I’m so excited to be going to Writers on the River this weekend with friends and family! This is an amazing event that hosts over 80 romance authors — from independently published authors to well known New York Times/USA Today Bestsellers.
Not only is this a great place to get new books and meet some amazing romance authors, but this event also helps fundraise Thistle Farms. Thistle Farms helps support women of abuse by providing financial, housing, and community support. It truly is a great cause that I am happy to support while spending the day with fellow readers and writers.
If you are in the Peoria this coming weekend, be sure to check out this amazing event! Otherwise, you can see posted pictures on my Instagram Account throughout the weekend!
Last week I hosted an event for my NaNoWriMo Region, in honor or Camp Nano, where I discussed different types of readers (Alpha, Beta, & Sensitivity Readers). In that event, I talked about my own personal writing process and how I tackle a novel idea. It was a lot of fun, but a few people at the event said they wished there was more information out there about how they can organize their writing and strategize for publication. Although I’m by no means an expert, I thought I would share my own process for anyone who is interested!
I do want to make a note though, that this is MY process and that every writer is different. You are welcome to take a shot at my schedule and planning, but if it doesn’t work for you, that’s fine! With time, you will find your own perfect process. With that being said, let’s go down the rabbit hole!
I’m a very organized person. I have three-ringed binders, calendars, spreadsheets, and more to keep me on top of my writing schedule. I know it sounds a bit excessive, but I learned early on in my writing journey that deadlines make my world go around! If I don’t have a hard deadline I tend to drag my feet. Thus, “the system” was started.
As I mentioned, I utilize a three-ringed binder system. Each story gets its own binder that then contains everything about the world, plot, characters, and other research within it. I know there are many platforms that help you organize your materials, but I prefer having physical copies — it makes the process easier down the road. It’s also nice when I’m traveling because I can just toss the binder into my suitcase and it is all right there!
Here’s a peek at my binder system. As you can see, my cat Loki also enjoys the binder system as well!
To utilize NaNoWriMo terminology — I’m a planster (a mix between a planner and a panster). I like to have a bit of planning and prep done on a story before I begin drafting, but not so much that I feel locked in during the drafting process. I like to just write and see where the story goes. It usually makes a very rough first draft, but it gets the story started. Some advice I read a while back in “How to Write Fiction for Dummies” (Ingermanson & Economy) said to let yourself write a really crappy first draft, because you can always fix it later. I took that to heart and wrote myself a little contract years ago to help me remember.
This notecard is an exercise given in “How to Write Fiction for Dummies”. I would really recommend checking out the book!
I really enjoy drafting during NaNoWriMo in November. It allows me to be able to enjoy the writing process with my local community and have extra support. I make sure to have a complete first draft by the end of NaNoWriMo — even if it’s the worst first draft in the history of first drafts. Then…I wait.
I like to take some time between drafting and editing to let the story “marinate”. Sometimes I think of ideas or a plot points to include and change. To be honest, the 6+ months of setting my story aside is where I have my best lightbulb moments. I mentioned before that I have schedules and spreadsheets, so I do have a specific plan. I draft in November and then don’t edit the story again until July the following year (during Camp NaNo!). This editing process takes on two steps:
Re-reading and Plotting
Editing & Revising
I always spend the week or two before I begin editing to re-read my story. It lets me brush up on specific details and make notes on what I want to change. I go through so many steno pads during this process, you have no idea, but it’s nice to have my notes broken down by chapter so I know what to target with changes.
What can I say, Loki REALLY likes to get involved in my writing process. I don’t know why, but he seems to really like attacking my pens while I’m writing…even though he has an abundance of toys.
Once I have my notes, I go back through and begin editing. I mainly focus on plot, but if I notice spelling or sentence errors I tackle those as well. Grammar and sentence structure is my weakest skill when it comes to writing (as you have probably noticed) so I utilize a professional editor to help me with that.
After I have edited the entire manuscript, I lock it away again for more “marinating”. I pull it back out in April (the other month for Camp NaNo). Now, if you have been following the timeline, you’ll notice that this means I am now in year three with the novel. Yes, it takes a lot of time, but the good news is that each year I have new novels in the works — so I’m never bored. I’ve tried shortening my timeline but when I do I feel my story isn’t as well developed.
This next round of edits I again do my re-read and then make the appropriate changes. Then off it goes to my amazing Alpha Readers. Alpha readers are special readers (and in my case are friends and family) that read the novel before major editing (which in my case means before I send the story to an editor). These readers help me with characters, settings, and plot development. It’s nice to see what parts of the story readers enjoy, which characters they love to hate, and what spots felt lacking so I can fix them in the next round of edits.
This is my older set-up for editing. I have a few new pieces of office furniture that lets me spread out!
After I make changes inspired by my Alpha Readers, I do one more edit (August) and then send my manuscript off to the editor (if I feel it’s ready). This is where I make a judgement call, because I want a polished piece before sending to the editor. I would like to give a quick shout out to the editor I used for “A Second Chance” and I would like to continue using in the future: RoseLark Publishing.
RoseLark is a fantastic editing and pre-publishing service. They offer so many amazing services for the indie author — at reasonable prices too! If you’re looking for a wonderful team of editors or sensitivity readers, check out RoseLark!
I will of course do another round of edits after I get notes from my editor. However, this time I plan for at least two months. There are always so many notes to go through, great considerations and changes to think about, so I like to give myself extra time. It also lets me think about how small changes impact future scenes in the story as well.
There is no part of the writing process Loki won’t photobomb…or stick in his mouth, apparently — first a pencil and now my computer!
Once I am done with making changes from my editor notes, my manuscript will go out to my Beta Readers. Beta Readers are like Alpha readers, only they are giving notes on a finalized manuscript, a final look at your novel before it is published. What I really love here is to see reactions as well as notes from my Beta Readers, as it helps me identify what parts of my books could be favorites to future readers!
I will do one final edit after going through my Beta Reader notes before going forward towards publishing — whether that means querying agents or independently publishing. I would really like to be a hybrid author, an author who does both indie and traditional publishing – based on the project.
I would note, that at some point during this chaotic process, I like to do a paper edit (most of my edits are done directly on computer). It takes time, but it really does help me focus on the story and the changes I’m making.
This is from the novel I’m working on currently “After the Storm”!
I learned the hard way that I have to save my paper copy edit until the end of this process…otherwise what you see above happens and I end up rewriting most of the page — so many hand cramps! However, I really do recommend this at least once for a story, because it forces you to slow down and really read and analyze the words.
There you have it, my writing process. I realize it seems a bit chaotic, so let me break it down a bit easier for you…
Type of Edit
Dates of Editing
First Draft
November (Year 1) – NaNoWriMo
First Edit
July (Year 2)
Second Edit
April (Year 3)
Alpha Readers
May – July (Year 3)
Third Edit
August (Year 3)
Editors
September-November (Year 3)
Fourth Edit
December – January (Year 3-4)
Beta Readers
February – April (Year 4)
Final (Fifth) Edit
May (Year 4)
Formatting
June (Year 4)
Release/Querying
July (Year 4)
My writing schedule for ONE novel!
I will add more edits and steps, depending on the novel, but this is my general outline! Some of you may look at that and begin to panic, but it really does help me to know what I’m doing when, especially when I have multiple novels going at once — and many more novels in my “Ideas Notebook”.
My Idea Notebooks!
There you have it, the method to my madness, the organized chaos. This is what keeps me on track and excited to start new novels each year! Currently, I’m working on the following novels:
“A Second Chance” (Contemporary Romance)
“Rhys of Novia” (Fantasy Romance)
“After the Storm” (Contemporary Romance)
“Justice” (Fantasy)
My four year system in action! Be sure to keep an eye out on future updates for each of these stories, and if you would like, follow along with my schedule so you know when you can expect the next novel to be released or when the start of querying begins!
Happy Reading & Happy Writing!
Shanna Pikora
Main binder that holds ALL my schedules: Writing, Social Media, Alpha/Beta Readers, Etc.
P.S. I felt guilty that my cat Loki got all the attention above, so here is my other cat, Frey (they are brothers). He makes sure I take regular breaks! XD
I’m so excited for the start of Camp NaNoWriMo! Not only as a Co-ML for my region, but also as I have my own goals this month to finish editing my next contemporary romance novel!
For those who don’t know, Camp NaNoWriMo is similar to NaNoWriMo as you set a writing goal to complete in 30 days. The difference is during camp you have more control over what your specific goal is (instead of the 50,000 words). This year, I am hoping to complete another round of edits on my next contemporary romance novel, “After the Storm” (previously titled “Scottish Savior”).
This novel has been in the works for a couple years now, I just never had any time to dedicate to it as I worked on other projects. But this month, it’s all for this novel! If you are interested in following my progress, you can friend me on the NaNoWriMo site (username: spikora). If you are also participating in Camp, let me know so we can cheer each other on!
I hope you all have a fantastic April planned. Until my next update, here is a sneak peek at “After the Storm”!
*Please note this is not a final version of the story and may change with future edits!*
Kira sat in her stiff seat and wrung her hands in her lap. The chatter of her fellow passengers was nothing but a background hum as she glued her eyes to the entrance of the plane. Each new person who walked on sent a spike of anxiety through her—just for a moment—until she realized it was just another stranger and not the person her mind feared it was. Just a stranger who didn’t know who she was…or who he was. Sat in seat 8B, arms wrapped tightly around her purse, her carry on secured in the bin above her head; she realized it was nearly time. Nearly time to take her first breaths of freedom.
A man shuffled forward and collapsed into the seat next to hers, shoving his carry on under the seat rather than dealing with the overhead bin. Kira could only watch as he cursed, trying to force the poor piece of luggage into a spot it wasn’t mean to be.
I feel ya, luggage, she thought to herself.
Tears threatened to fall as she took a deep breath. The smell of the man’s thick and overpowering cologne consumed her. Surprisingly, it was a welcome distraction to her panicked mind. She focused on the spiced scent. Something woody and warm—a connection to the moment that kept the impending anxiety attack at bay. Deep breaths, she told herself as she shut her eyes and focused on expanding her diaphragm with each inhale. She held the breath for four counts then exhaled, pressing her belly button into her core, just as she did on Monday Pilates. The man next to her bumped her arm, forcing her to concentrate harder on her breath.
She could do this. Taking another deep breath, she felt her self-control settling and—
“Sorry ‘bout tha’.” The man next to her spoke in a thick accent after his elbow jabbed into her side and sent her nearly sprawling against the arm rest. Kira flinched as she shifted back, giving the man a stiff nod. As grateful as she was for the distraction, she wasn’t sure she was ready for idle chat. Kira’s eyes locked on the door of the plane again, watching the flight attendants talk as they moved about.
For some reason, she thought once she boarded, she would be more at ease—that he would be gone then. But she had this fear he would walk on and drag her back to that hell she was fleeing. Kira turned her attention out the window, ignoring her seat mate as he mumbled about his trip.
It was a beautiful day in Detroit. They week of hazy rain final let the clouds part and granted a cool spring day. She used it as her excuse to leave—she wanted to take a walk and enjoy the nice weather. Her husband bought it. She took a quick trip to the gym, where she stashed clothes and essentials and all her paperwork, then she was gone.
Kira looked past her hazy reflection and to the runway beyond, just as a plane rose up into the sky. Her heart raced, in excitement instead of fear. In a few more minutes, that would be her.
“Passengers, please give your attention to the flight attendant at the front of the cabin as we begin our safety procedure review before takeoff.” The flight attendant spoke precisely into the phone as the other attendant walked through the motions of how to fasten the seatbelt, how to adjust the mask, and other things. Kira’s attention drifted after a few moments; eyes fixed out the window as she waited for takeoff.
Her leg started to bounce, her nerves wanting free, as she heard the engines start up. The rumbling had her heart racing. She shifted up in her seat, pushing her purse onto the floor. This was it. She was really doing it.
“Do ya mind,” her neighbor spoke with an irritated snap. “You’ll make me sick with tha’.” Kira followed his point to her leg. She hadn’t even realized.
“I’m sorry.” She pressed herself tight against the side of the plane, trying to distance herself from him as she forced her leg to still. It gave her a chance to watch takeoff. The ground started to move past the plane. It was slow at first, but then it went faster, faster. The sound of the engines roared and the ground began to drift away. Take off.
“I’m free.” Kira whispered to herself, tears fighting to fall as she laid her head against the window. The world below her shrunk as her spirit grew and soared among the clouds. A weight lifted and she took an easy breath. The first she had taken in months.
This year, I decided to take on a number of reading challenges to help me conquer my ever growing “To Be Read” pile. Not only do I have many books in my house to read, but I also have a massive amount on my wish list as well. To help me with this, as I always like to add a layer of fun to goal setting, I have decided to utilize a couple social media and personal challenges.
If you also have a large “To Be Read” pile, join me in some of these challenges!
Reading Challenge 1: Goodreads (100 Books in a Year)
At the beginning of the year, I kept getting notifications from Goodreads to set a goal for myself on how many books I wanted to read that year. I decided to “go big or go home” and set it at 100! I am proud to say that I’m currently a book ahead of schedule and hope that I can read 100 books in a year — as that would put a nice big chunk in my “To Be Read” pile!
If you’re on Goodreads, you can follow me by clicking below. You would be able to see what books I’m reading (which may give you a sneak peek at what books will pop up in reviews) as well as how I’m progressing through the challenge. Send me a friend request so we can cheer each other on as we work through our own “To Be Read” piles!
You may recall one of my more recent posts have been about my favorite podcasts (if not you can check it out here). Number one on that list was Heaving Bosoms. I do adore the podcast and am excited to try their annual reading challenge, the Heaving Bosoms Reading Embrace.
The Reading Embrace is to help you read new and exciting romance novels by finding books that fit into VERY UNIQUE categories. These categories come from sayings and topics from the podcast, which make it even more fun to try to find books that fit. Categories Include: Darkness Button, Defcon Most Extreme. England Times America, Furrrrrr, Lady Love, Murder Smolder, Never Seen Snow Before, and so many more!
If you’re a romance reader, join me in the Heaving Bosoms 2021 Reading Embrace and let’s see what amazing stories we find!
Reading Challenge 3: Novel Knight “Beat the Backlist” Challenge
This is a challenge I found on Instagram but am so excited for! What I love most about it are the multiple options for how you can participate. There is the 24-book option or the 52-book option. Again, I’m going big or going home so I’m taking on the 52-book option.
On the site, there are multiple formats you can download to track your progress. Do you want a simple list to write out what you read? Want to turn it into a Bingo game to see who in your friend group can get a bingo first? They have all these options!
Be sure to check it out and join me in this challenge. I think it’s going to be a BLAST!
With all these books I’ll be reading and challenges I undertake, I will be reading plenty of books. As will my bestie who is also working on tackling her “To Be Read” pile. So…we made a bet!
Who could read the most pages in a year?
Last year, I was the GLORIOUS VICTOR! So naturally I feel extra pressure to beat her again this year. Any book we read, whether it’s an ebook or print book, counts. We count the number of pages read and track them throughout the year. Who ever reads the most pages is the winner!
Perks? The loser has to buy the winner a new book! This year I received “To the Sky Kingdom” by Tang Qi. It was a fantastic book! I am really hoping to win this year as well (I currently have a 2K lead).
Reading Challenge 5: Personal Incentive (4 Books a Month)
This is a personal challenge and prize system my husband and I came up with. I have so many novels I want to read, series to keep up with, and new releases that entice me — it’s hard to keep up! To help me keep up with series and to help keep the “To Be Read” pile from overtaking his office (where our library is situated) we came up with this bargain…
For every 4 books I finish in a month…I can purchase a new one (if I wish).
I know it seems silly, but it has been VERY beneficial for me as it helps me keep up to date on my favorite series, but spaces it out so I’m not buying a ton of books all at once just to sit on my shelf. It also helps push me to keep up with my other challenges too!
I’m loving doing all of these reading challenges! I hope you’ll join in on some of them too! If you’re interested in seeing how I progress in these challenges or what books I’ve been reading, subscribe to my monthly newsletter. Each month, at the end of the newsletter, I will let you know how I am fairing on my reading challenges and give thoughts on the books I read that month.
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I don’t know about you all, but I adore podcasts! Since I’m working from home, I like to have them on in the background to keep me company while I’m working — it also distracts me from hearing the mischief my cats are getting into. A few friends have asked me lately for podcast suggestions, so I thought a blog post about my favorite podcasts would be fun!
There are so many to choose from, but here are my top 10 favorite podcasts:
Yes, I know I’m supposed to go from 10 to 1, building up the suspense. But I never liked those kinds of posts. I’d rather jump right into the top pick, so that’s what I did here! Heaving Bosoms is by far my FAVORITE podcast! I listen to each and every episode, I’m on their Patreon, and I just adore them. This podcast recaps romance novels in hilarious fashion, covering all sorts of sub-genres and talking about the romance genre as a whole. If you’re a fan of romance, Heaving Bosoms is a MUST LISTEN TO PODCAST!
Let’s Go To Court is a VERY close second. Their podcast is a true-crime podcast filled with laughter, jokes, giggles, and more. It is a fun listen, even when they cover heavy cases. I’m also a member of their Patreon, have listened to every episode, and even own a LGTC shirt that I wear on Wednesdays (when the new episode drops). I’m that big of a fan!
This is a fantastic podcast all about romance. The two hosts do interviews with authors, agents, publishers, and all sorts of other individuals all about the romance genre. A friend recommended this to me and it has been such an amazing podcast. It has opened my eyes to new ideas and thoughts about the romance genre, introduced me to so many new podcasts, and helped me find plenty of new reads!
This is definitely a niche podcast, but I love it so much! This podcast is all about the Ice Planet Barbarian’s Series by Ruby Dixon. Those of you who subscribe to this blog know that I did a book review on the first book of the series a couple months ago and LOVED it! Each episode of this podcast talks about a book in that series. If you are interested in the books or love Ruby Dixon, I really recommend this podcast!
Cox n’ Crendor: In the Morning is a podcast hosted by Jesse Cox and Crendor, two YouTubers and Gamers. I found their podcast after following them on YouTube and just love this podcast. They talk about all sorts of random topics and even do bits such as a traffic report, reporting on weather, sports, and my personal favorite — the big news story of the day! If you are looking for something fun and lighthearted, check out this podcast!
Wolf 359 was my first, and still my favorite, audio drama podcast. It tells the story of the crew of the U.S.S. Hephaestus as it circles and studies Wolf 359, a strange star. It is absolutely hilarious, filled with amazing twists and turns, and has an amazing voice cast that will blow your mind. If you are looking for a story to get into, check out Wolf 359!
There are many podcasts out there that talk about the writing process and how to become a published author, but this one is my all-time-favorite! This podcast has short episodes (15-20 minutes) “Because you’re in a hurry”, as is the tagline of the show. They cover all sorts of topics that cross all types of writing advice and considerations. If you are a writer, I really recommend you check out this podcast!
The Bright Sessions is another audio drama podcast. It follows the lives of individuals who are unique and have special powers, what they go through during the meetings with their counselor, and every day life. It is a fantastic series that also has a couple of accompanying books (which I also reviewed on this blog). It has everything from love, conflict, twists, and amazing villains. Be sure to check it out!
This is a new podcast I’ve jumped into. It was referenced in a Heaving Bosoms episode (I believe) and that is what drew me to this podcast. I have a feeling once I listen a bit more it will shoot up the list to a higher ranking. This podcast is also one where they recap romance novels and share life stories. I have listened to a couple of episodes and it has already made my top ten–it’s that good!
Write-Minded is a podcast led by leaders of NaNoWriMo and SheWrites. They discuss all sorts of topics about writing, being an author, and books. Nearly every episode also has an interview with other individuals that let you dive deep into the world of writing and becoming and author. This is a great one for any writer out there looking for inspiration!
It was so hard to pick only ten podcasts to list, but these ones are by far my favorites. I never miss a single episode! If you are looking for podcasts, check these out. And please, tell me about your favorite podcasts! I’m always looking for new ones. Comment below with your top recommendations for podcasts!
Stories by Shanna Pikora 