Pen Pals

• The Final Chapter: Season One Finale

  It’s the season one finale! We’re talking endings—what makes them work, what makes them fail, and how we’re both rethinking the ends of our own books. Krisserin gets real about the feedback that’s forcing her to rewrite, and Kelton opens up about moral ambiguity, memoir structure, and what she’ll be working on over the summer. Plus: North & South yearning, Romantasy fatigue, and the rise of the goddamn.We’ll be back after Labor Day with Season Two—new guests, new books, and (hopefully) new success.Stay in touch with us over the summer! Subscribe to the Pen Pals Podcast substack here: https://penpalspod.substack.com/Write to us: [email protected] us:Instagram: @penpalspodTikTok: @penpalspodMusic by Golden Hour Oasis Studios

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• How to Get a Literary Agent (Kind Of, Maybe)

  Krisserin and Kelton dive into the often soul-crushing world of querying literary agents, where finding representation feels like a high-stakes marriage proposal to strangers who might never write back. While Krisserin reflects on her 70-query journey that yielded more silence than success, Kelton discovers that her friend's surprise pitch to an agent might offer a shortcut she's not sure she wants to take. The duo unpacks the brutal mathematics of modern querying—where 44 queries is just the average—and debates whether Kelton should pivot from her novel-in-progress to the essay collection that's been hiding in plain sight across 160+ newsletter issues.Between tales of agents with closed inboxes, the networking advantages of MFA programs, and the particular challenge of writing query letters that somehow capture your book's essence in marketing speak, they explore the tension between authentic connection and mass-market approach. Krisserin shares wisdom from her AWP conference panel while wrestling with whether to circle back to contacts from her first querying round, and Kelton contemplates the difference between luck and strategy in a publishing world that often feels rigged toward the privileged. Plus: Woods turns one, Apple Notes fails spectacularly at transcription, and the friends assign goals that might just change everything about their approach to the writing life.Write to us: [email protected] us:Instagram: @penpalspodTikTok: @penpalspodMusic by Golden Hour Oasis Studios

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• The Fool, the Villain, and the Wedgie: A Guide to Better Characters

  Krisserin and Kelton dive deep into the art of character creation, exploring what makes fictional people compelling, memorable, and real. From their shared love of Murder Bot's sarcastic inner monologue to their hatred of clumsy coffee-spilling protagonists, they dissect the elements that make characters stick with readers long after the last page. The duo discusses developing well-rounded villains (because nobody likes a mustache-twirling baddie), the importance of character interiority without falling into exposition traps, and how everyday details like bathroom habits and eating styles can reveal everything about a person. Plus, Kelton shares her character-building technique of people-watching in real life, while Krisserin reflects on her love for underdog stories and characters fighting against injustice. Whether you're crafting heroes, villains, or that annoying neighbor who chews too loudly, this episode offers practical insights for bringing fictional people to life.Abby Wolfe's Sounds About Write: "I Wrote Nothing This Week" Write to us: [email protected] us:Instagram: @penpalspodTikTok: @penpalspodMusic by Golden Hour Oasis Studios

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• AI Is the Devil (And Other Light Topics)

  Kelton and Krisserin dive into their complicated relationship with artificial intelligence—which they lovingly refer to as "the devil." They share personal stories about how AI has affected their writing careers, including a heartbreaking moment when Krisserin discovered one of her alpha readers had unwittingly fed her novel manuscript to an AI tool. The hosts explore ethical boundaries, debate when AI use is appropriate versus exploitative, and discuss the environmental impact of this rapidly expanding technology. They also offer practical advice for writers navigating this new landscape, including the importance of developing a personal AI policy and having transparent conversations with collaborators. Whether you're embracing AI as a research tool or cautiously keeping it at arm's length, this candid conversation tackles the hopes, fears, and hard realities of creating in an AI-saturated world.Write to us: [email protected] us:Instagram: @penpalspodTikTok: @penpalspodMusic by Golden Hour Oasis Studios

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• Books That Raised Us (And Broke Us)

  Remember that one book that made you cry in public? Or the series that basically raised you? In this episode, Kelton and Krisserin crack open their bookish brains and spill on the stories that stuck. From Kelton's pirate adventures to Krisserin's Victorian classics, they dive into their most formative reads and discuss how they schedule reading time between parenting and work. They share their comprehensive TBR lists, debate whether book adaptations ever live up to the hype, and reveal which authors make their "literary red flag" list (looking at you, Catcher in the Rye fans). Whether you're an epic fantasy lover finishing Robin Hobb's sixteenth book or just trying to squeeze in a chapter during naptime, this conversation explores our personal relationships with books and how they shape our writing lives. Bring your book recs and a beverage, because it's basically a cozy book club now.Write to us: [email protected] us:Instagram: @penpalspodTikTok: @penpalspodMusic by Golden Hour Oasis Studios

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