Interview with William Kenower, Part 2: Fearless Writing for Memoir Writers
Posted by Kathleen Pooler/@kathypooler with William Kenower/@wdbk
“Everything’s okay even when it looks like everything is not okay.” William Kenower, Fearless Writing
Artwork by Denise Trach www.creatingcadence.com
Welcome back to Part 2 of William Kenower’s interview on Fearless Writing. In Part 1, What is Fearless Writing?,William shared his thoughts on confidence and creativity in the writing process. Today he shares his thoughts about how memoir writers can become fearless writers.
William is the author of Fearless Writing: How to Create Boldly and Write with Confidence. It’s a book I refer to often. My reviews can be found on Amazon, Goodreads, LibraryThing and Riffle.
Welcome back, William!
Author William Kenower
Interview with William Kenower, Part 2: Fearless Writing for Memoir Writers
KP: You talk about “getting back to the story you want to write”, such a simple statement and yet why is it so hard to find that story we love?
WK: To write your story you must love it unconditionally. You must love it simply because you love it, be interested in it simply because your interested in it. You don’t love it because other people might love it, or because your writing group praised it, or because you think it will get published and bring you lots of money and win you a bunch of awards – you love it simply because it feels good to focus your attention on it. Most people live conditionally. We think about outcomes and about what pleases other people.
“Doors” Pixabay Free Image
Your portal to your greatest creative potential is your unconditional love of what interests you. Open that door, and what you most want in your life will flow through it.
KP: I love your ideas about getting in the ”Flow, the place where you allow yourself to be surprised”. So often the story that’s meant to be told reveals itself through the writing. How can we best place ourselves in the path of discovery?
WK: I think it’s good to change our idea about what we’re going to do when we write. I would advise writers to not think about “finding the story” or how many pages they’re going to produce, but instead to look upon their job as simply getting into that flow state, that comfortable, effortless, interesting flow where your best work is possible. That’s what’s worked for me. Once I’m in that flow, the rest takes care of itself. But I have to be deliberate about getting into it. I have to see that flow as my destination, rather than pages or “great writing.”
KP: You mention the three narrative arcs–physical, emotional and intentional– as important parts of storytelling. Can you expand on this?
WK: The physical arc is “what happens” in your story. Boy meets girl; boy loses girl; boy gets girl back. This arc includes every single thing that’s done and said in your story. This is the least important arc. The emotional arc is why everything is done and said, and how your characters change or don’t change. Maybe the boy was insecure and so told the girl a little lie so she would go out with him. And maybe the girl was insecure too and let herself be impressed with the boy. And then she dumps him when she learns the truth. And then eventually the boy confesses that he just thought she was awesome and wouldn’t be interested in an Average Joe like him and would she give it another try and she says yes.
The intentional arc is why the story is told. This is the most important arc. The above story would be about self-acceptance. But really, it’s about the difference between self-rejection and self-acceptance. When you’re looking for your story’s intentional arc, think about the ending. What’s the gift you’re trying to give your reader at the end? If it’s about strength, think about the difference between feeling weak and feeling strong. If it’s about finding your voice, think about the difference between believing you have nothing to offer and knowing that you have much to offer.
Your readers will remember almost nothing about your story except its intentional arc, how you left them feeling when they closed the book.
KP: Your subtitle is “How to Create Boldly and Write with Confidence”. How do you define confidence?
WK: Confidence is accepting your inherent self-worth. It is not a product of craft or really even experience, although experience is often what teaches us that we were born worthy of telling any story we want to tell. When you rest in your confidence it will be the most natural thing your can possibly do. At first, it will feel strange and new and maybe thrilling, but that is only because you are used to the discomfort of thinking you are not worthy. Soon you get used to your inherent self-worth, and then people will start saying, “You’re so confident!” and you will think, “It’s not actually that big a deal.”
KP: For those of us writing memoir, we have to delve into painful memories which involves being vulnerable. I believe writing from our hearts is where we can connect with others. How can memoir writers become fearless writers?
WK: Here’s the big lesson I believe every memoirist has to learn. That character on the page – the one with your name who’s doing these things you once did – does not love everything that is happening to her. She’ll complain and fret and be miserable and scared and hurt – as well joyous, and relieved, and grateful. She does not love every moment equally.
But you, the Author, must love every moment equally, for you are telling the story. The story contains a gift you want to share with your reader. The only way to share that gift is to tell the whole story, what your Character calls good and bad. All of it is necessary and important and valuable. When you can fully understand the difference between yourself and your character, when you can view everything that happened as valuable and necessary, you will both be able to tell the story as it was meant to be told and in all likelihood heal whatever wounds you believe you suffered in your painful past.
KP: Any further thoughts you’d like to share about becoming a fearless writer?
WK: It’s a practice. It’s not a point on a grid. If you can look upon it as finding your balance on a balance beam, understand that some days you will fall and some days you’ll stay on it, you will avoid the trap of fearing failure.
There is no failure. There’s only lifelong learning to find your inherent fearlessness.
Artwork by Denise Trach at www.creatingcadence.com
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Author Bio:
William Kenower is the author of Fearless Writing: How to Create Boldly and Write With Confidence, and Write Within Yourself: An Author’s Companion, the Editor-in-Chief of Author magazine, and a sought-after speaker and teacher. In addition to his books he’s been published in The New York Times and Edible Seattle, and has been a featured blogger for the Huffington Post. His video interviews with hundreds of writers from Nora Ephron, to Amy Tan, to William Gibson are widely considered the best of their kind on the Internet. He also hosts the online radio program Author2Author where every week he and a different guest discuss the books we write and the lives we lead.
Book Synopsis:
Whether you’re a fledgling writer or a veteran with years of experience, fearlessness–that elusive blend of self-acceptance, confidence, and curiosity–is the defining quality of those who find fulfillment and success. Truly fearless authors banish writer’s blocks with ease, receive critiques gracefully, and infuse their passion for the craft into every word they write.
Filled with insightful wisdom and practical advice, Fearless Writing teaches you how to thrive as a writer, no matter your genre or career path. You’ll learn how to:
Find and enter a Flow state in which writing is a natural, deeply satisfying process.
Quiet both internal and external critics and embrace the inherent value in your work.
Use love, emotional engagement, and curiosity as the guiding principles for what you write and how you share it with others.
Overcome rejection, procrastination, and other obstacles that stifle your creativity.
From the blank page to the first draft, and from querying to marketing, the writing life is filled with challenges, roadblocks, and new experiences. With Fearless Writing, you’ll find the inner strength to embark on a bold journey–and build a lifelong career in the process.
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Thank you William for putting a new, refreshing spin on the writing process. After reading your book, I approach my writing in a new way, especially the idea of writing the story I love and not letting the reactions of others decide what my story will be. Priceless!
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How about you? If you are a memoir writer, are you fearless? If not, what will help you become fearless in writing the story you love?
We’d love to hear from you. Please join in the conversation below~
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Next Week:
Monday, 8/28/17:
“Back to The City: Lessons From The 2017 Annual Writer’s Digest Conference”
August 2107 Newsletter: Updates, Memoir Musings and Max Moments:
“Transitions”
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