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...

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. 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 ...