Fearless Writing: How to Create Boldly and Write with Confidence

by William Kenower

Overview

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.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781440349836
Publisher:	Penguin Publishing Group
Publication date:	05/12/2017
Pages:	240
Sales rank:	143,530
Product dimensions:	5.53(w) x 8.21(h) x 0.63(d)

Table of Contents

Introduction 1

1 A Writer's Worst Fear 7

2 The Flow: Or Where the Writing Actually Happens 13

3 Feel First: Or Why Nobody Cares What Happens 27

4 Write What You Love: Or How Your True Interest Will Never Steer You Wrong 40

5 Accuracy: Or There's No Such Thing as Good Writing 51

6 Critiques and Workshopping: Or Why Praise Feels Good and Criticism Feels Bad 62

7 The Intentional Arc: Or Why We Tells Stories 76

8 Creative Discomfort: Or How to Love What You Thought You Hated 89

9 Writing is Listening: Or We're All Smart Enough 103

10 Finding Time to Write: Or Why Procrastination Makes Sense 115

11 How Thought Works: Or Tell Yourself a Happy Story 131

12 Fearless Marketing: Or How to Do Your Job and No One Else's 148

13 Don't Fear The Cliché: Or Relax-You're Original 165

14 The Talent Myth: Or Everyone Is Interested in Something 178

15 Fear of Failure: Or You Never Stop Learning 188

16 Evidence: Or Don't Fear the Wobble 208

17 Becoming the Author of Your Life: Or How to Live Like You Write 213

18 A Good Ending 221

Editorial Reviews

"This isn't a 'how-to' book about writing. It's a book about how to be a writer. How to prepare yourself—holistically, mentally, and spiritually—to take on a project that exists entirely in your head. How to develop the fortitude to believe in yourself and your project for the years it may take to write." —Garth Stein, international best-selling author of The Art of Racing in the Rain and A Sudden Light

"William Kenower is as charismatic on the page as he is in person, and in Fearless Writing he has distilled his wisdom down to its electrifying essence. This is a book that any writer will cherish and learn from." —David Laskin, New York Times best-selling author of The Children's Blizzard and The Family

"William Kenower's book, culled from years of association with writing and writers, will give new writers inspiration or perhaps even a much-needed kick in the pants. Established writers will be moved by its obvious love and excitement of the writing process. In all instances, it reminds writers of the importance—and necessity—of their work." —Thrity Umrigar, author of The Story Hour and The World We Found

"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: How to Create Boldly and Write with Confidence by William Kenower (who is a popular blogger and sought-after writing teacher and has inspired writers for many year) teaches aspiring writers how to thrive as a writer, no matter their genre or career path. Fearless Writing shows 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 literary 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. Fearless Writing is an indispensable, 'real world practical', instructional reference for building a lifelong literary career in the process." —James A. Cox at Midwest Book Review

From the Publisher