The Way of the Fearless Writer by Beth Kempton Book Review

About the Book:

In a radical departure from standard advice about creative success, effort, critique, and competition, The Way of the Fearless Writer will show you that there is another way to thrive—a writing path of ease, trust, wonder, and joy.

You are invited to embark on a sacred writing journey. Along the way, author Beth Kempton will teach you how to free your mind so your body can create, transform your relationship to fear, write anytime, anywhere, and share your words with confidence. Being a fearless writer has little to do with validation and accolades. Rather it is about ritual, commitment, developing an acute awareness of beauty, dancing with inspiration, listening to the world outside yourself and going deep within. The Way of the Fearless Writer is your guide to this creative, transformational journey.

This is not just a book about how to write better. It's a book about how to live better, with your heart as your compass and writing as your guide. Offering rare insight into the writing life and a host of fresh and original writing exercises, The Way of the Fearless Writer will reveal your true potential, and open your eyes to writing as a direct connection to life itself.

You can read an excerpt or listen to one here.

My Review:

I have been putting words on paper nearly all my life, ever since that initial short story in third grade. I am always on the lookout for books on writing, not only to hone my work but also to understand my intense desire to write, even if it is only my thoughts in a journal.

Kempton's approach is something I have not seen before, from an eastern viewpoint. Rather than techniques focused on achieving that words per day goal, she concentrates more on the personal why of writing. She encourages us to write to pay attention to life and open the channel to magic and mystery. We are reminded of the healing nature of writing and are encouraged to write to feel more alive.

I really liked her illustration of water in its forms of gas, liquid, and solid. Gaseous-state writing has the rules of allow everything, write anything, share nothing. It is a cleansing type of writing and is predominantly what I do. Liquid-state writing is focusing deeply on ideas from within. I do that sometimes by writing my thoughts on an issue I find bubbling inside, not sharing it with others but just for my own clarification. Solid-state writing is for the benefit of others, to inform or entertain or educate. The three states serve to free the mind, write from a deep place, then prepare that work for others.

This is a good book for people desiring to write, whether it be daily thoughts in a journal or a published work. It is sort of in the style of Julia Cameron but with a different slant. In case you need some inspiration, Kempton includes 50 writing prompts and a long list of additional resources. Mostly you will be encouraged to experience and understand your life by writing, through the joy of words on a page. Now, go write. Write now.

My rating: 4/5 stars.

About the Author:

Beth Kempton is an award-winning entrepreneur and the bestselling author of Wabi Sabi and, most recently, The Way of the Fearless Writer. Beth's books have been translated into 25 languages, chosen as an Apple USA 'must listen' audiobook on iTunes, and recommended in TIME Magazine, British Vogue, The Telegraph, Sunday Times Style and Psychologies Magazine among others. Beth has two degrees in Japanese and has spent many years living and working in Japan. You can find out more at https://bethkempton.com/.

St. Martin's Essentials, 272 pages.

I received a complimentary egalley of this book from the publisher. My comments are an independent and honest review.

(My star ratings: 5-I love it, 4-I like it, 3-It's OK, 2-I don't like it, 1-I hate it.)