Fitness isn’t something that usually comes to mind when people think about writing. When we romanticize the greats, it tends to be for their bad habits: drinking (Ernest Hemingway, Dorothy Parker), smoking (Joan Didion), drugs (William Burroughs), gambling (Dostoevsky), and procrastination (pretty much every writer who has ever lived).
And yet, the longer I’ve worked with authors, the more I’ve come to believe that writing and fitness have a lot in common. Both pursuits force us to wrestle with the same questions: How do you stay consistent when life keeps interrupting your plans? How do you keep going when motivation disappears? How do you avoid letting perfectionism become an excuse for inaction?
Those questions are at the heart of Steve Kamb’s work. Steve is the founder of Nerd Fitness and the author of the upcoming book How to Try Again: An Approachable Guide to Navigating Chaos and Making Change That Sticks. While much of his career has focused on health and fitness, the deeper subject has always been behavior change: how we follow through on difficult things, recover from setbacks, and avoid becoming our own worst enemies.
Which is why my recent Author Insider conversation with Steve proved remarkably relevant to writers. During our hour-long Q&A, we discussed a number of topics, including:
Why most productivity advice breaks down for writers and creative people
How to experiment with your writing routine instead of judging yourself for not having the “right” one
Why all-or-nothing thinking so often turns into “all, then nothing”
How to give your inner critic less voting power
Why missing a day should be treated more like missing a shower than ruining your life
How procrastination can sometimes be useful information
For those of you who couldn’t attend live, I’ve included the video replay in this post. I’ll also share the full transcript soon for those who’d like to revisit specific sections or reference Steve’s advice in more detail.
I hope you enjoy our conversation and find something useful in it, whether you’re working on a proposal, drafting a book, trying to revive a creative routine, or simply attempting to be a little less brutal to yourself along the way.
Here’s a link if you’d like to learn more about Steve’s new book, How to Try Again.
Thank you, as always, to everyone who joined live and contributed such thoughtful questions.
Until next time,
Panio Gianopoulos
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Author Insider is where writers get the real story of publishing—thoughtful conversations with industry insiders and bestselling authors, clear-eyed analysis of where the market is headed, and practical strategies for building a sustainable writing career. Whether you’re just starting out or several books in, the goal is the same: helping you make smarter decisions about your work.
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