Turn your inner darkness into words.
Explore your Shadow, overcome fear and self-censorship, and write the work only you can write. Written and narrated by Joanna Penn.
Do you want to connect with readers on a deeper level?
Do you want your books to stand out by being authentic and personal, whatever the genre? Are you interested in creative self-development?
We all long to write boldly, without filters or fear. But something holds us back: the 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 boldly, and sometimes from living fully.
All great art taps into darkness. In this book, I guide you on an intimate journey to explore the Shadow and find the gold hidden in its depths, gold that may be the source of your best creative work in the years ahead. This is a book of my heart, with many personal stories.
Who this book is for
This book is for writers in any genre who want to go deeper: memoirists and non-fiction authors writing about real life, novelists who want richer characters and themes, and poets and essayists. You don’t have to write horror or dark fiction to benefit, although my own dark horse writes thrillers and horror.
It’s also for anyone interested in creative self-development who wants to understand what drives them, break old patterns, and write with more honesty and less fear. If you have a creative wound from a teacher, a parent or a critic, this book is for you.
What you’ll learn
The book has three parts: how to tap into your Shadow, how the Shadow shows up in different areas of life, and how to turn your inner darkness into words. Every chapter ends with questions and resources. Here are the questions it answers.
- What is the Shadow, and why explore it?
- How can I tap into the Shadow if it is hidden?
- What triggers me, and what do my repeated patterns reveal?
- What do my Shadow personas and the opposite side of personality tests tell me?
- How do I mine my own writing for aspects of Shadow?
- How do I protect myself and others and not get lost in the dark?
- What is the creative wound, and how is it still holding back my writing?
- How does the Shadow show up in publishing, work and money?
- How does it show up in family, culture, religion, the body, ageing and death?
- How do I stop self-censoring and accept who I am?
- How do I use the Shadow to strengthen my characters and deepen my themes?
- How do I write the Shadow into other genres and turn it into gold?
Read sample chapters
The whole book is published chapter by chapter on my store, so you can read before you buy. These three are a good place to start.
See the full chapter list on my store, or the compact list further down this page.
Listen to a sample of the audiobook, narrated by me.
Listen to the full audiobook on YouTube
The whole audiobook is on my YouTube channel, with chapter markers, so you can try it before you buy. If it helps, you can support my work by buying a copy in whichever format suits you.
Where to buy
Available in ebook, paperback, hardback, large print, audiobook (narrated by me), and a spiral-bound companion workbook. Buying direct from my store gives you the best price on bundles and supports me directly. Thank you.
What readers say
★★★★★
After the first chapter of this book I was already returning to the early drafts of short stories to confirm if I'd allowed the dark horse to run free. I hadn't.
Jorge Serbia
★★★★★
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.
Julie
★★★★★
Her chapters guiding you through ways to recognise, connect with and incorporate your shadow in your writing are short yet well thought out with questions and exercises to help you explore more on your own.
Karen
About Joanna Penn
I’m an award-winning, New York Times and USA Today bestselling author. I write non-fiction for authors as Joanna Penn, and thrillers, dark fantasy, horror and travel memoir as J.F. Penn.
I’ve hosted The Creative Penn Podcast since 2009, with interviews on writing, publishing, book marketing and making a living with your writing.
I have a Master’s degree in Death, Religion and Culture from the University of Winchester (2026) and a Master’s in Theology from the University of Oxford. I live in Bath, England.
Articles on fear, self-doubt and writing deeper
Start with Writing and the fear of judgment, then dip into these.
- How writers deal with the fear of judgment
- Self-doubt and imposter syndrome
- Comparisonitis, or everyone else is better than me
- The confident author
- You have permission to write
- How do I find my writing voice?
- You’re not alone: author mindset issues on the creative journey
- How to write compelling characters
- How to write horror
- How to write thrillers, horror, mystery and crime fiction
- The Shadow Sessions online writing classes
Podcast episodes about writing the Shadow
I have talked about the book, and about fear, self-doubt and creative wounds, on The Creative Penn Podcast and as a guest on other shows.
- Writing the Shadow: the creative wound, publishing, and money (Joanna Penn interviewed)
- Let your dark horse run: Writing the Shadow (Joanna Penn interviewed)
- The Kickstarter launch of Writing the Shadow
- Writing travel memoir, fear of judgment, fear of failure, and journaling (J.F. Penn)
- Writing at the wellspring: tapping the source of your inner genius with Matt Cardin
- Writing the hard stuff: turning difficult subjects into meaningful prose with Nicole Walker
- Post-traumatic growth, creative marketing, and dealing with change with Jack Williamson
- Writing and creativity in midlife with Jordan Rosenfeld
- Writing as a tool for grief and dealing with change with Karen Wyatt
- Heart. Soul. Pen. Find your voice on the page with Robin Finn
- Writing through fear with Caroline Donahue
- Facing fears in writing and life with Rachael Herron
More sample chapters from Writing the Shadow
Every chapter is on my store as an excerpt. Browse the full list, or start with these.
- How can you tap into the Shadow if it is hidden?
- What triggers you?
- Examine patterns of repeated behaviour
- Look at the opposite side of personality tests
- Be curious
- Mine your writing for aspects of Shadow
- Make a list of your Shadow personas
- Other ways to access Shadow
- Don’t get lost in the darkness: Protecting yourself and others
- You are not alone
- The creative wound and the Shadow in writing
- The Shadow in traditional publishing
- The Shadow in self-publishing or being an indie author
- The Shadow in work
- The Shadow in money
- The Shadow in the physical body
- The Collective Shadow in country, society, and culture
- The Shadow in family and relationships
- The Shadow in religion
- The Shadow in midlife and ageing
- The Shadow in dying and death
- Open the doors
- Accept who you are
- Stop self-censoring
- Strengthen your characters
- Deepen your themes
- Writing the Shadow into other genres
- Turn your Shadow into gold
- Why explore your Shadow side?
- Let your dark horse run
Questions about writing the Shadow
What is the Shadow?
The Shadow is Carl Jung's term for the hidden and unconscious parts of the self: the traits, desires and memories we push down because we were taught they were unacceptable. I picture it as Plato's dark horse, wild and strong, pulling the chariot alongside the well-behaved white horse. Both are part of you.
Why should a writer explore their Shadow?
Because readers don't want perfect people in perfect worlds. Story is how we learn to deal with life, and every genre needs conflict and darkness. Exploring your Shadow gives you more empathy, more self-awareness, and material for deeper characters and themes. It may also release a creative block you have carried for years.
How can I tap into the Shadow if it is hidden?
You can't shine a light straight at it. Approach from the side: notice what triggers you, examine patterns you keep repeating, look at the opposite side of your personality test results, list your Shadow personas, and mine your own writing for what keeps surfacing. Part one of the book is these tools.
Is shadow work safe? What if it gets too dark?
The dose makes the poison. This is the work of a lifetime, not a weekend, so dip in and out, take breaks, and use journaling, walking or meditation to process what comes up. If things get too dark, seek a professional. There is a whole chapter on protecting yourself and others.
What is the creative wound?
The moment someone told you writing was a hobby, that you weren't good enough, or that your genre was worthless, and you pushed the dream into the Shadow. The book helps you find yours and see how it may still shape what you write, how you publish, and what you let yourself say.
How do I stop censoring myself when I write?
Write as if no one will ever read it, and don't tell anyone about the book while it is a fragile seed. Put the thought on the page before you judge it, because what emerges is often different from what you feared. Your inner critic may be a voice from the Shadow.
Do I have to write horror or dark fiction to use this book?
No. The Shadow shows up in memoir, business books, romance, poetry and children's books as much as in horror. The final part covers writing the Shadow into other genres, strengthening characters and deepening themes in whatever you write.
Next steps
Get the free Author Blueprint
Join my email list and I will send you my Author Blueprint, with the steps on the author journey from idea to published book and beyond, plus my newsletter with tips on writing, publishing and marketing.
Listen to The Creative Penn Podcast
New episodes every Wednesday, wherever you listen to podcasts: interviews and solo shows on writing, publishing, book marketing and making a living with your writing. Browse the podcast.
Watch on YouTube
Tutorials, interviews and full audiobooks of my non-fiction on The Creative Penn channel.