Explore every episode of the podcast The Well-Storied Podcast
Dive into the complete episode list for The Well-Storied Podcast. Each episode is cataloged with detailed descriptions, making it easy to find and explore specific topics. Keep track of all episodes from your favorite podcast and never miss a moment of insightful content.
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Pub. Date
Duration
Book Notes: How to Market a Book by Joanna Penn
04 Nov 2021
00:48:52
In today's episode, Kristen shares the second installment of Book Notes, a blog + podcast series that summarizes and provides key takeaways from books on writing, publishing, and creative living.
This episode explores Joanna Penn's "How to Market a Book" — a powerful reference guide that teaches authors how promote their books and build lucrative and long-lasting creative careers.
Running an Amazon ad campaign can be a great way to introduce your book to new readers and increase sales, but there’s no denying that Amazon Advertising comes with a learning curve.
In today's episode, Kristen breaks down an introduction to Amazon Ads as a book marketing tool and walks you through the process of creating your first Sponsored Product ad step by step.
In today's episode, Kristen launches a new feature called Book Notes in which she summarizes and provides key takeaways from books on writing, publishing, and creative living.
This first edition of Book Notes explores Rachel Aaron's "2,000 to 10,000" — an actionable guide to boosting your creative efficiency.
How to Craft Complex Plots by Introducing Side Quests
04 Oct 2021
00:16:55
Do you often struggle to write full-length novels, never sure how to fill the gaps in your story without writing filler or fluff?
In today's episode, Kristen breaks down one simple strategy for expanding your storytelling and crafting more complex plots: giving your protagonist a side quest!
Three Simple Steps to a Satisfying Writing Session
02 Sep 2021
00:17:35
Do you often get lost in research rabbit holes or relentlessly re-read old work? Do you toggle between chapters in search of scenes you "feel" like writing — or often fail to write at all?
In today's episode, Kristen breaks down the three simple steps you can follow to ditch dissatisfying writing sessions in favor of writing with clarity, focus, and intention (and build a sustainable writing habit while you're at it!).
How Writers Can Organize Creative Work in a Second Brain
26 Aug 2021
00:20:12
Creative are knowledge workers who rely upon information and ideas to create fantastic work. So it’s no wonder that our heads are often chaotic or in the clouds, brimming with all sorts of thoughts that we struggle to organize and employ.
That's where a second brain comes into play. By taking the time to create a unified system for knowledge management, we can organize our creative work and get serious about writing with clarity and focus.
In today's episode, Kristen breaks down her preferred knowledge management system, why she loves it, and how you can set up your own!
How to Level Up Your Writing & Storytelling Skills
19 Aug 2021
00:14:04
Storytelling is both an art and a craft — and like any craft, the skills required to write great stories can be taught and learned.
What are some of the other steps you can take to improve your skills and stories beyond simply consuming how-to content? And how can you best apply what you learn to truly level up in your craft?
In today's episode, Kristen breaks down the six essential strategies you can put into practice to pave the way for incredible growth in your writing life!
Consistency is key to building a successful and fulfilling writing life, yet it's all too easy to procrastinate the act of putting pen to paper when our creative work gets tough.
How can we overcome this urge to avoid writing and start building a little creative momentum?
Kristen shares her top tips—including insights into why we procrastinate in the first place and why motivation as we know it is a myth—in today's episode of the podcast!
How Writers Can Weather Creative Setbacks With Resilience
15 Jul 2021
00:21:11
Every writing journey has its bumps in the road. Sometimes those setbacks are of our own making, while other times they aren't our fault in the slightest.
Either way, there’s no doubt that setbacks can drain your mental and emotional energy.
Thankfully, there are steps that every writer can take to not only minimize the number of setbacks they experience but to weather creative turbulence with resilience and strength. What must you do to begin cultivating a little of this creative fortitude?
In today's episode, Kristen breaks down her top eight tips for weathering creative setbacks with resilience!
How Writers Can Handle Constructive Criticism With Grace
01 Jul 2021
00:12:32
As helpful as external feedback can be, there’s no doubt that allowing others to read and critique our work can be a terrifying process. Even with a positive attitude in place, criticism can sting.
But receiving feedback can also be an empowering and uplifting experience. How can we ensure that our own encounters with solicited criticism are as positive as possible?
Kristen breaks down five key tips that writers can use to handle constructive criticism with grace in today's episode!
To succeed in the business of writing and selling books, you’ll need an online headquarters — a place that readers can visit to learn everything they need to know about who you are, what you write, and where they can purchase your books. In other words, you’ll need an author website.
What information should an author website include? How does one go about creating an author website, exactly? When is the right time to create and launch your online headquarters? Kristen breaks down each of these questions in turn in today's episode!
Creative comparison often gets a bad rap. Like self-doubt, comparison can be a lens through which writers can identify the strengths and weaknesses in their work, ultimately helping them improve the quality of their skills and stories with intention.
But without the right attitude in place, ego and insecurity can blind writers to the insights that comparison can provide, warping constructive comparison into a dangerously destructive act.
So, how can you overcome unhealthy creative comparison? Kristen breaks down everything you need to know in today's episode, writer.
To find commercial success, every author needs a platform -- the ability to sell books because of who they are or who they can reach. But how do you build a platform that helps you reach the right readers and sell more books?
In today's episode, Kristen breaks down the four foundational elements of any successful author platform, the five most popular strategies that authors use to expand their reach, and the key to successful platform growth that can make or break your success as an author.
👉 Enjoy the show? Leave a rating & review! Both go a long way toward helping the podcast grow and reach new writers. 👈
Death can serve as a powerful storytelling tool in many ways, but with great power comes great responsibility. What's the secret sauce to killing off characters in a way that readers can respect?
In today's episode, Kristen breaks down the five key reasons that good storytellers choose to kill their characters.
👉 Enjoy the show? Leave a rating & review! Both go a long way toward helping the podcast grow and reach new writers. 👈
Both the traditional and independent publishing industries offer writers the fantastic opportunity to share their work with the world. But which path to publication is right for you?
In today's episode, Kristen breaks down an overview of the advantages and disadvantages of both publication paths, as well as common publishing misconceptions and a persistent limiting belief that may cloud your understanding of which path is best for you.
Enjoy the show? Leave a rating & review! Both go a long way toward helping the podcast grow and reach new writers.
Writers are commonly advised to craft complex characters. But what exactly makes a character complex?
In today's episode, Kristen explains why characters are often defined by the archetypes they embody and how developing characters who experience a wealth of emotions beyond their defining archetypical traits can lead to a cast that feels fully real and believable on the page.
Enjoy the show? Leave a rating & review! Both go a long way toward helping the podcast grow and reach new writers.
Have you tried and failed to build a lasting writing habit time and time again?
Taking a break from writing when life gets tough is one thing. But when the slightest hint of upheaval repeatedly sends your creative practice into a tailspin, you know you have a bigger issue on your hands — and that is issue is almost certainly a lack of self-trust.
In today's episode, learn how you can begin building self-trust ASAP using atomic habits, as well as how to maintain your habit through turbulent times in your writing life.
Enjoy the show? Leave a rating & review! Both go a long way toward helping the podcast grow and reach new writers.
Want to create a better, stronger writing habit? One of the easiest ways to double down on your commitment to the craft is by habit tracking.
In today's episode, Kristen breaks down what habit tracking is, what writers should log when tracking, and how habit tracking can serve as a source of motivation, momentum, and a sense of accomplishment.
Grab your free writing habit tracker today by visit our episode transcript linked above.
Enjoy the show? Leave a rating & review! Both go a long way toward helping the podcast grow and reach new writers.
Every story features at least one arc of events. This arc can be broken down into acts, which are comprised of chapters that contain scenes.
Inside every scene should live the most atomic aspect of storytelling's composition: the beat. What is a beat exactly? Why is it an essential element in any story, and how can you craft powerful beats of your own? Let's dive in!
Wish you could crank out your stories more quickly? You aren’t alone.
In today's episode, Kristen breaks down why more isn't always better and shares the seven key aspects writers should cultivate if they want to build a strong foundation for better, faster writing.
Enjoy the show? Leave a rating & review! Both go a long way toward helping the podcast grow and reach new writers.
Subplots are more than just a secondary plotline in a story; They're secondary conflicts that arise from characters’ actions & reactions as they engage with the story’s central conflict.
What types of subplots exist, how can these secondary plotlines lend depth to your story, and most importantly, how can you craft effective subplots all your own? Let's dive into today's episode together, writer.
Enjoy the show? Leave a rating & review! Both go a long way toward helping the podcast grow and reach new writers.
Shiny new story ideas are doubtless tempting to pursue. The only issue? Some story ideas simply aren’t worth developing. In today's episode, Kristen explores two easy activities that can help you determine whether your new story idea has powerful narrative potential.
Enjoy the show? Leave a rating & review! Both go a long way toward helping the podcast grow and reach new writers.
The surest way to drive your plot forward is to arm your characters with goals they’re motivated to achieve. Pit your characters’ goals against one another (or against their internal needs), and you’ll create deliciously engaging conflict that keeps readers turning pages.
But how does one develop goals that effectively serve their characters and story? Is it even necessary to give every character a goal, for that matter?
Let’s delve into this topic together in today's episode, writer!
Enjoy the show? Leave a rating & review! Both go a long way toward helping the podcast grow and reach new writers.
As writers, holding our work to high standards can help us craft sensational stories. But when those high standards aren’t accompanied by a healthy creative mindset, the seeds of perfectionism can take root.
Why is this so dangerous? In today's episode, Kristen breaks down how perfectionism can wreak havoc on your writing life, how you can recognize the signs that you're struggling with perfectionist behaviors, and the steps you can take to kick perfectionism to the curb ASAP.
Enjoy the show? Leave a rating & review! Both go a long way toward helping the podcast grow and reach new writers.
Themes are an integral part of any good story. Yet many genre fiction writers fail to consider their story’s themes, believing they have no place beyond literary novels — or worse yet, that authors who actively explore themes in their stories do so to preach to readers.
These harmful misconceptions hinder writers’ efforts to produce effective and engaging stories. Why? And how can you go about developing powerful themes for your story? Tune into today's episode to find out...
Enjoy the show? Leave a rating & review! Both go a long way toward helping the podcast grow and reach new writers.
If you want readers to invest in your characters and their journeys, then you must craft characters that readers can believe in—characters so well-developed and realistic that they seem to spring to life on the page.
But crafting a cast that moves beyond caricatures and cardboard cutouts can be difficult. What steps can you take to develop complex and compelling characters today?
Today's episode includes 33 tips you won’t want to miss…
Enjoy the show? Leave a rating & review! Both go a long way toward helping the podcast grow and reach new writers.
Your characters’ motivations hold the power to make or break readers’ interest in your story. Why? Because conflict means little without context.
But when you allow readers to understand and sympathize with your characters’ actions, you encourage the reader-character connection that keeps readers turning pages.
In today's episode, Kristen breaks down how you can develop powerful motivations for your characters by delving into the psychology of human behavior.
Enjoy the show? Leave a rating & review! Both go a long way toward helping the podcast grow and reach new writers.
To fill our stories with characters who feel as real as the people around us, we must delve deeper than classic archetypes and easy characterizations. This work begins with developing richly complex personalities for our characters that lend to their most vibrant portrayals. Discover my favorite personality-building tool in today's episode!
Enjoy the show? Leave a rating & review! Both go a long way toward helping the podcast grow and reach new writers.
Emotional struggles are human struggles. To create conflict readers find compelling, it's worth considering the internal obstacles that directly impact your characters' ability to achieve a goal, experience personal growth, and/or realize a happier future. This is where the "lie" your characters believe comes into play...
Enjoy the show? Consider leaving a rating & review, both of which go a long way toward helping the podcast grow and reach new writers.
Do you need to maintain an active social media presence to be successful in your writing career? I explore this question in today's episode, breaking down how writers use social media to their advantage and whether engaging online is truly the best way to connect with writers, readers, and industry pros.
Enjoy the show? Consider leaving a rating & review, both of which go a long way toward helping the podcast grow and reach new writers.
A character arc is a sequence of events that details a character’s internal struggle. In today's episode, Kristen Kieffer breaks down how to craft powerful positive change arcs that will see your characters overcome a core fear, flaw, or false belief to transform for the better.
To write inclusively is to take an active role in improving how marginalized communities are represented in literature by including a diverse cast of characters in your stories. Why is this such an important endeavor? And how can you ensure you represent characters accurately and well? Let's break this topic down in today's episode, writer!
(Note: Today is Thursday, March 26th, not Friday. Anyone else losing track of time while social distancing?)
Past events hold the power to shape who your character is and how they act when your story begins. With that in mind, today's episode takes a deep dive into backstory, exploring the aspect of your characters' pasts that holds perhaps the greatest potential to impact their present stories: their ghosts.
Popular writing rules exist for a reason. Or do they? Writing is both an art and a craft. While language and storytelling serve as forms of self-expression, one can also learn structures and techniques that can help them become a better writer.
Such guidance exists in every creative art, from painting to dancing, playing music, and beyond. Why, then, might it be problematic to follow common writing rules?
Inside every writer sits a creative well. Whenever you sit down to write, you dip your bucket into this well, drawing the energy you need to attend the work at hand. Draw too deeply, however, and you'll run into writing burnout. Learn how to recover from this creative exhaustion and better mind your creative energy in today's episode.
Never is a reader more likely to set your book aside (and perhaps not pick it up again) than when they finish a chapter. Therefore, as a writer, it's important to consider how you'll make your chapter endings as gripping as possible.
In today's episode, I show you how to do just that by moving beyond the cliché cliffhanger to dig deep into the concept of turning points.
If you consider yourself a pantser, you likely don’t spend much (or any) time pre-writing your stories prior to drafting. Instead, you “write by the seat of your pants,” using your first draft to explore and develop your story.
But just because you don’t find pre-writing helpful to your writing process doesn’t mean that you can’t take advantage of the power of story structure. Learn how in today's episode!
If part of your personal definition of writing success includes making a living from your writing, it's time to start thinking like an entrepreneur. That's why today's episode breaks down the most common business models authors use to build their writing careers.
Are you willing to adopt an entrepreneurial spirit to make a living from your writing? If so, let's break down the most common business models authors use to build their writing careers in today's episode.
Did you know that audio can prove a powerful tool in writers' arsenals, especially when editing? Dustin Maxey, author and founder of Edit Out Loud, explains why and how you can incorporate audio into your writing process today!
Are you ready to bridge the gap between where you are and where you want to be in your writing life? In today's episode, I break down the essential strategies for writing success I share in my new book for writers, Build Your Best Writing Life.
You know it’s essential to make time to write. You can’t maintain a consistent writing practice without carving out time in your schedule for creative work. But how are you supposed to make that time when you have a career, a family, a home, and other responsibilities to address? Today, I'm sharing the top five principles that can help you make the most of the writing time available to you.
Note: Today's episode is an excerpt from my upcoming book, "Build Your Best Writing Life", debuting January 2nd, 2020. To be the first to know when the book goes live, subscribe to my email list below.
As writers, it’s our job to craft fully-realized characters: characters that feel as real as the people around us. And like the people around us, this means our characters should be flawed.
Why, then, do so many inexperienced writers to shy away from crafting flawed characters? And what does it mean for a character flaw to have an impact on your story? Tune in to today's episode for answers to both of these questions about more!
All writers experience creative frustration from time to time. But what if you experience creative frustration most of the time? Today, I'm sharing my top insights into the true nature of creative doubt and fear, as well as the strategies you can use to the battle against resistance in your writing life.
Note: Today's episode is an excerpt from my upcoming book, "Build Your Best Writing Life", debuting January 2nd, 2020.
Three Lessons Learned From a 'First Three Chapters' Critique
06 Dec 2019
00:12:58
The opening chapters of your story are doubtless some of the most important you will write. That's why I'm taking time today to share three lessons I learned from receiving a critique of my novel's first three chapters!
From first kisses to sensual love scenes, crafting physical intimacy between your characters that doesn't feel cheesy or cringe-worthy can be tough. Today's episode breaks down my top tips for crafting an intimate scene that readers will love using techniques gleaned from Diana Gabaldon's "I Give You My Body (How I Write Sex Scenes)".
What to Expect When Working With a Freelance Editor
15 Nov 2019
00:15:30
Preparing to work with a freelance editor for the first time? In today's episode, I'll share what you can expect from the experience, the ways in which editors' processes frequently differ, and the key tips you can apply to ensure you have a fantastic collaboration with your editor of choice!
What does it mean to be a "real" writer? If you're waiting on publishing or commercial success to validate your skills and stories, you'll never find the creative confidence you crave. In today's episode, I explain why and break down the key to finding true joy, confidence, and fulfillment in your writing life.
Enjoy the show? Leave a rating & review! Both go a long way toward helping the podcast grow and reach new writers.
Resolving Common Story Issues With "Show, Don't Tell"
01 Nov 2019
00:13:41
The "Show, Don't Tell" technique is often used to craft immersive sensory descriptions. But what if it could also be used to solve some of the most common storytelling issues?
Say goodbye to lengthy info-dumps, on-the-nose writing, and heavy-handed themes. In today's episode, I'm breaking down how you can use "Show, Don't Tell" to resolve common story critiques via the use of subtext. Hooray!