Pen Pals

Kelton Wright and Krisserin Canary
  • 5.0 (29)
  • ARTS
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

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. 3D AGO

    Bad News at 5AM, Good News from New Mexico, and the Minimum Viable Writing Week

    Krisserin opens with a rollercoaster week: a 5 AM email from her agent pushing book submission to late spring, followed by the joyful news that she's been accepted to IAIA's MFA program in New Mexico. Kelton channeled a burst of creative energy into writing her novel's climax in a single marathon session and is preparing to launch the Spring Almanac of her Rewilding course. The conversation turns to Kelton's concept of the "living week" — the minimum your writing practice needs to survive, like watering a plant just enough to keep it alive. They explore what it means to differentiate between a thin week and genuinely losing steam, and Krisserin takes away a new goal: putting writing on her calendar for the first time. Plus: Rachel Hochhauser hits the New York Times bestseller list, Kelton pulls up her mom's birth chart mid-recording, Krisserin confesses her inability to read books without a love story, and both hosts set realistic goals for weeks that are already overflowing. Writing programs, classes and workshops mentioned: UCLA Extension Writers' Program: https://writers.uclaextension.edu/ Leigh Stein — Attention Economy (Substack newsletter + writing classes including Plot Curious): https://leighstein.substack.com/ Chelsea Hodson — Morning Writing Club (Patreon membership, writing accountability + classes): https://morningwritingclub.com/ Trust & Travel — The Practice (monthly writing membership, ~$40/month, weekly writing groups + monthly classes): https://www.wetrustandtravel.com/ Jessy Easton — The Inner Room (somatic writing community for writing about trauma, quarterly membership): https://www.jessyeaston.com/ Kelton's The Rewilding (self-guided creative practice course): https://www.keltonwright.com/rewilding The Murmuration (free guided journaling workshops): https://www.keltonwright.com/murmuration  Write to us: officialpenpalspod@gmail.com Follow us: Instagram: @penpalspod TikTok: @penpalspod YouTube: @PenPalsPod SubStack: penpalspod.substack.com Follow Krisserin and Kelton: TikTok: @krisserin, @keltonwrites Instagram: @keltonkin, @keltonwrites Kelton's Substack: Shangrilogs Krisserin's Substack: krisserin.substack.com Music by Golden Hour Oasis Studios

    47 min

  2. MAR 9

    The Co-Host Lore Episode

    Krisserin and Kelton finally answer the question listeners keep asking: who ARE these people? This week it's just the two of them — no guest, just origin stories, childhood chaos, and big three energy. From Krisserin's desert horses and Newport Beach culture shock to Kelton's Gettysburg ghost childhood and lunch money con, they dig into how they grew up, how they became writers, and why this podcast is the friendship neither of them knew they needed. Plus astrology deep dives, a secret project update, and goal assignments for each other. Write to us: officialpenpalspod@gmail.com Follow us: Instagram: @penpalspod TikTok: @penpalspod YouTube: @PenPalsPod SubStack: penpalspod.substack.com Follow Krisserin and Kelton: TikTok: @krisserin, @keltonwrites Instagram: @keltonkin, @keltonwrites Kelton's Substack: Shangrilogs Krisserin's Substack: krisserin.substack.com Music by Golden Hour Oasis Studios

    1h 3m

  3. MAR 2

    From Dramatically Quitting Writing to a Major Two-Book Deal: Rachel Hochhauser on Lady Tremaine

    Kelton wraps up her Rewilding winter class and launches something new—a free monthly writing practice called the Murmuration—while Krisserin confesses she's started a secret new project (2,400 words and counting, but she's not telling us what it is). Both hosts are taking a beat from their main manuscripts, and this week's interview is the perfect reminder of why stepping away can be the most important part of the process. Then they're joined by Rachel Hochhauser, author of Lady Tremaine, a reimagining of Cinderella from the perspective of the so-called evil stepmother. Rachel shares how the idea struck her in a hospital waiting room during her husband's health crisis—a season of sacrifice that made her see the "villain" with entirely new eyes. She opens up about writing a first novel in grad school, querying unsuccessfully for years, dramatically walking away from writing, and then returning to draft Lady Tremaine in just seven months. The conversation covers her preemptive sale to St. Martin's Press, the surprising depth of copy editing, defending her book's carefully calibrated romance against market pressure, and the reality of two-book deals (hint: it's not a salary). Plus: the Bridgerton timing is almost too good, and Kelton coins the pitch "hawks and hotties." Find Rachel Hochhauser: Website: rachelhochhauser.com Instagram: @hochhauser Book: Lady Tremaine from St. Martin's Press Books Mentioned in This Episode: Annihilation by Jeff VanderMeer Uprooted by Naomi Novik Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen H Is for Hawk by Helen Macdonald Light Years by James Salter Write to us: officialpenpalspod@gmail.com Follow us: Instagram: @penpalspod TikTok: @penpalspod YouTube: @PenPalsPod SubStack: penpalspod.substack.com Follow Krisserin and Kelton: TikTok: @krisserin, @keltonwrites Instagram: @keltonkin, @keltonwrites Kelton's Substack: Shangrilogs Krisserin's Substack: krisserin.substack.com Music by Golden Hour Oasis Studios

    1h 5m

  4. FEB 23

    Cait Flanders: From Blog Experiment to Bestseller (and Back Again)

    Kelton gets her first agent rejection and refuses to sugarcoat it—while Krisserin shares what she learned about advances, deal structures, and editor wish lists from her meeting with agent Kima Jones. Then bestselling author Cait Flanders joins to tell the unlikely origin story of The Year of Less—how a blogged shopping ban went viral on Forbes, attracted six literary agents, and became a Wall Street Journal bestseller now resurfacing on TikTok a decade later. Cait gets refreshingly transparent about advances, earning out, switching publishers, and the real tension between maintaining a SubStack audience and carving out space to write her third book. Plus: middle grade fiction advocacy, a genre-busting reading challenge, and why Kelton’s only goal this week is to read a book. Find Cait Flanders: Website: www.caitflanders.com Substack: caitflanders.substack.com Instagram: @caitflanders Books by Cait Flanders: The Year of Less (Hay House) — Wall Street Journal Bestseller Adventures in Opting Out (Little Brown Spark)  Books Mentioned in This Episode:  “October, October” by Katya Balen  “The Names” by Florence Knapp  “The Housemaid” by Frieda McFadden  “Annihilation” by Jeff VanderMeer  “Lady Tremaine” by Rachel Hochhauser  “The Ogress and the Orphans” by Kelly Barnville  Write to us: officialpenpalspod@gmail.com Follow us: Instagram: @penpalspod TikTok: @penpalspod YouTube: @PenPalsPod SubStack: penpalspod.substack.com Follow Krisserin and Kelton: TikTok: @krisserin, @keltonwrites Instagram: @keltonkin, @keltonwrites Kelton's Substack: Shangrilogs Krisserin's Substack: krisserin.substack.com Music by Golden Hour Oasis Studios

    1h 14m

  5. FEB 21 · BONUS

    Bonus Episode: Inside the Debut Author Survey with Emily Zipps

    We couldn't just talk about Emily Zipps' debut author survey — we had to talk to her. Krisserin and Kelton sit down with Emily herself — author of Alice Rue Evades the Truth and the forthcoming The Two Lives of Amelia Waxler (both from Dial Press) — to dig into what inspired her to survey 60 fellow debut authors, what surprised her in the results, and what she found genuinely hopeful. Find Emily online: Instagram & Threads: @emilyzipps Website: emilyzipps.com Substack (Fun Announcements and Sporadic Thoughts): emilyzipps.substack.com Emily Zipps' Debut Author Survey: https://substack.com/home/post/p-185355080 Books: Alice Rue Evades the Truth (available now) | The Two Lives of Amelia Waxler (forthcoming 2027) Write to us: officialpenpalspod@gmail.com Follow us: Instagram: @penpalspod TikTok: @penpalspod YouTube: @PenPalsPod SubStack: penpalspod.substack.com Follow Krisserin and Kelton: TikTok: @krisserin, @keltonwrites Instagram: @keltonkin, @keltonwrites Kelton's Substack: Shangrilogs Krisserin's Substack: krisserin.substack.com Music by Golden Hour Oasis Studios

    23 min

  6. FEB 16

    What Debut Authors Actually Get Paid (And Why We're Mad About It)

    What does a debut author actually get paid? Krisserin and Kelton dig into Emily Zips' survey data and don't love what they find—average two-book deals for $50K, most authors working day jobs, and advances that won't cover daycare. Plus: Kelton's Scrivener file predicted her dream agent, Instagram shadow ban drama, the identity question of "writer vs. mom," and why chapter summaries feel like showing your work in seventh grade math. Krisserin's IAIA MFA application is complete, and someone's getting paid $100 per chapter summary—into their own savings account. Books Mentioned in This Episode: • "The Possession of Alba Diaz" by Isabel Cañas • "Soul Searching" by Lyla Sage Resources Mentioned: • Emily Zipps' Debut Author Survey Write to us: officialpenpalspod@gmail.com Follow us: Instagram: @penpalspod TikTok: @penpalspod YouTube: @PenPalsPod SubStack: penpalspod.substack.com Follow Krisserin and Kelton: TikTok: @krisserin, @keltonwrites Instagram: @keltonkin, @keltonwrites Kelton's Substack: Shangrilogs Krisserin's Substack: krisserin.substack.com Music by Golden Hour Oasis Studios

    53 min

  7. FEB 9

    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 SubStack: penpalspod.substack.com Follow Krisserin and Kelton: TikTok: @krisserin, @keltonwrites Instagram: @keltonkin, @keltonwrites Kelton's Substack: Shangrilogs Krisserin's Substack: krisserin.substack.com Music by Golden Hour Oasis Studios

    1h 26m

  8. 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 SubStack: penpalspod.substack.com Follow Krisserin and Kelton: TikTok: @krisserin, @keltonwrites Instagram: @keltonkin, @keltonwrites Kelton's Substack: Shangrilogs Krisserin's Substack: krisserin.substack.com Music by Golden Hour Oasis Studios

    1h 1m
See All (42)

5
out of 5
29 Ratings

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
    42
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Pen Pals
  • Show Website
    Pen Pals

You Might Also Like