7 books with creative characters to inspire your own projects
I only share books I know and love. If you buy through my links, I may earn a commission (learn more).
This post is part of my Books That Feel Like This… series, showcasing books that feel like whatever you want more of in life.
Whether it’s spending a summer in Italy, staying in a cabin in the woods, or feeling like you’re in a Studio Ghibli movie, I hope you can find your next best book recommendation here.
“There is a time for any fledgling artist where one’s taste exceeds one’s abilities. The only way to get through this period is to make things anyway.”
Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin
One of my favourite literary themes is creativity. I gravitate towards books with creative characters, whether they’re writers, artists, bakers, business owners, game designers, or anyone else with imagination and determination.
Why? Perhaps because they remind me of everything I want to create and do in my own life.
These are books that encourage you to ask: What can I do differently? Which creative projects should I prioritise? What new path could I follow? And finally: How can I find the courage to actually do it?
In this post, I’m sharing some of the best fiction books with creative characters that I’ve come across, featuring both new fiction and lesser-known works from classic authors.
Read on, see what you’re inspired to read next, and let your choice infuse your daily life with a bit more creativity, focus, and energy.
Books that feel like sitting down to focus on creative work
Sourdough by Robin Sloan
Sourdough in one sentence: A burnt-out software developer in the Bay Area finds purpose and meaning by baking sourdough.
From the author of Mr. Penumbra’s 24-Hour Bookstore comes this delightfully enigmatic celebration of breadmaking and embarking on a new path for anyone who feels overworked, undervalued, and disconnected.
As a software engineer at a San Francisco robotics company, Lois Clary codes all day and orders takeout if she actually makes it home in the evening. But when her favourite sandwich shop closes, the owners have one last delivery for Lois: the sourdough starter they use to bake their bread. As Lois learns how to keep the colony of microorganisms alive, a whole new world opens up.
This is exactly the sort of book I wanted to read this month; it’s weird, hopeful, and unexpectedly meaningful, especially if (like me) you’ve ever wanted to step away from a job that’s draining your energy.
Leaf by Niggle by J.R.R. Tolkien
Leaf by Niggle in one sentence: Tolkien crafts an allegorical short story about life, creativity, and the artist’s journey through everyday distractions.
I’d never come across Leaf by Niggle before researching this blog post, but as a Tolkien fan with a penchant for stories about creative folks, I knew I needed to read it.
In this poignant short story, Niggle is an artist desperate for the time and focus to work on his magnum opus. However, his community won’t leave him alone, whether they’re inviting him to tea parties, pestering him about his garden, or asking for DIY help.
It’s an unusual little book that can be read in so many ways, and you’ll probably need just a couple of reading sessions to enjoy it. Let the story’s dreamlike world wash over you and see how you get on.
Ellie and the Harp Maker by Hazel Prior
Ellie and the Harp Maker in one sentence: On a walk in the woods, thirtysomething Ellie Jacobs stumbles upon the barn of a solitary harp maker where she realises that her creative dreams might just stand a chance.
Based in England’s beautiful Exmoor, this uplifting little book is the story of two unlikely friends. Ellie Jacobs is a housewife with an unfulfilled list of bucket list dreams (including learning the harp), while socially awkward Dan Hollis spends solitary days carving exquisite Celtic harps in his barn.
After their lives unexpectedly collide, a delightfully heartwarming story unfolds that’s perfect for fans of Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine. The author herself is a harpist, which also adds such a lovely dimension to the book.
Collected Works by Lydia Sandgren
Collected Works in one sentence: The Secret History meets Sally Rooney in Gothenburg in this book about writers, artists, and the story of a publisher’s missing wife.
I’ve talked a lot about Collected Works on Tolstoy Therapy – it was one of my top books of 2023, and I’m still thinking back to it often, especially when I cross the border over to Sweden and see its characters everywhere.
Spanning several decades, the book explores the emerging lives and careers of a talented but troubled painter, a publisher who can’t finish his own book, and a psychology student working on a German translation that features her missing mother. Collected Works is full of the many hues of creativity and academia, from inspiration to alienation and burnout.
Meredith, Alone by Claire Alexander
Meredith, Alone in one sentence: A creative and courageous protagonist spends her time excelling at jigsaw puzzles and perfecting recipes – and hasn’t left her home in 1,214 days.
What would three years inside your own home long like? For Meredith Maggs, it’s not as bleak as it might seem. She has her rescue cat Fred, a remote job, and her beloved Emily Dickinson poems.
But when new friends burst into her life, her barriers against the outside world start to fall and she questions whether (and how) she can rejoin society. It’s probably the most optimistic book about agoraphobia you’ll ever read.
Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin
Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow in one sentence: Two childhood friends start a video game company that leads to wild success but also heartbreak.
If I had to choose one book about creativity to recommend, it’d be Gabrielle Zevin’s bestseller from 2022.
Tomorrow x3 is a marvellously crafted novel that’s clearly the result of an awe-inspiring amount of work. And that’s fitting, really, because the book is very much about work – in the most creative, all-encompassing, and collaborative way.
If you find joy in creating what didn’t exist before and diving into the depths of your imagination, you should absolutely read this. Although I’d recommend it to anyone, really. (It’s also a perfect recommendation for anyone who loves old-school videogames, keen reader or not.)
A Love Song for Ricki Wilde by Tia Williams
A Love Song for Ricki Wilde in one sentence: The unruly daughter of a powerful Atlanta dynasty follows her dream of starting a floristry boutique, opening the door to love and enchanting magical realism against the backdrop of Harlem’s past and present.
If you’ve heard of Tia Williams, it’s probably through her steamy 2022 bestseller Seven Days in June. I recently read her new release for 2024, A Love Song for Ricki Wilde, and think it’s even better.
It’s a perfect vacation read full of creative self-actualization, sexiness, and romanticizing of life’s beautiful moments. As you read it, you might just find a bit more courage to follow your own creative daydreams, too.
For more excellent books about work and creativity, you might also like…