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Swallowed by a Whale: Writing Advice from Authors of Note
In this specially commissioned anthology, 60 accomplished authors share secrets and insights into their writing lives: on their inspirations, methods, wild ideas and daily routines; on the pleasure and the pain in achieving their literary goals; on how they started out and how they hope to continue. They outline some golden rules for staying on track and talk candidly about what goes wrong as well as right.
Emerging talents sit alongside much-loved authors whose books have sold in their millions. Each reflects in their own way on the creative process and the compulsion to write. How to find inspiration? How to get the words right? How to cope with writer’s block? And where do the good ideas really come from?
Includes contributions from Cressida Cowell, Matt Haig, Joanne Harris, David Mitchell, Jan Morris, Onjali Q Raúf, Michael Rosen, Irvine Welsh, Tracy Chevalier, Thomas Keneally, Kiran Millwood Hargrave, Tom Gauld and Benjamin Myers.
Emerging talents sit alongside much-loved authors whose books have sold in their millions. Each reflects in their own way on the creative process and the compulsion to write. How to find inspiration? How to get the words right? How to cope with writer’s block? And where do the good ideas really come from?
Includes contributions from Cressida Cowell, Matt Haig, Joanne Harris, David Mitchell, Jan Morris, Onjali Q Raúf, Michael Rosen, Irvine Welsh, Tracy Chevalier, Thomas Keneally, Kiran Millwood Hargrave, Tom Gauld and Benjamin Myers.
- GenresWritingNonfiction
224 pages, Paperback
Published December 1, 2025
19 people are currently reading
173 people want to read
About the author
Huw Lewis-Jones
58 books40 followersHuw Lewis-Jones is a British historian, editor, broadcaster and art director. Formerly a historian and Curator of Art at the Scott Polar Research Institute, University of Cambridge, Lewis-Jones left Cambridge in June 2010 to pursue book and broadcasting projects. He is the Editorial Director of the independent publishing company Polarworld.
Lewis-Jones is now working on an exploration of classic mountain photography and a large photography project for the national charity the Royal National Lifeboat Institution. His most recent books as an author are a new history of the South Pole and an Arctic travel narrative for television with popular BBC presenter and adventurer Bruce Parry.
Lewis-Jones' first book was Face to Face: Polar Portraits, an account of historic and modern photographic portraiture, published in 2008. British explorer Sir Ranulph Fiennes wrote its Foreword. The book was The Sunday Times 'Book of the Week' and a 'Book of the Year' in The Observer and received much praise elsewhere. It was also published in Italy by De Agostini and in Germany by Geo and Frederking and Thaler. The Explorers Journal described it as 'one of the most stunning books of photography in recent times'.
The next in his series, Ocean Portraits, a celebration of the sea told through rare historic imagery and modern maritime photography, was released in the United Kingdom in late 2010 by Conway, an imprint of London-based publishing house Anova Books. It is understood there will also be French and German language editions. Its Foreword was written by pioneering yachtsman Sir Robin Knox-Johnston. Described by Wanderlust magazine as a trove of 'portraiture at its best; personal, insightful and delightfully intriguing', it was selected by The Guardian as one of 'the year's best photography books'. Lewis-Jones has now completed Mountain Heroes: Portraits of Adventure, with a significant international team of authors and mountaineers including Doug Scott, Sir Chris Bonington, Stephen Venables, and the celebrated National Geographic photographers Gordon Wiltsie and Cory Richards. It won the Adventure Book of the Year at the World ITB Awards in Germany.
He is also the author of children books (Blue Badger, Bad Apple, Croc o’Clock, etc.).
Lewis-Jones is now working on an exploration of classic mountain photography and a large photography project for the national charity the Royal National Lifeboat Institution. His most recent books as an author are a new history of the South Pole and an Arctic travel narrative for television with popular BBC presenter and adventurer Bruce Parry.
Lewis-Jones' first book was Face to Face: Polar Portraits, an account of historic and modern photographic portraiture, published in 2008. British explorer Sir Ranulph Fiennes wrote its Foreword. The book was The Sunday Times 'Book of the Week' and a 'Book of the Year' in The Observer and received much praise elsewhere. It was also published in Italy by De Agostini and in Germany by Geo and Frederking and Thaler. The Explorers Journal described it as 'one of the most stunning books of photography in recent times'.
The next in his series, Ocean Portraits, a celebration of the sea told through rare historic imagery and modern maritime photography, was released in the United Kingdom in late 2010 by Conway, an imprint of London-based publishing house Anova Books. It is understood there will also be French and German language editions. Its Foreword was written by pioneering yachtsman Sir Robin Knox-Johnston. Described by Wanderlust magazine as a trove of 'portraiture at its best; personal, insightful and delightfully intriguing', it was selected by The Guardian as one of 'the year's best photography books'. Lewis-Jones has now completed Mountain Heroes: Portraits of Adventure, with a significant international team of authors and mountaineers including Doug Scott, Sir Chris Bonington, Stephen Venables, and the celebrated National Geographic photographers Gordon Wiltsie and Cory Richards. It won the Adventure Book of the Year at the World ITB Awards in Germany.
He is also the author of children books (Blue Badger, Bad Apple, Croc o’Clock, etc.).
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
February 4, 2021
This book is an upbeat treasure, filled with encouragement for anyone who has been bitten by the writing bug. It acknowledges the power of a blank sheet of paper and coaxes the writer away from the fear of filling it with words.
Over “sixty accomplished authors share secrets and insights into their writing lives - their inspirations, methods, wild ideas and daily routines ... how they started out and how they hope to continue.” The authors have been published in a variety of genres and their sage advice may be widely applied. However, the book is aimed toward budding novelists. Conceiving, developing, and bringing characters and stories to life is a major focus.
Many of the quotes resonated with me, including that writers are part of a good-intentioned fellowship which faces many failures, that notebooks are essential for capturing ideas, and, you’ll always find a way if you follow your creative compass.
Like any self-help book, this is a take-what-you-need-and-leave-the-rest smorgasbord of tips, suggestions, and from-the-trenches advice. I’m pretty sure I’d be told to lay off on those dashes, but one tip advises breaking the rules, so they’re ok. After an interrupted attempt at completing an art reference manual, and later, a novel, I’m now in a better position to begin my third major writing project, still incubating. This book has assured me that I’m on a well-worn path.
The book was published by The British Library, and printed and bound in the Czech Republic. It’s brightly colored, beautifully illustrated, and constructed with fine quality paper. The pages are filled with whimsical artwork, hand lettering, and lots of wisdom. I’m grateful to my lovely step-daughter for this thoughtful gift.
Over “sixty accomplished authors share secrets and insights into their writing lives - their inspirations, methods, wild ideas and daily routines ... how they started out and how they hope to continue.” The authors have been published in a variety of genres and their sage advice may be widely applied. However, the book is aimed toward budding novelists. Conceiving, developing, and bringing characters and stories to life is a major focus.
Many of the quotes resonated with me, including that writers are part of a good-intentioned fellowship which faces many failures, that notebooks are essential for capturing ideas, and, you’ll always find a way if you follow your creative compass.
Like any self-help book, this is a take-what-you-need-and-leave-the-rest smorgasbord of tips, suggestions, and from-the-trenches advice. I’m pretty sure I’d be told to lay off on those dashes, but one tip advises breaking the rules, so they’re ok. After an interrupted attempt at completing an art reference manual, and later, a novel, I’m now in a better position to begin my third major writing project, still incubating. This book has assured me that I’m on a well-worn path.
The book was published by The British Library, and printed and bound in the Czech Republic. It’s brightly colored, beautifully illustrated, and constructed with fine quality paper. The pages are filled with whimsical artwork, hand lettering, and lots of wisdom. I’m grateful to my lovely step-daughter for this thoughtful gift.
October 18, 2021
Writing advice is purely opinion. You’ll read a segment on remembering to exercise and ignore the advice that writing is keeping the butt of your pants to the seat of your chair, and then another that that advice is the most important thing and then read them complain about how much they hate exercise.
It is good to digest the advice of those more experienced, and the lists upon lists of advice are easy and fast to get through even if they get a bit repetitive.
Not a bad book, but remember that writing for you is going to be specific and different for you. This book is useful, but what’s even more useful is sitting down (or standing up, or going for a walk…) and figuring out what works for you.
But I must admit this is a good place to start.
It is good to digest the advice of those more experienced, and the lists upon lists of advice are easy and fast to get through even if they get a bit repetitive.
Not a bad book, but remember that writing for you is going to be specific and different for you. This book is useful, but what’s even more useful is sitting down (or standing up, or going for a walk…) and figuring out what works for you.
But I must admit this is a good place to start.
August 10, 2022
This one took me a while to finish because I just had it sitting on my nightstand for whenever I was between novels. I really enjoyed it and it has helped me maneuver my sights to where I need to be for my own writing journey.
I feel like it is really helpful and I'll probably return to it again and again. I loved the rules sections, the short-story sections were a bit draggy, but the illustration sections were also great.
I saw this book sitting in a local bookshop and knew I had to have it. So glad I bought it.
I feel like it is really helpful and I'll probably return to it again and again. I loved the rules sections, the short-story sections were a bit draggy, but the illustration sections were also great.
I saw this book sitting in a local bookshop and knew I had to have it. So glad I bought it.
May 1, 2023
Good organization, fun blend of short essays, listed "rules," and quirky illustrations. It was nice to see the same advice repeated by various authors so that the reader knew these were the biggies, things like "read a lot," "write daily," "don't give up." There were a lot of children's book authors featured, which isn't my genre, but their advice was still strong. I made lots of notes and underlines so I could remind myself of the really good stuff easily.
July 6, 2021
I found this book in hodges figgis while I was sat on the floor of the box-shaped creative writing section. I was a bit delusional because I was dehydrated so I wasn't sure if my purchase was a smart one, and maybe I just saw the pretty cover and the word 'writer' and ran with it. either way, I bought it.
it has become the book I will be recommending to every writer for the rest of my life.
it has become the book I will be recommending to every writer for the rest of my life.
March 22, 2024
This is the first book I have reread this year, and I am glad I did. There was a wide variety of voices, all with their own stories. If nothing else, looking at the contributors list at the back should give you a lot of authors to check out. Some of the advise was repeated, but that just goes to show how helpful the advise is then. 4/5.
February 23, 2021
I am really keen on the illustrations and the different symbols that are used to describe "the world of the Writing". The tips that the authors give are clear like crystal and they give us an insight of the intimacy of their work; that's really fascinating.
October 21, 2021
Such a great book by a variety of authors that give tips on their writing process and the “rules” they follow. Lots of great nuggets.
August 29, 2022
Outstanding
November 7, 2022
So interesting, loved it.
November 14, 2023
It had many inspirational quotes and good writing tips. At the same time, it was very redundant with many authors providing the same advice.
April 8, 2025
A collection of writers' tips on writing, some of which I found inspiring and others of which I found a little off-putting. Not my favourite book on writing but not bad.
December 10, 2025
Such a good book to give me inspiration to write!!
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews