Story Is A State of Mind: Writing and the Art of Creative Curiosity

by Sarah Selecky

Cultivate a state of mind to help your writing flow with acclaimed writing instructor and Giller Prize finalist Sarah Selecky.


Celebrated author Sarah Selecky brings the spirit of her popular online writing school to the page in Story Is a State of Mind. Short, personable essays deliver gentle coaching, practical advice, and heartfelt encouragement, alongside writing exercises and meditations that offer abundant opportunities to build awareness, confidence, and technique.


Designed for authors seeking support on individual projects or their practice as a whole, this book is overflowing with tips and tools to develop and support creative curiosity and whole-minded writing. Pair it with Sarah Selecky’s Story Is a State of Mind Deck of 50 writing prompts for maximum inspiration!


"A brilliant, soulful, transformative guide to the craft of writing.—Theresa Reed, author of The Cards You're Dealt

Genres: Writing, Nonfiction

304 pages, Kindle Edition

Published January 7, 2025

About the author

Sarah is the author of Story Is a State of Mind, Radiant Shimmering Light, This Cake Is for the Party, and the founder of the Sarah Selecky Writing School, est. 2011, which is now a creative community of thousands of writers from around the world. She is alumna of Hedgebrook, the Humber School for Writers and The Banff Centre, and graduated from the University of British Columbia with an MFA in Creative Writing.
This Cake was a finalist for the Scotiabank Giller Prize and the Commonwealth Prize for Best First Book in Canada and the Caribbean, and it was longlisted for the Frank O'Connor Prize. Kirkus Reviews calls Radiant Shimmering Light "A killer satire . . . [and] a funny, tender, gimlet-eyed dive into the cult of self-improvement." The novel has been optioned for television and published in countries around the world.
Sarah is a dual citizen of Canada and the United States, and currently lives in Prince Edward County, Ontario, where she writes, runs a school, and mentors other writers in her online and in-person classes.

Reviews

[Luna Trujillo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read it for a class, and it’s changed my writing into rituals of creativity. I felt akin to the way she writes about creating stories, it’s not just about making something, it’s about giving a voice to the secret life that follows you around in your mind.
Honing that voice is hard to maintain genuine and true to you when you feel pressured to write like others. Definitely a book I will return to as I continue to refine my craft.

[Reader · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was lucky enough to enjoy a writing retreat with Sarah in Australia some years ago - just weeks before the first Cvd shutdown. All the participants loved the retreat so much we decided to continue the magic and keep meeting online. Five years later we still meet up regularly, two of our members have since been published and a few more are expecting to be this year. All this is to say that Sarah's teaching had a significant and even life changing impact on our little group of writers.

I have been eagerly anticipating this book, hoping it would be a rich distillation of Sarah's expertise, knowledge and wisdom about story and writing. It is all of this and more. It came at the perfect time for me, and is exactly the medicine and inspiration that I need right now. This book is a gift and a treasure trove if you want to tap into your creative spirit, tune into the motivation to go deep into your writing and explore skills and prompts to help get you there.

I am in no hurry to finish this book. It is a process to be enjoyed. I am taking my time to savour it and to practise the suggestions. This book will claim a permanent position on my writing desk.

[Alexis · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. I took Sarah Selecky's course a while ago, but this was a great refresh. The essays deal with igniting your own curiosity, and using tricks and skills to stop your nerves and 'monkey mind' and keep writing. Sarah talks about self-doubt, when to show your work to others, and what to do if you get stuck.

I've suffered from illness for the past three years and my writing has suffered. This book made me feel excited to write again. I borrowed it from the library, but I've already reserved my copy at an independent bookstore.

Edit- This pink cover must be the US edition. The Canadian cover is purple and has a neat illustration on it. It looks much cooler.

[Emily Andrews · Rating 4 out of 5]

There are some books that come to us just when we need them.
Then, others don't.
I could have used this book 5 years ago, but alas. At least I have it now.
It made some great points and had a few lessons I will keep with me forever.

[HadiDee · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nicely written, and so very readable, notes and discussions on writing and story. Got it from the library and dipped into it at random for a couple of days, but think I’ll buy a copy so I can keep dipping into it (as it’s not really a book to read from cover to cover)