Steamy small town romance author Zee Irwin talks creative process: writing a chapter a day, plotting in the car, 50 books in 5 years & advice for new writers.
I recently sat down with Karen of Karen's World of Art for a podcast conversation about my creative process — and it turned into one of my favorite chats I've had about this wild author life. We met at an author event in St. Charles, MO (Sassy in St. Louis) where Karen stopped by my table, and I'm honored to say I was her first podcast guest!
Watch the Interview on YouTube Here.
How do I find time to write?
The honest answer: it's changed over the years. When I was working a full-time job with a two-hour commute, I wrote in stolen pockets — ten minutes while the pasta boiled, dictating scenes into my phone in the car, getting up at 5 a.m., writing sprints with a friend at 4 p.m. Now that I write full time (three years and counting!), my goal is simpler: write first, before email, before my phone, before the ten other things a self-published author has to do every day.
"If I can get a chapter done a day consistently, it all adds up to a full book over a month."
When is the best time of day to write?
Whenever the idea strikes! Mornings are creatively fresher, but I'm a midnight writer about half the time. And my secret weapon is the car: something about driving activates the storytelling part of my brain. I turn on my phone's recorder and just talk — and I've plotted my way out of many a stuck middle at 60 miles an hour. The iPhone transcribes it all, and suddenly I've got 500 to 1,000 words or more.
"If I'm stuck on a plot problem, I'll usually find the answer while I'm driving."
How do I know what to write?
Ideas have never been my problem. I was an only child, and I've had characters and made-up worlds living in my head my whole life. My stories usually start with one couple in a fictional small town — then the side characters show up, and before I know it, there's a whole series. That's how I've ended up with eight small towns across my books (you can visit them all on my Small Town Romance Road Trip map HERE.)
As for craft: I'm a discovery writer, not a full plotter, but I rely on Gwen Hayes' Romancing the Beat to structure my romances — about 20 beats every romance needs to hit. That's how ideas become actual stories for me.
How long does it take to write a book?
I've written 50 books in five years — roughly half are novellas (30k–40k words) and half are novels (50k—65k words). I've written a whole novel in a weekend under deadline pressure, but I'll be honest: I've been working to leave the pressure-cooker habits behind in favor of consistency, better sleep, and steadier writing. A chapter a day beats a panicked weekend.
"I want to give my readers a good story to fall in love with for a few hours — to escape into for a weekend."
Why did I choose self-publishing?
I've always been an entrepreneur — I've run wedding, floral, and event businesses, I have a master's in marketing, and I've taught entrepreneurship. Self-publishing is the best of all those worlds wrapped into one, plus the creative work: I even design most of my own covers. I love being in charge of the whole process, from start to finished product. That said, I'm not opposed to working with traditional publishers someday.
My advice for first-time authors:
Write what you love. I started out attempting historical westerns and discovered I hated the research. Then I found steamy contemporary romance, spent the better part of a year just reading in that genre, and knew: steamy small town romance, found families that grow across a series, heroes from billionaires to hockey players to cowboys — that's my home. Read a lot in your genre so you know what readers expect, then write the thing you can't stop thinking about. Don't chase trends you don't love.
"Read a lot, figure out what you love — and if you love it, you can write it."
Thank you again to Karen for having me. Be sure to go follow Karen's World of Art and cheer her on as she launches her podcast!
Want to see what all this process produces? My current series is The Alphas Fall Hard — ex-military men on a Montana horse rescue ranch, with illustrated covers and cute titles like Cozy Cabin for Two, Apple of My Eye, and Spice Is Nice. Start with Cozy Cabin for Two and keep on reading through the series. Or join Zee's VIPs for a free ebook and weekly book news.
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