Pen Pals

Kelton Wright and Krisserin Canary
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Join writers and parents Krisserin Canary and Kelton Wright as they navigate the journey of publishing their first novels. From California to Colorado, these friends share their experiences with first drafts, revisions, query letters, and the rollercoaster of rejection. Each episode offers an honest look at balancing creative ambitions with daily life, featuring candid conversations about writing craft, time management, and staying motivated. Whether you're a fellow writer or just love a good behind-the-scenes story, Pen Pals proves that every creative journey is better with a friend.Email us at: officialpenpalspod@gmail.comMusic by Golden Hour Oasis Studios

  1. 4D AGO

    Mark Sarvas on Writing Novels That Can't Be Ignored

    Krisserin panics her way through a grad school application (wrong link, wrong deadline, wrong page numbers), while Kelton enters the querying trenches—19 Google Docs open, three agents contacted, and the immediate certainty that something went wrong. But the real treat this week is their interview with Mark Sarvas, award-winning author of Memento Park and Harry, Revised, Krisserin's longtime teacher and mentor from the UCLA Extension Writers Program. Mark shares the full arc of his writing journey—from burnt-out screenwriter to literary blogger with 50,000 daily readers to novelist who didn't publish until 44. He talks about the "non-recurring phenomenon" of finding his agent Simon Lipskar at Writer's House, why he did eight full drafts of his first novel before sending a single query, and the love-match quality of the right agent relationship. The conversation digs into the changing landscape of publishing, including the rise of ghosting culture that's infected even longtime editor-agent relationships, and why platform obsession is the wrong focus for fiction writers—citing his former student Miranda Heller, whose debut The Paper Palace became a number one New York Times bestseller without any social media presence. Mark gets practical about what writers should invest in (build your library first, always), the hierarchy of residencies from $500-a-week cabins to fully funded month-long stays in France, and the writing retreat he runs on the Monterey Peninsula with his partner Jennifer's literary organization, To the Lighthouse. He explains his workshop philosophy—why the day your work gets critiqued is the least important day, why "I wanted" is a banned phrase in his classroom, and why you should submit your weakest chapter, not your strongest. Plus: Kelton gets feedback from a well-connected friend that splinters her querying path, Mark reveals he's working on a historical novel with multiple POVs (a deliberate challenge after three first-person books), and both hosts celebrate the rare achievement of actually completing their weekly goals. Learn more about Mark Sarvas: Website: marksarvas.com Blue Sky: marksarvas.bsky.social Newsletter: The Eternal Recurrence 2026 Fiction Writing Retreat with Mark Sarvas, To the Lighthouse: https://www.tothelighthouse.net/retreats Books by Mark Sarvas: MEMENTO PARK (FSG) HARRY, REVISED (Bloomsbury) @UGMAN (ITNA Press) Write to us: officialpenpalspod@gmail.com Follow us: Instagram: @penpalspod TikTok: @penpalspod YouTube: @PenPalsPod Follow Krisserin and Kelton: TikTok: @krisserin, @keltonkin Kelton's Substack: Shangrilogs Krisserin's Substack: krisserin.substack.com The Rewilding Music by Golden Hour Oasis Studios

    1h 26m

  2. FEB 2

    When a Miracle Slides Into Your DMs: On Agents, Advances, and Anxiety

    Kelton's inbox delivers a dream: an agent from a respected agency slid into her DMs after discovering her writing on Substack. The excitement is real—but so is the anxiety of navigating what comes next. Do you query other agents simultaneously? How do you know if you vibe? And what does a "good deal" actually mean on Publisher's Marketplace? This week, Kelton and Krisserin break down the research-heavy world of finding representation—from decoding deal tiers to building agent lists through comp titles and genre searches. Krisserin shares wisdom from her own querying journey, including her stack-ranked spreadsheets, red flags to watch for, and the agent who dared to criticize her exposition after requesting only three pages. The conversation gets real about money: advances that barely cover childcare, dental insurance regrets, and why writers need to stop treating book deals like lottery tickets and start asking themselves what their financial goals actually are. Plus: the ethics of getting rich by caring a little less, and why Krisserin's book absolutely deserves a "major" deal. Goals for the week: Kelton's querying three agents after polishing her prologue, and Krisserin's taking a rare self-care day—spa, library, latte, and maybe some editor research if the vibes are right. Support Minnesota: • Women's Foundation of Minnesota: https://www.wfmn.org/funds/immigrant-rapid-response/ • Publishing for Minnesota Auction: https://www.32auctions.com/publishingforMN  Write to us: officialpenpalspod@gmail.com Follow us: Instagram: @penpalspod TikTok: @penpalspod YouTube: @PenPalsPod Follow Krisserin and Kelton: TikTok: @krisserin, @keltonkin Kelton's Substack: Shangrilogs Krisserin's Substack: krisserin.substack.com The Rewilding Music by Golden Hour Oasis Studios

    1h 1m

  3. JAN 26

    Paper Prototypes and Publishing: Vicki Tan's Non-Traditional Book Deal

    What happens when a designer walks into a Manhattan publishing office with paper prototypes that look like children's toys? In this episode, Kelton reconnects with Vicki Tan, a former colleague from Headspace turned author, to explore her unconventional path to publishing Ask This Book a Question—an interactive cognitive bias book that defies easy categorization. Vicki shares how a chance conversation with a friend (who also connected her with an agent) led to an in-person pitch meeting, a two-year pandemic pause, and ultimately a bidding war between major publishers. She reveals why the stories in her book matter more than the science, how her original editor leaving mid-project changed the final product, and why she still doesn't call herself an author. Plus: the upcoming companion card deck, the power of comp titles when your book doesn't fit a genre, and why the most interesting ideas are often the hardest to pitch. Also in this episode: Kelton starts agent shopping with a 12-person spreadsheet, Krisserin recovers from Miami work travel, and a listener question about repurposing Substack essays for publication. Links: Vicki's website: vickitan.com/bookInstagram: @vickiheartBooks Vicki Recommended: The Paper Menagerie by Ken LiuSubtle by Kenya HaraUniversal Principles of Design by William Lidwell, Kritina Holden, and Jill ButlerWrite to us: officialpenpalspod@gmail.com Follow us: Instagram: @penpalspod TikTok: @penpalspod YouTube: @PenPalsPod Follow Krisserin and Kelton: TikTok: @krisserin, @keltonkin Kelton's Substack: Shangrilogs Krisserin's Substack: krisserin.substack.com The Rewilding Music by Golden Hour Oasis Studios

    57 min

  4. JAN 20

    "Never Save the World": JT Ellison on 30 Books, Citrine Magic, and Writing Through the Darkness

    Krisserin and Kelton kick off 2026 by getting real about the challenge of creating art in turbulent times—from doom-scrolling to feeling like your work is too small for the moment. Then they're joined by New York Times and USA Today bestselling author JT Ellison, who has written more than 30 psychological thrillers and domestic noir novels and co-hosts the Emmy Award-winning "A Word on Words" on Nashville PBS. The conversation dives deep into the realities of a 20-year writing career: co-writing six books with Catherine Coulter (and learning how a #1 bestseller actually works), launching a fantasy series under pen name Joss Walker because algorithms don't forgive genre-hopping, and the 70,000-word wall where every book makes her want to jump off a cliff. The trio discusses industry myths (bad sales track can absolutely be overcome with a book they can't ignore), the creative cost of social media pile-ons, and Stephen King's wisdom about writing with the door closed. JT shares her current aspiration after two decades of hustle: ease. Just write one book a year and enjoy it. Plus: major news that her Taylor Jackson series just sold to Thomas and Mercer for a full reboot. Whether you're dreaming of your first book deal or your thirtieth, JT's journey offers proof that the path to publication rarely looks like you expect—and that sometimes the detours are exactly what your writing needs. Goals: Kelton plans to finish and send her memoir proposal to a friend for review, while Krisserin focuses on completing her grad school application essay and tinkering with the ending of her short story. JT's Book Recommendations: Rebecca by Daphne du MaurierNone of This Is True by Lisa JewellOutlander by Diana GabaldonConnect with JT Ellison: Subscribe to JT's Substack: The Creative Edge Visit JT's Website: jtellison.com Follow JT's Instagram: @thrillerchick Write to us: officialpenpalspod@gmail.com Follow us: Instagram: @penpalspod TikTok: @penpalspod YouTube: @PenPalsPod Follow Krisserin and Kelton: TikTok: @krisserin, @keltonkin Kelton's Substack: Shangrilogs Krisserin's Substack: krisserin.substack.com The Rewilding Music by Golden Hour Oasis Studios

    1h 13m

  5. 2025-12-23

    The Capricorn and the Libra: Our Year in Review

    In their final episode of 2025, Krisserin and Kelton reflect on a year that transformed them both—32 episodes of accountability, pivot points, and hard-won victories. While Krisserin celebrates landing an agent and finishing her duology, Kelton reveals her elaborate "Year of 40" planning document complete with astrological mapping and a manifestation app. Looking ahead to 2026, Kelton unveils her ambitious plans—the Rewilding winter practice, a new monthly writing group called the Murmuration, and manifesting a business partner with a very specific JD. Krisserin's playing it closer to the vest, applying to an MFA program and hoping for a book deal she's still too protective of her heart to fully visualize.  Between debates about who's more commercially-minded (Capricorn wins), pleas for listener ratings, and their characteristic mix of commiseration and ambition, this episode celebrates what a year of showing up—for your writing and for each other—can actually accomplish. Write to us: officialpenpalspod@gmail.com Follow us: Instagram: @penpalspod TikTok: @penpalspod YouTube: @PenPalsPod Follow Krisserin and Kelton: TikTok: @krisserin, @keltonkin Kelton's Substack: Shangrilogs Krisserin's Substack: krisserin.substack.com The Rewilding Music by Golden Hour Oasis Studios

    50 min

  6. 2025-12-15

    Writing Through December Chaos

    In this episode of Pen Pals, Krisserin and Kelton confront the reality of December's chaotic energy—where seasonal disruptions, holiday stress, and looming daycare closures threaten to derail their writing routines entirely. While Kelton grapples with her lack of structure (going without coffee until noon, navigating postpartum dairy restrictions, and awaiting news of hand-foot-and-mouth disease), Krisserin celebrates a hollow victory: typing "THE END" on her manuscript, only to feel completely disconnected from the work. The friends trade strategies for building sustainable writing habits in the midst of life's upheaval—from Kelton's plan to reclaim her most reliable morning hour from client work to Krisserin's decision to explore short story writing and grad school applications while her novel rests. They debate the ethics of platform-building on TikTok, where algorithmic luck matters more than generous engagement, and wrestle with the pressure to create "uniquely differentiating" content when billions of people are doing the same thing. Through Emily Halnon's wisdom about training like an athlete and the reminder that 30 minutes of writing beats zero minutes every time, Krisserin and Kelton offer a refreshing antidote to December chaos: sometimes the goal is just to show up, even when showing up feels like the hardest thing in the world. Write to us: officialpenpalspod@gmail.com Follow us: Instagram: @penpalspod TikTok: @penpalspod YouTube: @PenPalsPod Follow Krisserin and Kelton: TikTok: @krisserin, @keltonkin Kelton's Substack: Shangrilogs Krisserin's Substack: krisserin.substack.com The Rewilding Music by Golden Hour Oasis Studios

    50 min

  7. 2025-12-08

    Stop Tap Dancing in Your Query Letter: Ali Gordon's Path to Publication

    Krisserin and Kelton sit down with Ali Gordon, author of "We Have Reached the End of Our Show," to discuss her unconventional path to publication without an agent. Ali shares how she wrote her debut novel during the pandemic as a "cozy treehouse" where she could escape—a meditation on grief and the end of the world inspired by her experience losing both parents to cancer within two years. The conversation digs into the brutal reality of querying: from agents who loved her novella but wouldn't represent it without expansion, to the personal sting of form rejections when you've poured your trauma onto the page. Ali explains why she stopped "tap dancing" in her query letters and started reaching out directly to independent publishers—landing at Wildling Press, where the entire team read her manuscript within weeks and called to say "we all cried, we love it." Ali gets honest about the trade-offs of publishing with a small press (no advance, years of unpaid work) versus the reward of working with people genuinely in love with your material. She reflects on how querying hurt her feelings in ways even acting school rejection never did, why writing "in love" with your project matters more than outlining obligations, and how four hours of forced airplane boredom gave her the idea for her next (hopefully funny) novel. Plus: Kelton's toddler still isn't sleeping so she's giving herself permission to rest despite memoir proposal deadlines, Krisserin shares the embarrassing story of fumbling repeated follow-ups from an interested agent twelve years ago, and both hosts grapple with social media metrics while pushing toward their January deadlines in a season when they should be pulling back. Learn more about Ali Gordon: Website: https://www.whatdoesaligordondo.com/ Book: "We Have Reached the End of Our Show" Instagram: @msalicenutting Write to us: officialpenpalspod@gmail.com Follow us: Instagram: @penpalspod TikTok: @penpalspod YouTube: @PenPalsPod Follow Krisserin and Kelton: TikTok: @krisserin, @keltonkin Kelton's Substack: Shangrilogs Krisserin's Substack: krisserin.substack.com The Rewilding Music by Golden Hour Oasis Studios

    1h 12m

  8. 2025-11-24

    Long-time Readers and Short-Lived Aunties: A Thanksgiving Gratitude Special

    When you're chasing publication dreams and battling rejection, gratitude feels like a luxury. But Krisserin and Kelton argue it's actually a practice—one that keeps you grounded when writing feels impossible. In this candid Thanksgiving conversation, they explore gratitude as a skill you build, not a feeling that arrives. They tackle the envy that lurks behind ambition, answer a listener's question about returning to abandoned projects, and get deeply personal about the people who've shaped their writing—from long-time readers who stuck with them for decades, to short-lived aunties who passed through their lives leaving permanent gifts. Krisserin celebrates a week of wild productivity. Kelton reflects on the readers who've been loyal since her Date by Numbers days. Both hosts reckon with how family, mentorship, and financial anxiety shaped their relationship to art. If you're oscillating between genuine gratitude and performative thankfulness, this episode holds space for both. Write to us: officialpenpalspod@gmail.com Follow us: Instagram: @penpalspod TikTok: @penpalspod YouTube: @PenPalsPod Follow Krisserin and Kelton: TikTok: @krisserin, @keltonkin Kelton's Substack: Shangrilogs Krisserin's Substack: krisserin.substack.com The Rewilding Music by Golden Hour Oasis Studios

    55 min
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About

Join writers and parents Krisserin Canary and Kelton Wright as they navigate the journey of publishing their first novels. From California to Colorado, these friends share their experiences with first drafts, revisions, query letters, and the rollercoaster of rejection. Each episode offers an honest look at balancing creative ambitions with daily life, featuring candid conversations about writing craft, time management, and staying motivated. Whether you're a fellow writer or just love a good behind-the-scenes story, Pen Pals proves that every creative journey is better with a friend.Email us at: officialpenpalspod@gmail.comMusic by Golden Hour Oasis Studios

Information

  • Creator
    Kelton Wright and Krisserin Canary
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    36
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Pen Pals
  • Show Website
    Pen Pals

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