Procrastination and Fearless Writing with Bill Kenower
Host Anne Hawley interviews author and writing coach Bill Kenower (Everyone Has What It Takes, Fearless Writing, Write Within Yourself), editor-in-chief of Author magazine, and creator of the Fearless Writing Podcast, about why writers procrastinate and how to move past it. Kenower defines procrastination as avoiding anticipated discomfort, contrasts it with “incubation” that feels energizing, and argues that engagement can override tiredness.
He says fear of what “they” will think blocks creativity because “they” don’t exist, and advises writing and editing to please yourself rather than an imagined audience. On feeling unqualified, he frames qualification as sustained curiosity and recommends leaning into personal experience.
He discusses neurodivergence as heightened need for interest, and for pathological demand avoidance urges disciplined, positive thinking about writing when not writing and allowing time to shift from a domestic to a writing mindset.
00:00 Welcome and Introductions
01:07 Defining Procrastination
03:41 Incubation vs Avoidance
05:29 Exhaustion and Creative Energy
08:24 Stop Writing for Them
11:45 Writing Risky Truths
14:24 Am I Qualified to Write
21:21 Neurodivergence and Motivation
23:56 Editing Without the Critic
25:54 Demand Avoidance and Should
29:49 Getting Into Writing Mode
32:25 Where to Find Bill
33:19 Final Thanks and Sign Off