, facendo sentire chi legge parte di un momento intimo, in cui confessarsi e imparare. La parte del libro che mi è piaciuta di più è quella centrale, in cui vengono raccontate le varie declinazioni dell'Ombra dal privato al pubblico. Insieme alla scrittura, quindi, Penn si sofferma sulle manifestazioni dell'Ombra nella famiglia, nella religione, nel lavoro, nel nostro rapporto col denaro, oltre che con l'invecchiamento e la morte (dove si trovano, forse, i passaggi più efficaci del libro).

Un libro denso, utile sia per cominciare sia per arricchirsi. Grazie, come sempre, all'autrice per averlo condiviso.

[Rory Emmons · Rating 1 out of 5]

There are probably people that found this very helpful. To them I say that is great. But I was not one of them.

I’ll put it this way. This book is meant for a very specific person. Maybe someone who has problems coming up with darker plots.

If you don’t have this problem this book is a complete waste of time. Completely avoid it. This book is also half self help.

If you want a self help book that shows you how to sprinkle a little bit of darkness on your story because you just can’t muster it? This is for you.

I will say this…….it was short and a very quick read.

[Nancy Harper · Rating 3 out of 5]

Joanna Penn created a blueprint when she penned her first successful nonfiction book on the craft of writing and this continuation follows that blueprint. It’s identical in format to the others; frequent subheads, links and quotes. If you enjoyed the other books, you’ll likely enjoy this one as well. I do appreciate that she showed some vulnerability here; I just wish it would’ve gone deeper.

[Rue Sparks · Rating 3 out of 5]

Full disclosure, I am about halfway through this book. I never review a book before I finish or until I decide to DNF it, but I felt I needed to warn other readers like me. If I finish I will absolutely update the review. I probably will finish eventually, once I've cooled down a bit, but... Let me explain.

The TL:DR version: The biggest weakness of this book is there are actively harmful and patronizing bits of 'advice' sprinkled throughout. There are moments of brilliance, absolutely. But there are also moments of utter disregard of trauma and condescending advice, coming from someone without a background in healthcare or personal experience to draw from.

The Good:

When Penn is on point, she is absolutely no-holds-barred on point. There are moments in this book that are fire. It inspires me as someone who already writes book as a way for myself and my readers to process trauma through science fiction and fantasy. It reminds me why I started writing in the first place when the process starts to feel impossible.

The Bad:

There have been three parts where I wanted to throw the book at the wall.

1: In the introduction she explains that this book will likely trigger you at some point, but hand waves it as 'life is triggering.' There are plenty of the typical legal disclaimers of 'I'm not a mental health professional, if you're struggling see someone' but that doesn't negate the infantilizing tone.

2: In the second section, "the creative wound and the shadow in writing," she mentions that trauma can be part of your shadow. She then posits that if you are triggered by a subject she talks about in the book it should tell you THAT is what you should focus on in your shadow writing (another point for the patronizing tone.)

I have a long history with mental health treatment, since I was a kid. I had repeated traumatic AF experiences as a child and as an adult (gotta catch em all?) And I'm at the conjunction of several marginalized identities to boot.

So I say with my whole chest: what she is suggesting is exposure therapy, and for many people with CPTSD/PTSD exposure therapy can make things WORSE. Especially working on it solo without a psychologist.

Exposure therapy and working through trauma aren't necessarily the same thing. Exposure therapy can be one aspect of trauma work for some people, but it's not the most effective on a wide scale by any means. And it should never be done alone.

The problem with exposure therapy is that it works best for IRRATIONAL fears. For those who have experienced trauma, especially repeated trauma from people they're close to, it's not actually an irrational fear. It happened, maybe repeatedly. You're not fighting off a fear of spiders or heights when you've never been bitten by a spider or fallen from a great height. Your brain is recognizing a pattern happening in real time that in the past made you suffer.

Telling the reader 'oh, fun fact, if this triggers you maybe you should work on that' is absolutely baffling to me. It's like pointing out that water is wet or fire is hot. We know. We've lived on this earth as long as anyone, the only difference being we've survived drowning or being burned alive.

(She couches it again with 'but see someone if you struggle,' ie, a legal buffer should the authors advice end up causing someone harm.)

To really understand why this bothered me so much, the third troubling part and the reason I feel the need to write this review-

3. In that same section Penn mentions that she has been lucky. She (at the point of writing this book) has NOT gone through anything personally that was incredibly traumatic, or would fit in the diagnosis of PTSD or CPTSD.

Now while I don't think someone has to have experienced trauma in order to be 'qualified' to write a book like this, some parts made her lack of personal experience with life's more traumatic events exceedingly grating. They've been enough for me to have to step away from the book for a while, uncertain if I would come back to finish.

In conclusion:

People who are marginalized, who've been bullied or abused, who've seen terrible things know very very well that it doesn't sit in our history and not effect our minds or bodies. Most of us will be trying to wrangle that experience into a piece that can fit within us without cutting to the bone for a good portion of our lives.

These experiences aren't just shadows to us. They're ever-present echoes. Earworms of sounds we didn't consent to hear.

If you're someone like Penn, who hasn't experienced capital-T-Trauma, you likely won't be bothered by these parts. But if you're someone like me, I felt the need to warn you that these sections exist so you can decide for yourself if it's worth reading regardless, and not be caught of guard by their appearance.

[Mark · Rating 5 out of 5]

This isn't just a fantastic book for writers, it's also a deeply introspective exploration of creativity, and even living. The author delves into the topic with an authentic honesty that inspires deep reflection and careful thought. She shines a light into those dark places that we often neglect to look at or have been told never to glance at.

I have this book in eBook, print, and audiobook format. I also have an accompanying workbook, which is extremely handy. The book is enjoyable/informative/inspiring in all formats in a different way. The print version is easy to dip into specific segments for quick reminders. The eBook is brilliantly portable for finding those things when traveling and not near my home book-shelves. And the audiobook is great because you get to hear it in Joanna's wonderful voice.

[Gabriele Ewerts · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love Writing the Shadow. I've read through it once and will now read it again and use the workbook at the same time. There are so many action items that already have come during the first read; e.g., I had been putting off getting back to my lawyer regarding a will and power of attorney, but just before Christmas I made the calls to set up appointments to get that rolling. I found many other personal and writing-related things that I want and need to do.
This is definitely a great book to help you tap into your personal experiences and go deeper with your writing.
Thank you, Joanna, for sharing the wisdom compiled in this book.

[Darren Lipman · Rating 3 out of 5]

Writing the Shadow is an enjoyable and easy-to-read book about digging into your personal shadow side and how it can be used to enhance your writing. The book feels much more like a self-help book than a book on writing, though. There are plenty of questions for self-reflection, but almost no writing exercises to put what you’re reading into practice. I’d have liked more direction on the writing process, but overall the book is still worth reading if you’re looking for a new perspective on writing practices.

[Sharon Mitchell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent!

This book was like having an intimate conversation with an old friend - one laying bare her soul and encouraging you to be just as honest with yourself.

The analogy of the shadow being like light and dark horses is wonderful.

Delving into the shadow those parts of us we have hidden can be scary. As a psychologist, I appreciate how the author handles this delicately, encouraging the reader to seek help when needed.

Embracing our full selves helps richen our lives, whether we're authors or not.

Thanks, Joanna, for a great book.

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a non-fiction writer, I didn't find the book THAT helpful.
As a PERSON - WOW. Joanna covered SO MANY TOPICS that are "shadow", really causing me to think about what might be holding me back in life, but also where I can "go" to learn more about myself. When I started reading it, I could only read a few pages because so many emotions came to me. After a while it was a little easier to confront those emotions and keep reading.
This book would be great for a discussion group that is not necessarily writers, but people who want to learn about themselves.

[Ronel Janse van Vuuren · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed the way the author explored the shadow, from what it is and isn’t to how creatives can use it to fuel their creativity. Yes: that’s basically what the book is about.

And though I thought I was prepared to read and work through this book, there were moments I was uncomfortable. And that’s glimpsing the shadow. And I had to figure out why I was uncomfortable and not just shy away.

Much more illuminating than the title would suggest.

For some reason, though, the ending felt a bit abrupt.

[T. Gray · Rating 4 out of 5]

I got this after joining a kick-starter campaign and was super excited to get it. As always Joanna probes the subject of our dark side with thoughtful grace. She explores a vast range of subjects and how they relate to our shadow being. She raises many thought-provoking questions but doesn't necessarily draw any conclusions. I certainly feel that our shadow side makes fiction whole, and writing is the best way to understand it.

[Imogen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I bought this book as a kickstarter, curious about the Shadow and what that might mean for me and my writing. I was tempted to read it very quickly but I made myself slow down so I could properly consider all the new concepts as they were presented to me, and now my head is buzzing with ideas for what I might write next. I highly recommend the book to anyone who wants to lift the curtain on their inner darkness and take a peek.

[A.M. · Rating 4 out of 5]

I backed this in the Kickstarter, so I have it in all formats, and a PDF workbook, too. I have also long been fascinated by Jung and the shadow self.

rubs hands - let’s go.

gah, how much of our internal work is based on UNDOING the things people said to us that we can never forget. And they probably do not even recall saying it to us. We have replayed it in our heads hundreds, if not thousands of times…

4 stars

[Julie Schooler · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have been hearing this author talk about wanting to write this book for years on her podcast. Literally years of waiting and ... it did not disappoint! Full of interesting research, fascinating stories and connective insights, this is the writing book you didn't know you needed. This book is a must for authors but should be read by anyone who wants to understand themselves and others better. Highly recommended.

[J.B. Hollows · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent book on how we can lean into our shadow side to improve our writing. Well researched with thought provoking questions at the end of each chapter.

I listened to the audio. Now I will go through the physical book and ask myself those questions. Looking forward to how it changes my writing.

[Camilla Vavruch · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting read about your inner darkness/shadow, and how to find it. Lots of examples and suggestions to help the reader find their own shadows. If you’ve been listening to The Creative Penn podcast, there is a lot of the book’s content on the podcast, scattered throughout, but this is a nice book to delve deeper. I would have like more weight on how to write it into stories.

[C.J. Edmunds · Rating 5 out of 5]

A deeply personal and introspective work about getting in touch with our darker self; the side that we all have and one that we should take heed of, if we want to have a balanced life, as a real person in the real world and and as productive creative.

Thank you Joanna for this.

Time for us to let our dark horses run!

[Leanne Hunt · Rating 3 out of 5]

As a how-to book, this is packed with useful information. However, i found it rather thin in that the author chose to write it in a very spare style instead of sharing anecdotes and research in a conversational way. Useful as a resource for writers but could do with some filling out for the average reader who is interested in exploring shadow through creative expression.

[Poornima · Rating 5 out of 5]

A book about recognising, understanding and accepting the shadow that exists within us, and outside of us. Then, utilising this understanding to enhance our writing.

Perceptive, nuanced and unabashedly honest, Penn’s words are an exhortation to free the darkness and allow it the breathing room it needs to ignite our creativity.

[Mallary · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this deeper dive into the darker side of creativity and writing. Where we discover our shadow and turn it into art.
The questions this book asks opened doors that made me look at thing differently, embrace more of myself, and find the courage to write something the both my light and dark side can agree on.

[Heidi McIntyre · Rating 5 out of 5]

I learned about this book from Joanna Penn's podcast, and I found it to be very insightful and helpful for me as a human being and as a writer. Joanna brings the shadow side to light which made it less scary and much more meaningful. I plan to use this information to deepen my character profiles as well as fuel my creativity.

[Vig Gleeson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Audio version
A short and easy read that covers a large swat of identifying shadows in oneself with examples from the author's own books as well as her favourite TV series, movies, fiction and non-fiction books.

[Candice Azalea Greene · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book about turning one's demons into fiction. It's one of those books you have to read a few times (or more!) to glean all the information. I only wish there had been more of what was in the last section throughout the rest of the book.

[E.L. Williams · Rating 5 out of 5]

An insightful, important, must-read book for any writer. I loved it and will be reading again with the work book to suck every last morsel of wisdom from it.

[Jeremy Jl · Rating 4 out of 5]

More good sound practical advice from the voice of experience