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An Inside Look at How I Wrote My Novella
- Jennifer Peaslee
- Nov 11
- 3 min read
As I've mentioned, my debut novella, Sorority Zombies in Space!, is set to release on November 23. You can read chapter one here. You can also preorder a Kindle version on Amazon.
For this week's post, I'd like to give y'all a behind-the-scenes look at what it was like to write my first novel.
How did I come up with the idea?
SZS originally started as a daydream as I drove 45 minutes to and from work every day. I just had this image of four stereotypical frat bros on an alien planet, and how stupid and funny it would be.
There's this scene in the novella where the bros discover a giant slime monster that can transform into different things. It transforms into boobs. This is how one of the bros reacts:
The bros stood and watched the gelatinous blob squirm and shift, emitting a disgusting squelch, squelch, squelch as it wetly adjusted itself until it resembled a massive pair of— ‟Tiddies!” Rick cried out, delighted. He dropped his makeshift weapon and ran straight for the gigantic tits. With a boyish leap, he bounded atop the breasts and began bouncing, an expression of pure, childlike joy lighting up his face.
That is the first scene I planned out in my mind. The absurdity made me laugh, so I very much hope others share my adolescent sense of humor.
What other titles did I consider?
None. Sorority Zombies in Space! came to me very early on in the process. It was meant to be a placeholder, but I loved it too much to give up. I think it's evocative!
Who designed the cover?
GetCovers! My original idea for the cover was a retro pulp-style image of women running. I used Canva and an AI image generator to create a mock-up:
Apparently, I was considering just using my first initial and last name. I'm glad I didn't stick to that.
Anyway, I can't design a book cover to save my life, but I am also a poor, starving artist (minus the starving part) and do not have the money to spend on a book cover artist. I wish I did. I look forward to the day when I can hire an artist.
Until then, there's GetCovers! They have services starting at $10. (They do not use AI.) I spent more than $10, but far less than I would have elsewhere.
How long did it take to write?
Years. I started in August 2022 and wrote 15,000 words. Then I switched to Scrivener in January 2023. It was slow going for most of 2023 until November, when I participated in NaNoWriMo.
Halfway through NaNo, I ended up trashing nearly everything—which was about 27,000 words—so I could start from scratch. Then I wrote 24,000 words.
How did those fresh 24,000 words turn out? Here are my notes after reading the second draft:
I still had a ways to go! I went through four or five more drafts, each an improvement over the last.
How does the final version differ from the first draft?
Starting out, I was way too ambitious. I had four main characters (but no protagonist, somehow?), and I wanted to write from each POV. But I struggled to keep their voices distinct, and I engaged in a lot of head-hopping.
The final version is entirely from the POV of Todd, an insecure freshman taken in by the manosphere. You get Todd's backstory peppered throughout the story, but you also learn about the other characters: Chad, Rick, and Kyle.
Is this my first novel(la)?
It is not! When I was in high school and college (circa 2006), I wrote a book of interconnected short stories called Text Messages from God.
Each chapter/story began with a Bible verse written in text speak. It was very cute. I am an atheist now, but I'm still proud of that book.
So, there you go! An inside look. If you have any questions for me, drop a comment!
Writing without a paywall is important to me, but writing is work. If you enjoyed this post or found it helpful, I would be honored if you would consider donating.
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