How to Trust the Process and Stick with Your Story with Author Kristin Offiler Artwork

The Write It Scared Podcast

A podcast to help fiction writers work through self-doubt and learn the craft of writing a novel.

The Write It Scared Podcast

How to Trust the Process and Stick with Your Story with Author Kristin Offiler

July 06, 2025 • Stacy Frazer • Season 2 • Episode 66

0:00 | 43:16

What if your novel isn’t broken—just still becoming?

I’m joined by debut author Kristin Offiler, whose psychological suspense novel The Housewarming is the result of years of slow, steady work—and a whole lot of revision. But the thing is? She almost gave up on it.

Kristin talks openly about her journey from MFA grad to published novelist, including:

How her story shifted genres mid-process
What finally clicked after years of rewriting
The moment she nearly walked away—and what kept her going
Why stories (and processes) are more malleable than we think
How to keep writing when self-doubt creeps in

This is one of those episodes that will make you feel less alone if you’re staring at a messy draft, wondering if it’s ever going to work. Kristin’s journey is a beautiful reminder that a long revision process is not a sign of failure—it’s the path forward. And persistence? That’s the real secret.

📚 The Housewarming is out August 1, 2025, from Thomas & Mercer. Preorder wherever you get your books!

For more information, visit www.kristinoffiler.com.

00:40 – Meet debut author Kristin Offiler

01:33 – Kristin’s writing journey: from MFA to motherhood to first drafts

07:36 – Where The Housewarming began—and how it grew into something more

14:04 – The pivot: transforming a character-driven novel into psychological suspense

20:07 – How genre feedback changed Kristin’s revision process

21:08 – Stories are malleable: a lesson in letting go of “the way it’s supposed to be”

22:22 – Self-doubt, slow writing, and the comparison trap

23:37 – What experience can teach you (that no craft book can)

26:17 – Kristin’s evolving writing process (and how it saved her time)

32:06 – Balancing writing with life, parenting, and limited time