Krisserin and Kelton are back for Season 3 and this summer, one of them actually wrote a book. Kelton hit 66,000 words on her rom-com after finally abandoning her identity as a "pantser" and writing from a full outline for the first time. Krisserin did not write a novel. She'll tell you exactly why.

Instead, Krisserin spent six of eight summer weeks away from her desk — an MFA residency at the Institute of American Indian Arts, a 20th-anniversary trip to Vancouver and Victoria, two weeks in Portland and two weeks in Japan — and quietly began a new auto-fictional, historical project after officially parting ways with her literary agent this spring. It's the kind of summer that makes their European listener's advice to "slow down and do less" land a little differently.

They talk honestly about why the agent split happened, the particular exhaustion of a summer with no rest in it, and the very different ways outlining has recently rewired Kelton's drafting process. Plus: rom-com craft talk, a debate about whether Princess Donut is safe, and an open call for anyone with boat knowledge who wants to be an alpha reader.

Season 3 is officially underway — and they're looking for debut authors to feature. If that's you, or you know someone, get in touch.

Books mentioned in this episode:
Battleborn by Claire Vaye Watkins
Dungeon Crawler Carl series by Matt Dinniman
Nora Goes Off Script and Same Time Next Summer by Annabelle Monaghan
Booby Moon: A Weaning Book for Toddlers, Creating Magic, Wonder, and Ritual for a More Joyful Experience for All by Yvette Reid, illustrated by Camilo Zapeta

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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