The Joy of Mindful Writing by Joy Kenward was a most delightful read. Through several meditations, and writing exercises, Joy teaches baby writers, and seasoned ones alike, how to apply mindfulness to improve their writing. There are six chapters, detailing different writing aspects, such as fostering imagination, finding your voice, overcoming blocks, and playing with colour and description.

The earlier sections cover choosing the right materials, and the right writing space with a mindful attitude, really paying attention to what our intuitions, minds, and bodies are trying to tell us. If we listen, we’ll find the answers we need. Stream of consciousness writing is encouraged.

With the techniques and tricks presented in The Joy of Mindful Writing, Joy shows how we can calm ourselves and settle within. Being mindful, we can engage and interact with our characters in more dynamic ways, possibly even through meeting them in meditation and asking questions on paper, using different coloured pencils to record the responses. Doing so will give you deeper insight into your characters.

I quite enjoyed the sensory, and colour exercises! I play with paints, and woodcarving. I love playing with colour so much. Now I can make better use of that love in my writing, and not just with my physical paints.

Overall, the book is well-structured. It’s easy to read, and easy to follow the meditations. The exercises are clear and simple to follow. This is a book for any writer’s bookshelf!

***Many thanks to Netgalley and Quarto Publishing for providing an egalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.