What Comes Before Craft Fearless Writing With Bill Kenower podcast

6:07

It’s critical to learn your craft, but all that learning is driven by interest. Interest is the fuel that drives our creative engine, and without it, we will stall.

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Addicted To Praise 5:15

9 days ago5:15

5:15

It’s easy for artists to become distracted by and even addicted to praise. It may feel good, but it’s a bottomless need that will never be satisfied.

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Coming Out 4:45

16 days ago4:45

4:45

Everyone needs to “come out” in one way or another, to be who they really are rather than who they believe they’re supposed to be. Writing is a great way to practice this kind of authenticity.

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Never Stop Creating 5:18

23 days ago5:18

5:18

Life is creative and so are you. But when you stop participating deliberately in that creation, life seems random and you feel out of control. Take what you learn at the page and apply it to your whole life.

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Small Steps 6:17

30 days ago6:17

6:17

It’s impossible to overstate how important it is to think in small steps. After all, every novel or memoir is written one sentence at a time. If you’re feeling overwhelmed, think small. It’s how you get someplace big.

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The Two Rules For Fun 5:25

5 weeks ago5:25

5:25

At its core, creativity must be fun. Here are the two rules for having fun that I learned while playing Dungeons & Dragons that apply to games, writing, and life.

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The Good We Can’t See 6:26

6 weeks ago6:26

6:26

It’s almost impossible to grasp the effect our work has in the world. Most of it happens where we can’t see it. But know that it’s happening, whether you ever learn of it or not.

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What To Do When Doubt Sets In 6:02

7 weeks ago6:02

6:02

Here are the three steps I take whenever I start doubting and worrying about my work.

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You Don’t Need or Want to Know the Future 6:33

8 weeks ago6:33

6:33

Writing teaches us every day that the pleasure of creating is discovery. The same can be true of life away from the desk, if we accept that we don’t need or want to know the future.

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Find Your Balance 5:25

9 weeks ago5:25

5:25

Whether you’re walking a balance beam or wondering whether you’re good enough, the goal isn’t perfection but rapid course correction. Balance is always available if you pay close attention to how you feel.

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Your Curiosity Is Fearless 3:41

10 weeks ago3:41

3:41

It loves the unknown, which is the only place it can exist. It’s only when you doubt it, resist following it, that you suffer. It will never steer you wrong.

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You Always Have Something 4:20

11 weeks ago4:20

4:20

If you have an imagination, curiosity, and desire you always have what you need to create anything you want. These can never leave you, but you have to trust they’re enough.

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Always Ask The Right Questions 4:29

12 weeks ago4:29

4:29

The imagination is faithful, but it doesn’t discriminate. It will answer any question you ask it. Make sure you only ask those to which you sincerely want an answer.

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No Complaints! 5:46

13 weeks ago5:46

5:46

Sometimes our most creative moments stem from things that bother us – stories that we wished ended differently, or passages that seem sloggily written. To be truly creative, however, we can’t complain, which is focusing on the thing we don’t like. Instead, our attention must be on what we want, the story we want to tell, and the life we want to live.…

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Write Because Your Life Matters 7:43

14 weeks ago7:43

7:43

If you’ve spent a lot of time taking care of other people, it’s easy to start believing their lives, their happiness, their safety and well-being, matters more than yours. It doesn’t. Writing demands we close the door and acknowledge that our life matters to us more than anything else.

Fearless Writing with Bill Kenower

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Your Cabin On The Beach 4:26

15 weeks ago4:26

4:26

Writers sit down every day at their desk and summon all kinds of feelings, from joy to grief. When you’re not writing, focus less on the result you want, and more on the feeling you want, something you’re already good at.

Fearless Writing with Bill Kenower

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Look At The Swans! 5:13

16 weeks ago5:13

5:13

A story from my brother that serves as a great reminder of how easy it is to lock our attention onto what we don’t want. Creativity is all about thinking deliberately, knowing that whatever we focus on increases.

Fearless Writing with Bill Kenower

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Craft and Desire 6:26

17 weeks ago6:26

6:26

Our craft evolves to match our creative desires. With time, you will always be “good enough” to write the kind of story you most want to write.

Fearless Writing with Bill Kenower

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When Readers Don’t Get It 5:35

18 weeks ago5:35

5:35

We can’t let fear of being misunderstood keep us from sharing our work. Not everyone can get everything, and that has to be okay.

Fearless Writing with Bill Kenower

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Feeling Disconnected 5:56

19 weeks ago5:56

5:56

Sometimes we go a few days or weeks without writing and feel disconnected and dissatisfied. Try not to despair. Your true creative self is always with if you know where to look.

Fearless Writing with Bill Kenower

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The Dream Has Always Been Real 5:22

20 weeks ago5:22

5:22

Nothing we dream exists outside of us. Just like our stories, it starts within us and then we dream it forward onto the page and into the world.

Fearless Writing with Bill Kenower

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How Writing Teaches Us To Be Free 6:24

21 weeks ago6:24

6:24

You must be willing to tell the story you most want to tell in the way you most want to tell it. That is freedom.

Fearless Writing with Bill Kenower

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Creating on Purpose 3:28

22 weeks ago3:28

3:28

Writing is a great way to practice creating on purpose, rather than accidentally or by default. The blank page asks what we want, and only we can answer that.

Fearless Writing with Bill Kenower

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What’s Your Motivation? 7:46

23 weeks ago7:46

7:46

You need to know your character’s motivation to really understand them and tell compelling stories. You also need to be clear about your own motivation when you sit down to write.

Fearless Writing with Bill Kenower

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A Writer’s Best Practice 5:56

24 weeks ago5:56

5:56

Starting this week, begin practicing how you think when you sit down to write. Practice caring about the story, not what other people think about the story. It’s as important as craft.

Fearless Writing with Bill Kenower

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Big Announcement: Fearless Writing Retreat! 1:24

25 weeks ago1:24

1:24

I'll be hosting a Fearless Writing retreat January 26 - 31 in Portland, OR. Space is limited! I'd love to see you there. Retreat: https://www.portlandretreathouse.com/fearless-writing-with-bill-kenower Bill's website: https://www.williamkenower.com/

Fearless Writing with Bill Kenower

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You Can’t Control What You Like 6:26

25 weeks ago6:26

6:26

We all have a personal aesthetic that’s unique to us. We can’t control it; we can only obey it. In this way, what we create is not dissimilar to the stuff we love that other people created.

Fearless Writing with Bill Kenower

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Why I Publish 6:56

26 weeks ago6:56

6:56

It can be hard to connect to why we publish aside from money and possibly acclaim. It’s important to remember that if you’re sharing something you love, you’re making the world just a little bit better.

Fearless Writing with Bill Kenower

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Fantasy and Reality 5:09

27 weeks ago5:09

5:09

Writing has taught me, and continues to teach me, that the only thing real in life is love. You can’t manufacture it, you can only see it, find it, notice it, and then obey it.

Fearless Writing with Bill Kenower

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Accepting All Changes 5:43

28 weeks ago5:43

5:43

When we work with an editor, we will inevitably accept most of the changes they make to our story. It’s good preparation for sharing our work with readers, giving up our complete ownership as the reader makes the story their own.

Fearless Writing with Bill Kenower

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Real Commitment 5:00

29 weeks ago5:00

5:00

At some point, every artist must commit to their work before they have evidence of success. Let your love of the work be reason enough to make this commitment.

Fearless Writing with Bill Kenower

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What Comes Before Craft 5:32

30 weeks ago5:32

5:32

Learning your craft is critical, but all the know-how in the world is useless without the right mindset. Unless we wait with an open heart and curious mind, we’ll never invite the ideas to which we will apply that craft.

Fearless Writing with Bill Kenower

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Sometimes The Best Thing to Do Is Nothing 6:16

31 weeks ago6:16

6:16

When you’re struggling, when you think you’re no good, when you feel like your story stinks – don’t try to fix anything. Do nothing until the feeling passes and you can make a better choice.

Fearless Writing with Bill Kenower

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Writing As A Way To Meet Yourself 5:04

32 weeks ago5:04

5:04

The point of writing is never the outcome. An outcome is just an excuse to focus in a meaningful way, and when we do, we meet ourselves in a way we rarely do otherwise.

Fearless Writing with Bill Kenower

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Ignore the Odds 8:11

33 weeks ago8:11

8:11

The only real certainty in writing and in life comes when we follow that guidance that tells us what story to write and how best to write it. If you don’t follow that, life will seem random, even though it isn’t.

Fearless Writing with Bill Kenower

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More Fearless Marketing 5:41

34 weeks ago5:41

5:41

Two helpful tips to get over our resistance to marketing: make it fun, and offer a conversation. It’s nearly impossible to do anything well that we don’t enjoy, and we don’t so much sell our books as invite readers to join a conversation.

Fearless Writing with Bill Kenower

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Pain-Free Writing 5:01

35 weeks ago5:01

5:01

When we write, we’re always seeking the effortless way forward. But we often meet resistance. The pain comes when we try to force our way through the resistance rather than find the better, more natural way.

Fearless Writing with Bill Kenower

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Always Be Creative 6:59

36 weeks ago6:59

6:59

You’re an artist. You don’t have to stop being an artist just because you’re marketing your work. Keep being creative in everything you do. It’ll be more fun and more productive.

Fearless Writing with Bill Kenower

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Writing and The Eternal 4:39

37 weeks ago4:39

4:39

People deal with death and loss all the time. Yet writing requires us to tap into something eternal within ourselves, something undying that is always seeking expression.

Fearless Writing with Bill Kenower

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The Elusive Art of Being Yourself 6:10

38 weeks ago6:10

6:10

It shouldn’t be hard to be yourself. What else could you possibly be? Yet writing, and the arts in general, have taught me like nothing else that being myself requires as much trust as anything I’ve ever done.

Fearless Writing with Bill Kenower

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Meet Your Own Expectations 5:31

39 weeks ago5:31

5:31

Sometimes our stories don’t meet our readers expectations of what a story is supposed to be. That’s okay. Our job is always to meet our own expectation. It’s all we can do anyway.

Fearless Writing with Bill Kenower

1
No Bad Writers 4:48

40 weeks ago4:48

4:48

Whatever we think about other writers, we think about ourselves. Never call an author whose work you don’t enjoy “bad.” It’s only a matter of time before you look at your own stories and believe they stink and that you have no talent.

Fearless Writing with Bill Kenower

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You Don’t Have to Listen to Criticism 5:24

41 weeks ago5:24

5:24

Getting feedback from writing groups, beta readers, agents, and editors is just fine. But once the story or book is finished, it’s okay not to listen to criticism. It’s time to move on, and hopefully hear from the readers who liked what you’ve done.

Fearless Writing with Bill Kenower

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Every Choice Matters 5:19

42 weeks ago5:19

5:19

Sometimes in life it can feel like our choices don’t matter. But writing teaches us that all our choices matter, the big ones and the small ones. Those decisions we make are the focus for our creative power.

Fearless Writing with Bill Kenower

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Asking The Right Questions 5:03

43 weeks ago5:03

5:03

Writing is all about asking questions and waiting for answers. But we don’t want to ask the wrong questions, the ones to which we only want one answer, like: Am I any good?

Fearless Writing with Bill Kenower

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Writing and What You Can Never Be Taken From You 4:32

44 weeks ago4:32

4:32

Writing has taught me like nothing else that what matters most in life can’t be given to me or taken from me.

Fearless Writing with Bill Kenower

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What’s The Good Part? 5:46

45 weeks ago5:46

5:46

Stories can help tune us to the good part of life, what always exists beneath the surface. The good part is why life is worth living, though it’s easy to forget as we focus on the dull business of mere survival. It’s always worth it to remind yourself and your readers why we’re really here.

Fearless Writing with Bill Kenower

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What Writing Taught Me About Being With Other People 5:46

46 weeks ago5:46

5:46

Just as we can’t worry what people think of our stuff while we’re writing, so too the best way to be with others in social situations is to not try to please them.

Fearless Writing with Bill Kenower

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The Best Writing Strategy 5:49

47 weeks ago5:49

5:49

Very simple: show up, be curious, be interested, be open, and the details necessary to tell your story will come to you. Do your job and let the rest take care of itself.

Fearless Writing with Bill Kenower

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Embrace Your Uniqueness And Others Will Too 5:12

48 weeks ago5:12

5:12

It’s not anyone else job to accept what is unique about you or your work. That’s your job. Once you have, however, others will have to agree with you.

Fearless Writing with Bill Kenower

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Give It Away 4:51

49 weeks ago4:51

4:51

Our readers' lives and preferences influence how they receive our story. We can’t control that. So, we must give it away, metaphorically, and trust the right people will find it.

Fearless Writing with Bill Kenower

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Success As A Measure Of Interest 6:57

50 weeks ago6:57

6:57

If we’re not sincerely, authentically, personally interested in what we’re writing, we won’t succeed. As creative people, we must constantly ask ourselves, “What am I actually interested in? What do I care about?”

Fearless Writing with Bill Kenower

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Forgive Your Mistakes 6:16

51 weeks ago6:16

6:16

The only way to learn is from experience, and everyone has to experience something to learn not to do it. As creative people, we will make mistakes, and plenty of them. The only way not to be afraid of those mistakes is to forgive them in yourself and everyone.

Fearless Writing with Bill Kenower

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The Meaning Is Always In You 5:16

1 year ago5:16

5:16

The page is blank. You may be writing about the world you’ve experienced, but the meaning you find for your stories always starts in you – nowhere else.

Fearless Writing with Bill Kenower

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Trust What Comes Easily 4:24

1 year ago4:24

4:24

Artists can start believing too much in struggle and in what they find difficult. However, what comes most easily to us is usually the expression of our natural genius, where our interest wants to go.

Fearless Writing with Bill Kenower

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Inviting Inspiration 6:50

1 year ago6:50

6:50

Writing requires inspired ideas. But we can’t demand them, can’t use our craft to manufacture them. But we can practice putting ourselves into the frame of mind that allows and invites them.

Fearless Writing with Bill Kenower

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Find Your Intellectual Family 6:25

1 year ago6:25

6:25

As Richard Bach pointed out: writers aren’t looking for an editor or a publisher, but a member of their intellectual family. They’re out there, but you have to believe they exist to find them.

Fearless Writing with Bill Kenower

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Trust Your Reader 5:38

1 year ago5:38

5:38

We need our readers to fill in what we leave out; it’s what really finishes a story. This means we have to trust them, even though sometimes they don’t make the connections we hope.

Fearless Writing with Bill Kenower

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Nothing Better Than Joy 4:52

1 year ago4:52

4:52

As Beethoven no doubt knew – there’s nothing better than joy, and creativity teaches us again and again it’s always inside of us, never outside of us.

Fearless Writing with Bill Kenower

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The Real Value of Being an Author 5:25

1 year ago5:25