Helping Writers Become Authors

What does it mean to think of story as cosmology? In this episode, I explore story not as entertainment or belief, but as a deeper framework for meaning—one that helps humans understand change, transformation, and lived experience.
When I talk about story as cosmology, I'm pointing to the idea that story functions beneath ideology and belief systems, shaping how we make sense of crisis, consequence, and change. Long before we articulate doctrines about the world, we experience life through story, and long after specific ideologies strain or collapse, the shape of story remains.
This episode looks at:
– Story as a pattern reflecting something larger – Why archetypal story structure mirrors lived patterns of transformation – How story holds under stress in ways rigid systems often don't – What this understanding asks of writers and storytellers today
This is a reflection on story as shape, pattern, and process, and why that matters so deeply to human experience.
Related Resources: Helping Writers Become Authors https://helpingwritersbecomeauthors.com/
Next Level Plot Structure by K.M. Weiland

We're living in a storytelling moment deeply fascinated by darkness—and for good reason. Stories have always helped us metabolize fear, trauma, and moral failure. But darkness is not meant to be the destination.
In this episode, I explore why writers need a sense of wonder in fiction, not as escapism or denial, but as a way of completing the story arc. Wonder is what allows stories to move through the descent rather than getting stuck there and to imagine a future still worth moving toward.
This is a reflection on how stories work psychologically and culturally, why so many books already carry hope with quiet integrity, and how writers (often without realizing it) contribute to building meaning, courage, and care through the stories they tell.
In This Episode, We Explore:
Why dark stories play an essential role in storytelling

The danger of getting stuck in the descent

Why stories must complete the arc

The sense of wonder in fiction as moral imagination

How stories help us imagine a future worth moving toward

Links & Resources
📚 Writing craft & story theory: https://helpingwritersbecomeauthors.com/
✍️ Join my mailing list (weekly insights for writers): https://www.helpingwritersbecomeauthors.com/resources/free-e-book/
📖 Explore my books and resources for writers: https://kmweilandstore.com/ (Including Writing Your Story's Theme, Structuring Your Novel, and Creating Character Arcs)
📷 Find me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/authorkmweiland/
About the Host
K.M. Weiland is an award-winning and internationally published author of writing guides such as Structuring Your Novel and Creating Character Arcs. She mentors writers in story theory, technique, the deeper meaning of narrative, and all the wild and wonderful highs and lows of the writing life.

In this episode, I'm looking back on how my writing career evolved in 2025—a milestone year marked by turning forty, rediscovering my teaching voice, and stepping into a deeper vision for my work. I explore the transitions from SEO to GEO, the shifting landscape of the writing life, and the tools and insights that helped me reimagine the next decade of my author career. Join me as I share the lessons, transformations, and new directions that are shaping where Helping Writers Become Authors goes from here.

It's that time again—my annual roundup of the best books I read this year! In this episode, I'm sharing the top 10 reads that made my 2025 unforgettablem, from romantasy and magical realism that were some of my best reads of the decade to thought-provoking nonfiction that challenged how I think about life, creativity, and the world around us.
This year, I read purely for the joy of it. No research, no goals, just great stories, fascinating ideas, and the simple pleasure of turning pages late into the night.
Join me as I talk about the books that inspired me most and why they stuck with me long after I finished them. Whether you're looking for your next great read or just want to reflect on your own year in books, you'll find plenty of inspiration here.
Full transcript here: https://www.helpingwritersbecomeauthors.com/best-books-i-read-in-2025/

Today, I'm turning forty and taking a quiet moment to reflect on the decade that brought me here. My thirties were a season of transformation, challenge, and deep awakening. They changed me utterly, teaching me about pain as a portal, creativity as a life force, and story as the map that guides us home to ourselves.
In this episode, I'm sharing 40 Things You Might Not Know About Me—a blend of the personal and the profound, from lessons on love, self-sovereignty, and radical ownership, to small joys like morning rituals and the comfort of old movies.
It's a celebration of what it means to grow, to heal, and to keep choosing life again and again and again. Whether you're at a turning point yourself or simply in need of a little perspective and inspiration, I hope these reflections remind you that every story, including yours, is always unfolding.
Read the full transcript here: https://www.helpingwritersbecomeauthors.com/40-things-you-might-not-know-about-me-turning-40-reflections