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© 2025 The Well-Storied Podcast
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Insights, encouragement, and actionable advice designed to help writers craft sensational novels and build their best writing lives. Always in 30 minutes or less, so you can get back to writing. Hosted by author and Well-Storied.com founder Kristen Kieffer.
167 Episodes
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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. Find the episode transcript at: www.well-storied.com/notes Buy the book on Amazon: https://geni.us/zLZs (*affi...
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. Find the episode transcript at: www.well-storied.com/marketing Find me on Instagram: @kristen_kieffer 👉 Enjoy the show? Leav...
1In 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. Find the episode transcript at: www.well-storied.com/notes Buy the book on Amazon: https://geni.us/2kto10kbook (*affiliate) Buy the book on Bookshop.org: https://bookshop.org/a/55478/...
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! Find the episode transcript at: www.well-storied.com/plotting Find me on Instagram: @kristen_kieffer 👉 Enjoy the show? Leave a rating & review! Both go a long way toward helping the podcast...
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!). Find the episode transcript at: www.well-storied.com/writingpractice F...
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...
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! Find the...
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! Find the episode transcript at: www.well-storied.c...
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 creati...
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! Find ...
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 o...
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 com...
Episode Transcript: www.well-storied.com/platform 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...
Episode Transcript: www.well-storied.com/death 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. 👈 Y...
Episode Transcript: www.well-storied.com/three Many writers dream of becoming full-time authors. But how exactly do successful self-published authors earn their livings? In today's episode, Kristen breaks down the three P's of successful self-publishing: production, presentation, and promotion! 👉 Enjoy the show? Leave a rating & review! Both go a long way toward helping the podcast grow and reach new writers. 👈 You can also fuel the next episode by buying me a coffee: www.ko-fi.com/krist...
Episode Transcript: www.well-storied.com/decision 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. ...
Episode Transcript: www.well-storied.com/emotions 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 to...
Episode Transcript: www.well-storied.com/trust 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...
Episode Transcript: www.well-storied.com/tracking 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. Enj...
Episode Transcript: www.well-storied.com/beats 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! Click here for Savannah Gilbo's articles on genre beats Enjoy the show? Lea...
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The Targaryens are the true antagonists of the series, actually. 🐉
I love your encouragement! I stumbled upon your Podcast when I researching for my writing project. I cannot wait to listen to more!
I loved the comment that it's okay to use your favorite tropes! Thanks! 💜