The Way of the Fearless Writer by Beth Kempton
Review of The Way of the Fearless Writer by Beth Kempton
“In a busy life, it’s easier to make room for things when they lead to a clearly defined goal. We do this in order to get that. Perhaps that’s why we often put pressure on ourselves to achieve something when we write, to justify the time. Write a bestseller by the end of the year. Get 1,000 words written by the end of the day. Metrics and measurable progress rule our modern lives. But what if, in focusing only on them, we are missing the point?”
The Way of the Fearless Writer by Beth Kempton (2023). Published by St. Martin’s Press.
The Way of the Fearless Writer came across my radar at the end of December 2022, when I began to really reflect on my year and see how I could improve upon myself in the upcoming year. Time really does fly, and people can change easily when they start a new chapter in their life. As someone who started graduate school and was studying things from a critical angle, this began to change my approach to being a writer and a creative human as a whole. The Way of the Fearless Writer intrigued me the most because of how it advertised incorporating ancient modes of Asian philosophies and applying it to one’s writing life.
I found this book at a time where I think I was starting to think about a lot of what the author is talking about throughout. I’d never read any of Kempton works before now, but I might keep an eye out for her if I’m ever in the mood for diving deeper into Asian philosophies and how they’re applicable to my life. It’s become pretty easy as a writer to fall into the trap of thinking that you have to publish a lot or fall into writer’s block to be a writer, and I’ve started to struggle with these notions a lot more as I started graduate school.
That being said, let’s begin this review.
Writing practices can benefit from the teachings of Asian philosophies.
Beth Kempton is best known for her bestselling book Wabi Sabi, which I have not read, but I am highly familiar with the concept. As I read through this book, it becomes increasingly obvious to me that Kempton has been educated about and still studies Asian philosophy. She mentions that she specifically focused on Japanese studies while still in university, which comes up in how she mentions ideologies that were circulating during that time, but an inspiration as well that comes from Ancient Chinese practices and beliefs.
The Way of the Fearless Writer utilizes experiences from Kempton’s own life in tandem withe explaining certain concepts that come from the region. She typically starts the introduction of a chapter with explaining the core concept of whatever she’s going to be discussing that chapter, then moving into another section about how it appears in her own life. This then ties back into the act and craft of writing, and some writing prompts that can be used for the reader to cultivate their own practice. This is broken up by a bold line that serves as a guiding arc and summary of arts for what Kempton is trying to tell you as the reader.
Now, I will admit while writing this review, that I did not get the chance to actually sit down and try some of the writing prompts. I think these could be more useful to other people, but for me, someone who already has a writing practice in place and typically does not work off of such prompts, they weren’t as helpful. I was more interested in the theory and practice behind what Kempton is trying to say in the book, and I found it in clear, accessible language. The prompts would elan more towards the novice writer who hasn’t had a lot of experience in workshops or finding inspiration, but I could also see some more experienced writers in the midst of fatigue utilizing some of the prompts as well. Perhaps I may return to them, but in this current moment I saw no need to continue with them.
Another little note I genuinely really enjoyed about this book was the fact that Kempton includes the actual languages the concepts and words are being borrowed from. For example, a Japanese phrase might be written out in English, but she makes sure to include the Japanese script that it originally appears in alongside it. That’s monumental and touching for me to see as someone who wants to engage in translation work because of how English-speaking audiences react so poorly to foreign words. For the longest time, there are small microaggressions when it comes to how other languages are portrayed in texts, and even the core script appearing would not be commonplace in publishing. The fact it is here in this book shows to me the care and appreciation for the culture it borrows from, as well as a sign of respect and intention in itself.
Overall Thoughts
This was a very quick read, but as a creative person myself who’s studied the region Kempton is talking about, it feels like something I’ve procrastinated on for a long time but shouldn’t have. I was familiar with a lot of the concepts that Kempton brings up, but never thought about it outside of a superficial way that didn’t connect it beyond “oh, that’s the history and what people believed in.” I do think I want to utilize some of the topics she talks about in my own life, as it connects back to simple living, minimalism, and being more intentional about how one lives their life. Writing, too, should be very intentional and connected, and I was starting to lose that. Plus there’s some fun knowledge I wasn’t aware of scattered throughout these pages, so I think there’s something in here for everyone, not just writers.
The Way of the Fearless Writer will be out on bookshelves on July 11, 2023. Many thanks to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the Advanced Reading Copy.
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