Fearless Writing with Bill Kenower

Sometimes it’s hard to follow your own unique aesthetic. Though it serves as a North Star, unlike the one in the sky, only you can see it.

Don’t invite your readers and critics into your creative house; don’t decide they can determine the value of your work, and all the things that you care most about.

It’s fine to be inspired by other people’s success, but remember you don’t actually want write their book any more than you want to live their life.

Every writer must practice waiting patiently for a new thought to arrive. We do it when we write, and we can do it when we don’t. 

There are no real mistakes in writing, no good and bad, just what belongs in your story and what doesn’t.

Everyone has an inner manager who helps them organize their life. They’re super useful, but can’t help you write your story. 

Whether you’re ghost writing or working entirely from your own inspiration, we’re all on assignment in one way or another. 

You don’t have to write for two or three hours a day to be a successful writer. Even 30 minutes a day can be enough to stay connected to your work and write a book of any length.

Writing teaches us that how we feel is more important than anything. Don’t wait until you publish the book or win the award to feel successful. Seek it now in any way you can.

The imagination is so powerful, its connection to others is often as intimate as touch. 

You don’t have to have been homeless or abused or addicted to have a life full enough to tell any story. 

Sometimes it may seem like our opportunities have dried up, but that’s almost always because we have begun to doubt. 

There are times when feedback from an editor or friend or writing group is helpful. But not if you’re looking for validation. That has to come from you.

Though most of us work alone, there are times when focused collaboration can free up our stuck thinking. 

Anything we think about other writers, we inevitably think about ourselves. Be kind to everyone, including yourself. 

I know things are scary and crazy for a lot of us right now, but that shouldn’t mean you abandon doing the what you love. The world is always a better place when we do what means the most to us. 

Yes, there are times you don’t know the way forward, and yes, you will almost certainly experience rejection. But don’t tell yourself writing IS hard. When it’s going well, when you find that story, it’s naturally effortless.

If you set your intentions before you begin anything new, whether a story or a year, you can start to develop new habits. 

As we grow up, it’s easy to start believing that work and fun can’t be one and the same. This may be true in some professions, but it shouldn’t be so in the arts. No fun for the writer; no fun for the reader.

Often, the biggest obstacle to finding our voice is the pressure we put on ourselves to be “good” or be acceptable. If you take the pressure off, your voice will come naturally. 

All my stories end the same way: Life is friendly, and the natural relationship between people is love. The reason there are so many to tell is there are so many times this doesn’t seem to be the case. 

Amuse, entertain, and inspire yourself, and mean what you say. If you can do that, the rest will take care of itself.  

It’s easy to start thinking that the lives of all the people you care for are somehow more important than yours. Writing reminds us again and again that this has never been true. 

Sometimes the most difficult part of writing stems from the fact that we’re adults, and have become increasingly concerned with our own survival, rather than what pleases us most.

Where Fearless Writing began. It took reach a very dark place for me to understand how quietly addicted to praise and validation I was. Here’s the story.