Fearless Writing: How to Create Boldly and Write with Confidence

by William Kenower

Find the courage to create your best writing life.

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.

Genres: Writing, Nonfiction, Reference, Crafts, Adult, Ebooks

229 pages, Paperback

Published May 12, 2017

About the author

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.

Reviews

[Kathleen Pooler · Rating 5 out of 5]

My bookshelves at home are stacked with writing books that provide me with inspiration, motivation and guidance in my writing. However, William Kenower’s book, Fearless Writing stands out as a book that stopped me in my tracks with its refreshing perspective and homespun wisdom about what it means to be a writer. In a profession steeped in rules, he challenged me to let my curiosity and passion for a story lead the way.

Kenower addresses the core issues about why we write, why we procrastinate or stop writing altogether and what we can do about it. Reading this book is like being in the presence of a trusted friend and mentor who gets my concerns about my writing and helps me find my way back to what he calls “The Flow” where the magic of my creative abilities come alive. At the end of each chapter, he offers writing exercises to practice writing fearlessly.

He engages, entertains and informs with realistic and vivid examples of the struggles and triumphs from his personal and professional lives. His writing, while bold and confident, reflects a deep compassion and understanding that held me spellbound and inspired. Once I started reading this it was hard to put down. It made so much sense that I found myself nodding yes as I read it.

This book will not only stay with me but has changed the way I approach writing. The quote that stands out the most to me is “You will find your confidence and begin writing fearlessly the moment you stop caring about what anyone else thinks”.

I highly recommend Fearless Writing to new and experienced writers alike who are feeling the challenges of getting “in the flow “ of their writing journeys.

[Eve · Rating 3 out of 5]

A writing friend of mine recommended this book to me. I trust her judgment, and understand why she thought it would be a great read for me. It started out that way, and the message was tailor-made for me, however ... even though the message is terrific, it fell somewhat short because I got it after the first few chapters. The author made a wonderful, powerful point, but ... he didn't have to keep repeating it in fifty different ways. As a reader, you can connect the dots for yourself, and figure out how to apply the message to your own situation. I got increasingly tired of reading the book, and was relieved when I finally finished it. Some of the exercises seem really good (at the beginning of the book) and I plan to do them, so it is by no means a loss, but he just ran out of steam, and the book fizzled (for me) at the end. He even talks about having good endings, but unfortunately, he didn't. I still recommend that aspiring writers check it out because the point is well-taken.

[Shweta Padma Das · Rating 5 out of 5]

This spoke to me ... it's not a craft book, but one that explores the emotional/felt side of being a writer ...

[Suzanne Frank · Rating 5 out of 5]

If I could give it ten stars, I would. If I could tattoo my body with these words, I would. Instead I will re-read this book a thousand times as what it says interweaves with what I know to be true, but couldn't express.
Living as a writer is great for the writing, but what I've come to believe is it's great for just living, too. The author shares why this may be so and how to perpetuate the best parts of writing into living, and vice versa.
There is so much to say, but as he says: you must experience it for yourself.

[Cassandra · Rating 5 out of 5]

If I had to summarize this in one sentence, it would be "that writer-ly pep talk you needed to remind you that your art is good, your life is great, and your book is going to be amazing if you stop being afraid to write it the way you want to write it."

Highly recommend. :)

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have a couple of dozen writing craft books, but couldn’t stop myself from buying another one, especially one with the title ‘Fearless Writing.’ I’m glad I did. The author does a great job of discussing the connections between writing and life in ways that are inspiring, fresh, and very practical.

[Mauri · Rating 5 out of 5]

FEARLESS WRITING is special. I'm so glad I found it. It's a must for burned-out authors and for anyone who has lost joy in their writing.

Kenower offers a much-needed alternative to the memes and mindsets that are driven by "nose to the grindstone," "sit your butt down and write even if you don't feel like it," "grind out those words," "hit that word count even if it means writing crap" "get that tough skin" philosophies. Forget all that. Here, you find out how to explore, to slow down, to enjoy and love your writing process again.

This book gives writing back to the writer -- it reminds you why you write in the first place (or do anything in the first place) and it unapologetically places the roots for that in love, joy, trust, and inspiration.

Kenower's book helps you understand 1) why you can't write/are stuck 2) why you aren't enjoying your writing 3) why you are procrastinating and 4) WHAT YOU CAN DO ABOUT IT. The advice is a mix of common sense based in personal experience and interviews with authors, as well as cognitive reframing and mindfulness. You can take from it what works for you.

This book helps you get grounded in your writing practice (or any creative endeavor, really) and remember (or discover) what you love about it in the first place. This book is not a one-time read; it's a keeper you will have on your shelf and return to over and over again.

[Michael]

Somewhere along reading chapter 6. Critiques and Workshopping (Or Why Praise Feels Good and Criticism Feels Bad) I decided I would not rate this book. I will "review" it though... by which I mean write some random thoughts.

At it's core, this is not a book about how to write, but about being a writer.

Kenower states early on that the book is not necessarily linear. He recommends reading the first two chapters in order and and then bouncing around to whatever makes sense for you.

I ended up reading the book from front to back and realized there were some chapters that applied much more to where I am right now and others that didn't mean that much to me at the present moment. I suspect this is exactly why he recommended the approach he did. For the chapters that applied to where I'm at, there were some great eye openers. I'll have to come back to others later when I'm ready for them.

This is a great summary of the book's approach towards the end of the introduction:

It is important to remember that although this book is filled with what appears to be instruction, most of what I offer is a story about what everyone experiences when trying to purposefully create something to share with other people. ... But it is just a story, and while stories can offer ... they cannot actually teach. Only experience can teach.

[Sara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Insightful, intelligent, and quietly encouraging. William Kenower's FEARLESS WRITING isn't an instruction on craft, but rather a guide to developing the qualities that help a writer succeed and believe in yourself. It focuses on the more cerebral aspects of being a writer, such as cultivating deep concentration in your work, using listening to improve your storytelling, and overcoming your fear of failure by embracing curiosity and self-acceptance. And by using examples from his own writing career and offering prompts and exercises at the end of each chapter, Kenower illustrates each concept clearly and inspires readers to put his advice into immediate practice. If only the book had been written with more personality, though. Kenower's dry, formal style makes it difficult to feel the same passion he says he feels for writing, which affected my interest in the book at times.

Admittedly none of the advice in FEARLESS WRITING is new or ground-breaking. The one exception, though, was the chapter on fearless marketing, which put a new, more personal twist on how to promote yourself and your work. Marketing has always the side of writing that's baffled and intimidated me. And now, reading how Kenower uses curiosity, enthusiasm, and emotional engagement with others to grow his audience makes it less confusing and scary.

[Tina Olah · Rating 3 out of 5]

More of a self-help book than a "how to write" book, and I found a lot of the material repetitive. On the plus side, a lot of the lessons here can be used in other creative fields as well (art, music, etc).

[Matt · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the best books on writing I have on my shelf. Kenower resists the tired writing-as-sacrifice dogma. Instead he encourages writers to follow their passion and curiosity. Inspiring and rejuvenating.

[Laura J Peterson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is like no other writing book I have ever read. It’s not a manual for crafting compelling plots or maximizing writing time or navigating the publishing world. This book is about the art of creating and how to do it boldly and confidently.

As an avid traveler, I was immediately drawn to the cover. It depicts an adventurer stepping out into the unknown. Kenower describes writing as a journey—a journey of self-acceptance. He asserts, “You will find your confidence and begin to write fearlessly the moment you stop caring about what anyone else thinks.”

Kenower reminds us that our own curiosity and imagination are unique to each one of us, and that following our truest interests will never lead us down the wrong path. “To write fearlessly, you must begin with no restrictions, no requirements, no boundaries other than your own curiosity and desire.” Our writing journey will feel effortless if we write what we love because ultimately, writers write the stories they most want to read. When waiting for a story idea, he gives this simple advice: “Drift, wait, and obey.”

I especially enjoyed the chapter on the Flow, that free-flowing place where creativity leads and time seems to melt away. Kenower gives practical tips for consistently entering the Flow and remaining there, and how to avoid common pitfalls that can pull us out of the Flow.

He says that our feelings while writing serve as a compass to tell us if we’re headed in the right direction. By developing a sensitivity to the difference between the sensation of effort and the sensation of ease, we inherently know which way to go. Writing, he asserts, is a search for the effortless path.

I liked his analogy of a gymnast on a balance beam. To stay on the beam, the gymnast must pay attention to both the forces of balance and the forces of imbalance and respond accordingly. All writing requires a certain amount of creative discomfort. Imbalance—or resistance in writing—is actually helpful because it leads us back to the effortless path that is the Flow.

When it comes to time management, the question every writer must answer is not “How do I find the time to write?” but “Is writing a waste of time?” If it is, then we shouldn’t do it. If it’s not a waste of time—if the writing itself is gratifying and if NOT doing it is uncomfortable—then we must write. Finding time to write means trusting that simply loving something is enough. “To write fearlessly and with complete confidence, you must rest in your unconditional love for the story you’re telling.”

I would highly recommend this book for anyone embarking on their own writing journey. Learning to create with confidence is just as important as learning craft—maybe even more so—for it’s impossible to take that first step without a bit of courage.

[Lyri Ahnam · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fearless Writing: How to Create Boldly and Write with Confidence is an exceptional guide to working with common writing fears.
“If you want to write fearlessly,” Kenower says, “you must write what you love. You must write the story you are most interested in, most curious about, and most excited by. You will never write better, not with more authority and originality and power, then when you are writing what you most want to write, in the way you most want to write it.”

The author boils most writing fears down to one misbelief: “What other people think of what I write is more important than what I think of what I think of what I write.”
He promises this: “You will find your confidence and begin to write fearlessly the moment you stop caring about what anyone else thinks.” (The book includes a four-page guide on navigating critique groups in chapter 6).

Releasing the inner critic constantly asking What will people think? frees us to indulge what Kenower calls our creative Flow.
This Flow is that ecstatic state where the ideas and words flow freely and we lose track of time, fully immersed in the story. Kenower devotes an entire chapter to entering this state of Flow. Staying in the moment and trusting the process were the key take-aways for me. He says, “The Flow is available to you every time you sit down to write. It is waiting for you.”
He advises writers to consider our writing sessions as “practice for getting in the Flow, using as your target your writer’s memory of what it feels like to be in that state.”

Fearless Writing also contains insightful craft tips:
* By showing, we allow readers to use their powerful imaginations to bring the story to life
* The key to showing is detail.
* Writing…is a search for the effortless path.
* The only two questions a writer should ask are: “What do I want to say?” and “have I said it?”
* Writers write about how it feels to be human.
* Learning to listen to your curiosity and your imagination…takes practice.
* Writers must make peace with the fact that we cannot control who will like our work.
* You must define success for yourself.
I can’t recommend Fearless Writing enough. Encouraging, practical, and inspiring, it has profoundly reshaped my relationship to fear.
“The moment you surrender to the Flow, the moment you are lost in the story you’re telling, you’re trusting in the creative impulse of love, which knows no fear. The only question now is how much of your day you will devote to the thing you have spent your life looking for.”

[Rachel Thomas · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really don’t think I can express how wonderful this book is, or at least how much it was exactly what I needed. I picked it up several years ago, never read it, and it made its was into my “books to donate” box. While looking for a completely different book a few months ago I noticed it and thought maybe I’d give it a try.

I’ve read a lot of books about how to write, but never one that this clearly describes what it’s like to be a writer. I’ve known writers as friends, classmates, and teachers but I don’t think I’ve ever truly discussed the topic of this book with anyone—what it feels like to write, why I love it, how everything gets quiet. And how much it hurts when the story stops coming.

I read this book slowly over a few months, picking it up and reading a chapter whenever I felt like I needed one. And I plan to keep returning to it. This book is, among other things, a reminder that whatever story you’re chasing is already here, that you are enough.

To the author I would say thank you. Thank you for putting into words so much of what I’ve experienced. Thank you for helping me see myself.

To fellow writers, if you’ve ever been stuck, if you’ve ever doubted what you’re doing or if it’s good enough or if all the frustration is worth it? You need this book.

[AM Self · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fearless Writing
How to Create Boldly and Write with Confidence
By William Kenower

Amazing book that I highly recommend any writer check out.

Dear goodness, I would not be sitting where I am without this book.

I was a quarter through my current novel when I froze. A novel I loved and was excited to write and suddenly I found myself struck by a serious case of self-doubt.

Every destructive thing that has ever been said to me by either an outside party or myself got in front of my writing. For days I stopped.

Then, on a trip to Books-A-Million, there it was... a source to break my self-destruction.

From the first chapter to the last, this book has helped me to break out of my own head and get my characters down on the paper. To let them sing and grow and be without letting myself stop them.

I have used it for those in between moments when I needed a boost, for the times when I was burnt out editing, and on those days that I had to marinate on the story.

I have even borrowed some concepts when talking to both my boys about writing for their classes.

Can’t not say enough about it and I know this will be a book I read over and over when I forget everything I just said and let the doubt back in.

FIVE STARS.

[Samantha · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love William Kenower's sincerity in this guidebook. It has a Law of Attraction/power of positive thinking/what you think becomes the reality/self fulfilled prophecy angle to it. A spiritual bent with the practical works well when you have the conviction he has with the thoughtful examples that illustrate his points. I saw this author had a class on Writers Digest and bought the book instead of the class because it was cheaper, but after the book wowed me, I wouldn't hesitate to take the class later. I felt renewed, empowered, and thoughtful after reading this and I recommend it to writers who get preoccupied with what people think over their curiosity and interest in telling a particular story. Whether the fear is on the order of procrastination/guilt/worry or if it's fear building over subject matter you're daunted to share with others, this book serves ALL aspects of fear and resistance with warmth and compassion.

[Jami Fairleigh · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've owned this book for ages, but finally picked it up and read it following a conference workshop with the author. The book gets into the why and how writers get into the "Flow" aka visit from the muse aka Zone- to suggest that a writer can choose to enter that state by shifting their mindset regarding their writing. Each chapter offers an exercise to help you edit how you approach your creativity and writing. I really enjoyed the book, not because I agreed with everything Kenower suggests, but because he says the things creatives need to hear but rarely do. Through his stories and examples, he encourages us writers to create simply for the joy of creating, that writing is its own reward. Kenower's style is upbeat and energetic, the book is well organized, and I recommend it to anyone ready to hear that they can and should be courageous with their creativity.

[Caitlin Taylor · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book over the course of about a year while writing my first novel. Especially when the writing wasn't going as well as I liked I'd pick this book up and read a chapter or even just a few pages and it always helped me deal with the lows and fears and questions any writer inevitably faces.
Reading this book is like having a friend or writing coach reassure you along the way, or so it felt to me. Since none of my RL friends are writers or even read in my genre I didn't usually have anyone to talk to about what's going on with my writing, yet reading this book it was like there was someone that got me!

If you need some positivity on your writing journey, I would definitely recommend this book

[K · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overall awesome book!! Super interesting, helpful, and really made me think. It did feel kind of academic/dense to me a lot of the time in a lot of ways (compared to say, Big Magic which felt like a conversation with a friend - this was definitely more like listening to a professor, but no less interesting/helpful). It is at times pretty abstract and sometimes a little hard to absorb, so it definitely worked better for me to read it very slow in small bites when I was in the right headspace, but I found some great stuff for me in it, and would defs recommend.

So many really useful things in here, I feel like it will be excellent to periodically refer back to/re-read.

[Krissy · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a writer who is just beginning to establish a practice, I found this book very inspiring. Kenower does a fantastic job of explaining his philosophy on writing and self confidence. Throughout this book, I felt like he was talking to me, like he had tailored his thoughts to help me solve my problems I have run into as I've begun writing. I would recommend this book to anyone who is a writer. I loved it.

[The Reading Countess · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is an advice book for would-be-writers or writers who are stalled. I liked it, but William Kenower is no Anne Lamott. Then again, who is? Published by Writer's Digest, the reader isn't going to encounter grand and existential "huhs" that Lamott is so well known for. What they will find is a swift kick in the butt to get started putting word to paper=not a bad thing, after all. Thanks to Edelweiss Above the Treeline for the peek.

[James · Rating 5 out of 5]

I met William after a workshop he gave of the same title. Intrigued by his talk, I bought the book. At its core, this book exemplifies the notion that the opposite of fear is love. If you're not loving the process and art of writing, you need this book.
In my conversation with Bill, I shared my struggles with a plot point in my current project. In one sentence he nailed the real issue, "You're resisting the story that wants to be told."

[Graeme Ing · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great book on the psychology of writing (or indeed creating any art). Don't expect a book on craft or publishing. This is filled with advice on dealing with the emotional rollercoaster of writing, our fears and doubts, as well as how to train ourselves to enter a Flow state every time we write.

I learned a lot from this book. The author labors the points a little, but beneath the verbosity is excellent advice.

[Vanessa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’d picked this book up a couple years ago and came across it recently, patiently waiting on the shelf. Something perhaps in the timing and my receptiveness made me need to read it, finally. As I read I discovered that this was exactly the book I needed when I needed it.
By and by (lol), I found the more pages I read, the less this material was about the specific craft/practice of writing and more about Fearless Living.
I’m greatly appreciative for this one.

[Renae Rude · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is currently changing my writing life. I'm so glad I bought a real-word copy rather than an e-book, because I have highlighted it, and written notes in it, and otherwise made it MINE. I carry it around with me and review sections regularly. (Whenever I need a little support and reassurance.)

[Sourabh Bansal · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book- easy to read. It is a good book to read if you want to pursue anything creative, and not becoming a writer. The book offers strategies which help in overcoming fear and doubts that plague your mind, whenever you want to create something- maybe music, new software, or a movie. The last 2 chapters did feel a little boring and sounded a little like a meandering sermon.

[Carrie Jacobs · Rating 4 out of 5]

The quote on the cover says it all - it's not a book on how to write, it's a book on how to be a *writer.* Lots of good insight into the writer's mind, and solid ideas for working WITH those writerly idiosyncrasies to be productive. This one will stay on my reference shelf.

[Alwyn Knighton · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you read just one book on overcoming mental hurdles of being an author, let it be this one. I go back to it every time I struggle, and it helped me overcome self-doubt and writer's block countless times. Highly recommend it and the podcast.

[Carolyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent reference for my writing shelf.

[Windy Harris · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was in a worried writing funk when I picked up this book and now I'm back in the groove. Thank you, William Kenower!