Writing
How long have you been writing?
I’ve been writing on and off since I was in high school.
When I was in high school, I was a member of the Literary Society. I wrote poems and short stories that were published and received awards in a regional literary magazine. I also started writing a romance novel when I was in high school, though I never finished it, and it’s long gone. When I went to college, I only wrote reports and essays. For a long time after that, I read a lot, but never did any writing.
The first time that I started writing again as an adult was when my daughter was in high school. She was a voracious reader, and several of her favorite book series ended. She had trouble finding more Young Adult (YA) series novels to enjoy. For Christmas that year, I developed a series for her, and wrote the first book.
Years later, I was working as a software developer for a company that shut down a division and laid off 600 workers. Well, 599 plus me. I wasn’t happy with my job anyway, and took six months off to learn about myself and what I wanted. During that time, wrote a lot of articles in a tech blog, rewrote the YA novel, and wrote the second novel. I wrote for fun and as a gift to my daughter.
I switched careers and now do a lot of technical writing at work. I do still write for fun in my spare time. I have completed four YA novels under a different pseudonym.
To see the current status of my romance novels, see Books.
What can I say? For a novice, I’m prolific.
Why aren't you a published author?
I’ve never really TRIED to get published. By the end of 2018, I’ll have a few romance novels written and the journey will begin!
Why write romance novels?
I’m a strong, sexy, successful woman. One that’s read romance novels for most of my life. Honestly, I can contribute a lot of my general trivia knowledge, vocabulary, grammar skills, ability to write, and sexual knowledge to the romance novels that I read as a teenager. Before romance novels, I enjoyed the old Trixie Beldon mysteries, and there was an element of romance in those books, as well. (Thank you, public library.)
There are a lot of women out there like me. Romance novels are porn for women. It’s how we escape our troubled lives. It’s how we dream and learn that we deserve more.
I write romance novels for the love of the genre. And because they’re hella fun to write and read.
When did you start reading romance novels?
I started reading romance novels when I was 13. (Yes, far too young.)
I distinctly remember bookmarking the sex scenes and letting my friends read them. My aunts and grandmothers read romance novels. And my step-mother read them and put them in boxes in the basement when she’d finished. I got very good at borrowing a book and keeping the box organized so that I knew what I had read, but my parents never figured out I was taking the books.
My father and step-mother never let me do anything. I couldn’t go hang out with friends (even at 17), and rarely got to go to or have sleepovers. I was bright, and a straight-A student, and it didn’t take me long to finish my homework. So I had a LOT of free time.
I probably read thousands of books while in high school. That pattern continued into adulthood. I now own thousands of Kindle books and about 250 audiobooks on Audible. That doesn’t include newer Kindle and Audible subscription books that I plow through.
What genre do you write?
I write the same genres that I love to read:
- Paranormal Romance – As a writer, I enjoy world-building, and paranormal romance allows me to really be creative. These series books follow a single character as she learns more and more about her world. You must read these books in order.
- Contemporary Romance – For these books, I’m less creative and really just having fun. These are easy and fun to write and to read. Each series in these books tends to be about a separate couple, though couples in a series appear in other books. It’s best to read these in order, but not necessary.
What perspective and tense do you use?
I use two combinations:
- First person past – My paranormal romance is more heroine-focused. She tells her story from her own perspective. The thing that I like best about this combination is that the reader gets information only as the character learns it.
- Third person past – I prefer this tense for my fun contemporary romance novels. I like it because I can switch back and forth between the heroine and hero’s point of view. It’s fun for the reader to experience love and sex from both the woman’s and the man’s perspective.
I never, ever, use present tense, because I find it jarring as a reader. I get distracted by the verbs. It just feels wrong to me.
Would you write a series?
A good series ranks up there with fantastic sex. I love it and can’t get enough. I am working on multiple series right now and will write more.
What is your writing process?
I’m a planner.
One time, I tried being a pantser. (A pantser is someone that writes by the seat of their pants.) I ended up with enough character development for three novels and very little larger plot development.
For a contemporary romance, my process is pretty simple. I simultaneously decide who my characters are, and what their plot will be. Sometimes I draw from personal experience. And sometimes, I just make stuff up.
- I make a rough plot outline.
- I find photos online (https://search.creativecommons.org/) to inspire me for my characters. Maybe I know a character will be from Turkey and have dark hair. So I search online and find a photo that “feels” like my character.
- I give my characters a history, family, and friends.
- And then I write. As I write, I might further develop their history, the plot, or their friends and family.
For my paranormal romance, it’s a little more involved, though I follow the same process. I have to decide in great detail what their paranormal world is like. I might have to develop a government system or magical abilities.
How long does it take you to write a novel?
I’m a fast typist and a quick thinker. Add to that that I usually have a plot outline when I write, and I’m supersonic, baby!
I can easily write 10,000 words in a day. My record is around 18,000 during a NaNoWriMo. During the 2017 NaNoWriMo, I did 100,000 words in 15 days of writing.
However, I only have full days of writing on the weekends, since I have, and intend to keep a full-time job.
Below is the timeline for The 30-Day Deal.
- June 8 – Spent the evening plotting (4 hours)
- June 9 – Spent all day plotting and writing (about 9 hours) – 6,600 words
- June 10 – Spent most of the day writing and tweakin the characters and plot (10 hours) – Total 20,000 words
- June 11 – Did some writing after work (3 hours) – Total 26,600 words
- June 13 – After work (2 hours) – Total 30,000 words
- June 16 – Did stuff around the house on a Saturday and then did some writing (3 hours) Total 35,500 words
- I put down the book for a while
- August 4 – Reread the book and did some editing and plot changes. Spent a few hours writing (8 hours) – Total 38,000 words
- August 5 – Spent the whole day writing and finished the book (14 hours) – Total 61,800 words
- TOTAL: 53 hours from conception to completion.
Personal
Where do you live?
I live in downtown Seattle, Washington, in the United States.
What do you do for a living?
I work for a technology company in downtown Seattle. I have a bachelor’s degree in Computer Science Engineering. (That’s software development.)
Is Stephenie Wiley your real name?
No darling, it’s a non de plume; an alias. I really don’t want my coworkers or family picking up a romance novel, getting hot over a steamy sex scene, and knowing that I wrote it. Awkward!
What's your relationship status?
I’m divorced with an adult child. I’m hetero and like my men tall, strong, sexy, and cocky. I’m a strong, independent woman.
When I married my ex-husband, I remember thinking that I had to give up the dream of finding a man that made me feel like a heroine in the romance novels I read. That is not the case and I won’t compromise.
I have a great life and if I never marry again, I’ll have a happy life. That doesn’t mean I’m not looking for Mr. Right-For-Me. But he has to make all of my days (and nights) better, and I him.
Do you have pets?
I currently have two pugs. I had a cat that lived to be 17. Boy did she hate it when I brought home a puppy. And then again when I brought home a second pug.
My pugs make me smile every day.
