​When I first started teaching, I was working with my students on how to write an explanation for a process. Last week, I shared an example that I wrote for my students with a quick breakdown of the process of writing a book. This weekend, I thought it would be fun to share my breakdown of the process after going through the writing, editing, and publishing process for my TENTH book!
 
I’ve kept last week’s notes in here in black, so you can see the original, but the writing in blue contains my 2025 opinions and comments about each part of the process.
 
 
How to Write a Book, by Breyanna Evans (with 2025 commentary)
First, you need an idea. The idea is a central part of the writing process. It is what keeps you organized, motivated, inspired, and allows you the initial push you need to begin your writing project.
 
I still believe that you need an idea to start with. Without an idea, having the drive to complete a story is much more difficult to maintain.
 
 
 
Once you have an idea, then you need something to write on. Anything will do for the drafting phase. You can write your first draft by hand, on a napkin, type it up in your phone… the possibilities are endless: And here’s an even cooler part of the drafting process: It can be anything. You can create your draft whatever way you want to. Some authors have been said to have written their drafts for novels on napkins in restaurants!
 
Yes, you may be able to tell that I wrote this as an example for my middle schoolers. I do still feel that the first draft can be written on anything. The first 75% of my debut novel was drafted in a composition notebook. I think the most important thing is to get the words on the page, and for many, writing on paper for the first draft is most helpful. Often, it allows people the freedom to write without being tempted to go back and edit, and it also allows for fresh eyes for story developments as the story goes from hand-written draft to typed manuscript.
 
I will say that I do a lot of idea jotting and outlining via handwritten notes on blank white paper, but I do the majority of my drafting by typing into a document. I personally prefer typing my rough draft from the start because it saves me time, and it allows me to find my notes within the document more easily.
 
I would also add to this section that there’s some brainstorming, outlining, or WHAT IF work during or before the drafting process.
 
 
 
While you are writing your rough draft, do your best to write a beginning, a middle, and an end, and try to make your scenes and chapters flow well from one to the next. This organization doesn’t have to be done in the drafting phase, but if it is, it can make your editing process much easier to complete.
 
I still agree with this portion. I think that the more of an idea you can have for your story structure prior to writing it, the more cohesive your story will be, and the less deep.
 
Rather than just focusing on a beginning, a middle, and an end, however, I AT LEAST like to try to have my beginning (including world building and my inciting incident), my rising action (including the major conflicts that my characters will face), at least a rough draft of the climax (or my character’s turning point/darkest moment), my falling action (or how the story winds down), and at least a very rough draft of my resolution.
 
 
 
When you have finished your rough draft (emphasis on ROUGH), you are ready to begin the first read. This is the part of the writing process often referred to as the macro edit, where you read the story to make sure that the story as a whole works. You are not editing or searching for mistakes in your writing: You are merely reading to make sure that everything makes sense. Does your plot work, do your scenes flow, do your characters seem real and fulfill their purposes?  The macro edit is meant to answer all of these questions.
 
Simply put, I still agree with just about everything I wrote for this step of the process. Although I now like to call this part of the process a developmental edit (because it’s more helpful in reminding me the purpose of the edit and what I’m focusing on).
 
For every story I write, I have a developmental edit where I read through the full story (or have an editor read through the story) and look for areas that need to be improved, then for many stories, I will do a full re-write of the story so that I can fix these things more seamlessly as I go. For other stories, I make those changes and make a note to check to make sure I’ve smoothed everything out in my next edit.
 
 
 
After the first read, you may begin the micro editing process. As its name implies, the micro edit is where you pick your piece apart: Search for errors in grammar, spelling, punctuation, and dialogue. These are tiny things that make a world of difference in your draft.
 
After editing comes formatting. This is the step that allows you to make your document your own, with a style that suits you. You can change page colors, sizes, numbers, edit your font, and create chapter headers. If you choose to put a table of contents in yourmanuscript, this is the step you would want to do it in, after you have completed all of your chapter headings.

For these two parts of the publishing process, I have made changes in my own process as I have evolved as a writer. First, I find that formatting my book prior to going into my micro edit (which I now call my proofreading/line editing) allows me to catch more errors. Often, changing font or formatting allows you a fresh perspective of the manuscript, which can be very helpful in catching tricky little errors.

 
Finally, you send your manuscript off for copyright and beta-reading. Did you know that once you have written a manuscript, even if you don’t send it off for legal copyrighting, if you can prove you wrote the script, it is technically already copyrighted to you? Cool, huh!

Lastly, create your cover. Many authors hire professionals to design and create their cover so it can be as appealing and marketable as possible. However, if you have a talent for it and you know what types of covers suit your particular genre, you can create a cover of your own.

Okay, I’ve got a lot to say about this chunk here.

I do still send off my manuscript for copyright prior to sending it out for beta reading. It always makes me feel just a little bit more comfortable if I’ve already registered my copyright with the Library of Congress before I send my book out for other people to read. I do this much earlier in the process, these days, though.

I now send my book off for copyright after my developmental edit and send it off for beta reading right away after that.

I also start my cover design process much earlier as well. I find that it’s helpful to start designing my cover (or finding someone to work on my cover) when I’m about halfway finished with my first draft. This allows me to have enough story to know what vibes and color schemes I want to be on my cover. I also design my own covers, so starting early allows me to chip away and make adjustments as my manuscript evolves.
 
Now, you’re off to be published, which is a process all in its own. Congratulations on completing your manuscript, and good luck!

I still agree that the publishing process is its own beast, and much of it depends on writer preferences and opportunities available.
 
Thank you for reading! A lot has changed for me in the last few years that has forced me to tweak and reform my writing and editing processes.

Hey everyone! I was able to start drafting the third book in the Bound trilogy, and I’m super excited about it. I’ve only been writing again for a little less than two weeks, but I wanted to share a quick update with you all. 

This book has been on my mind a lot over the last couple of months as I’ve been in the final revision processes for Twice in a Lifetime, so I thought that getting back to writing would be easy. 

I’ve now been back to drafting the third book in the Fated trilogy for the last two weeks. Every night, when my kiddo goes to bed (and sometimes early in the morning if I get up before he wakes up), I sit down and write for a minimum of 30 minutes. 

Some really amazing things have happened.

First, I’m consistently making 1,000 to 1,600 every time I sit down to write. The story is flying out of me, and I’m so excited to be back into it!

Second, I had one night that I got a total of 243 words on the page due to having a splitting headache that screens were making unbearable. So I put my devices away and decided to jot down some ideas on paper…

And it. Went. Amazingly. 

In an hour, I had a full, detailed outline of the entire story. I normally don’t outline more than touching on the major things I want to happen, but with this book being the finale, I really wanted to give it the care and attention it deserves before and during my drafting stage. I also got the ending worked out, answered a bunch of plot hole questions I had, and… got an idea for a related book series. 

Even though I didn’t get much actual writing on the page, I made leaps and bounds of progress for the story itself.

I am now almost 25,000 words into my first draft, and I’m loving every minute I get to write it.

I have also been able to add new songs to my fantasy writing playlist (I’ll link it here) - thank you Dark Souls! 

That’s pretty much the update. The Bound trilogy has meant so much to me. It’s the series that really put me on the map as an author, it’s the series that took place at the right time (when my expertise matched the level of my ideas). Because this book has been on my mind so much over the last few months, I am thrilled beyond words to be able to write consistently in this book again. 

Explaining a Process: How to Write A Book (Part 1)
 
When I first started teaching, I was working with my students on how to write an explanation for a process. To provide them with an example, I wrote the following information about how to write a book. NEXT WEEKEND, I will follow up to this post with an update and see how true this still is for my process. For now, I wanted to share the unchanged information I gave my middle-school students years ago.
 
How to Write a Book, by Breyanna Evans
First, you need an idea. The idea is a central part of the writing process. It is what keeps you organized, motivated, inspired, and allows you the initial push you need to begin your writing project.
 
Once you have an idea, then you need something to write on. Anything will do for the drafting phase. You can write your first draft by hand, on a napkin, type it up in your phone… the possibilities are endless: And here’s an even cooler part of the drafting process: It can be anything. You can create your draft whatever way you want to. Some authors have been said to have written their drafts for novels on napkins in restaurants!
 
While you are writing your rough draft, do your best to write a beginning, a middle, and an end, and try to make your scenes and chapters flow well from one to the next. This organization doesn’t have to be done in the drafting phase, but if it is, it can make your editing process much easier to complete.
 
When you have finished your rough draft (emphasis on ROUGH), you are ready to begin the first read. This is the part of the writing process often referred to as the macro edit, where you read the story to make sure that the story as a whole works. You are not editing or searching for mistakes in your writing: You are merely reading to make sure that everything makes sense. Does your plot work, do your scenes flow, do your characters seem real and fulfill their purposes?  The macro edit is meant to answer all of these questions.
 
After the first read, you may begin the micro editing process. As its name implies, the micro edit is where you pick your piece apart: Search for errors in grammar, spelling, punctuation, and dialogue. These are tiny things that make a world of difference in your draft.
 
After editing comes formatting. This is the step that allows you to make your document your own, with a style that suits you. You can change page colors, sizes, numbers, edit your font, and create chapter headers. If you choose to put a table of contents in your manuscript, this is the step you would want to do it in, after you have completed all of your chapter headings.
 
Finally, you send your manuscript off for copyright and beta-reading. Did you know that once you have written a manuscript, even if you don’t send it off for legal copyrighting, if you can prove you wrote the script, it is technically already copyrighted to you? Cool, huh!
Lastly, create your cover. Many authors hire professionals to design and create their cover so it can be as appealing and marketable as possible. However, if you have a talent for it and you know what types of covers suit your particular genre, you can create a cover of your own.
 
Now, you’re off to be published, which is a process all in its own. Congratulations on completing your manuscript, and good luck!
​

A lot has changed with my process and my knowledge about writing books in the years since I wrote this example for my students. I’m excited to share with you what’s changed next week!

Today's post will be short, but it's completely sincere! As I’ve been doing more and more book signing events and connecting with more and more readers online, I have learned that, while I appreciate ALL my readers, I especially appreciate a certain kind of reader.
 
I appreciate the readers who reach out when they finished the book to tell me what they thought about it (even if they didn’t like it. Their experience is valid, and I’m always looking for ways I can improve). 
 
I appreciate readers who send me pictures of them with their copy. <3
 
I appreciate the readers who seek me out at follow-up book signing events.
 
I appreciate readers who share their own writing journeys and experiences with me!
 
I appreciate readers who send me their responses to specific moments within the book. 
 
I appreciate readers who have supported me from the start, or who have gone back to read my earlier works after discovering me later. 
 
I appreciate readers who sign up for my email list.
 
I appreciate readers who engage with my posts and follow my journey. 
 
I appreciate readers who share my books with their friends and family. 
 
To all readers, thank you for supporting my writing endeavors. To the readers I listed today, THANK YOU!

This post is a little bit late - it's been a very busy weekend! I got to babysit my niece while her little sister was being born, and then I had book signing event yesterday. Thank you all for your patience!

Today, I wanted to share 5 helpful tips I've learned over the last nine months or so that make a huge difference for my book signing events. Hopefully, it'll help any authors out there looking to start doing (or improving) these events. 

TIP #1

• Offer Free Stuff - People love free stuff, especially readers. Personally, I love giving out things like bookmarks, stickers, and business cards. I've recently started bringing some kind of treat with me, and at yesterday's book signing event, I had some book bags and t-shirts with my author information on them to hand out to those really awesome customers that stop by the table. I've learned over the last couple of months that donuts and chocolate seem to do really well for inviting people to come and interact. 

TIP #2

• Talk to People - This one should be pretty obvious, but you'd be surprised how many authors don't really try to talk to people who walk by (or sometimes even those who stop at their tables). In my experience, chatting makes a big difference. It lets people know that you see them, and that they're important to you. Some things I use to start the conversation include...
  1. Asking about kids (parents are busy, and often grumpy, but many of them love to talk about their kiddos)
  2. Asking how their day is going
  3. Asking what they like to read
  4. Just saying hi
  5. Ask about books they're holding

TIP #3

• Share What's Coming Next - Book signings are an excellent opportunity to share cover reveals, release date announcements, etc. for your next book. I've started doing this recently, and it's actually gotten a lot of people interested not just in what I've got on the table, but in my next release, too!

TIP #4

• Have A Couple Copies of Your Previous Works on Hand - It's great if you can have a book signing event for all of your books, but if you're having an event to highlight one particular book (or series), it's very helpful to have at least a couple copies of your other books around. People are interested, and some will ask what else you've got out there. Having a copy available can make all the difference for a reader who is interested in the moment. 

TIP #5

• Have Your Information Available and Easily Accessible - I've got lots of information out on my table in various formats.
  1. I've got a sign with my influences, hobbies, etc. (it's kind of an extended About the Author page).
  2. I've got business cards available. Both my business cards and my about the author sign have a QR code that takes people directly to my website.
  3. I also have a bookmark that I share with my website and contact information, as well as a list of my published works on the back.
  4. With each book purchase, I share a little piece of paper with a thank you note, places where the reader can review the book, and my contact information.
  5. I also have an email list sign up sheet. After each book signing event, I run a giveaway for anyone who signed up to receive some free book merch, a signed book copy, or other book related items.

BONUS TIP: I've learned that people don't really like being the first person to sign up for my email list, so I often bring the same sign up sheet from the book signing previous to take that "first sign up" pressure off the folks who come to my table. 

Thanks for reading! Remember, for me, these book signings are all about connecting with potential readers. I love talking with people in these settings, because as people, they're all important to me. It's fascinating to have a conversation with other people. If you prefer to be more reserved, that's totally okay. Everyone has their own preferences. The key I like to remind myself of is that they're people first, and potential readers second. Nobody I know likes it when you try to force them to buy your stuff. I've found it helps to make the connection, and then if they're interested in making a purchase, great! 

For anyone who is new to the blog, welcome! Your feedback and questions are welcome and always appreciated. 

I just returned from a six-day vacation on the Oregon coast.

My family and I visited the Oregon Zoo, where my two year old got to see some amazing animals and wander through beautiful pathways, following and mimicking the dozens of kindergarteners that happened to be there on t a field trip on the same day.

We visited Cannon Beach, with its clean white sands, large rock structures, and beautiful (COLD) crystal blue waters. We got to play in the sand and chase sparkling white waves as they came and went along the shoreline. 

We visited the Japanese Gardens on a rainy day, which for me was absolutely perfect. We got to wander the paths and read some of the history behind the garden’s origins. We were surrounded by forest and flowers and the sound of water trickling by everywhere we went. We arrived at the Koi ponds right at feeding time, so we got to see these large, majestic looking animals swarm the surface, their glittering, gleaming scales reflecting what sunlight filtered down through the clouds. And let’s not forget the elegant, simple Japanese architecture we found throughout the entire garden. I was so deeply moved by my entire experience that I actually got emotional, and I didn’t want to leave. 

We drove through the city and walked through downtown Portland, where we visited Break Bread and had some delicious sandwiches, cookies, and root beer. 

We then hiked up to Benson Bridge at Multnomah Falls and felt the mist from the large waterfall spray down on us. We got to look out at the scenic view below us. We visited the gift shop and had an ice cream before heading back toward the parking lot. 
​
We ended off our trip at a little hidden beach along the Columbia River, watching sailboats and wave runners pass beneath the bridges. The sand at this location wasn’t quite as clean or as light, but in the sunlight, it was in some ways even more beautiful, as it sparkled like there were bits of gold or glitter mixed in along the entire beach. 

As busy as it was (we tried to do something big each day we were out there), it truly was a relaxing experience, and being so surrounded by nature in different environments, I found myself with many deeply reflective moments. 

For me, these moments are everything. Not only because they’re a time for me to really stop and experience things, but also because these reflections spark boatloads of inspiration for my writing. 

Whenever I travel to a new place, I like to do a few things every time: 
1. I like to take lots of pictures. Yes, I take pictures because I want to remember the experience with my family. I take pictures because I want my son to look back at the places we’ve been and be able to see how he felt about each place, what he did, and how much he’s grown. But I also like to take pictures so I can remind myself of how inspired I felt when I was in that location. 
​
​2. I like to really stop and observe my surroundings and emerge myself in whatever experience we get into. Whether we’re at the zoo, on the beach, traipsing through a city, driving through the forest, or sitting beneath a beautiful waterfall, I give the world as much attention with all of my senses as I can spare. Doing so allows me tap into the same feeling I get when I’m writing (particularly world building), and inspires some ridiculous creativity that transfers to the page later on. 

Now, during this trip, I didn’t spend much time writing. The writing time I did set aside was used to proofread my next book, so I didn’t get much fresh content on the page. However, I did take the time to jot down some poetry each time we finished our adventuring for the day, and I took some time on a couple of days to journal about our experiences. 

​Although I didn’t spend much time actually writing while we were out there, I still have a renewed sense of excitement and inspiration that I will carry with me through the next few weeks, and I hope to ride the wave while I can. Thank you for reading about our adventure from the past week! I have so much more to share with you, but this post is getting long, so I’ll have to save it for another time. I’d love to know… How does traveling affect your writing?