Thank you so much Savannah for the interview.

Who is Savannah Scott?

Savannah is behind the Getting Shipped! series, otherwise known as the founder of the town of Bordeaux, Ohio.

Interview

What was your inspiration for the Getting Shipped series?

My journey into writing humorous romantic novels began when I found myself naturally infusing humor into my clean romance stories. I became inspired to explore the genre of romantic comedy with more depth, aiming to create a rom-com with both humor and substance. This led to the idea of a protagonist, Lexie, living in Paris, Ohio, with humorous comparisons to Paris, France. Lexie’s character grew, and I developed various scenarios, including online dating and unspoken romantic feelings with a best friend.

Despite initial uncertainty, the first book in this genre proved successful, encouraging me to continue the series. I also participated in a multi-author project, which led to a prequel novella for one of the series’ characters. As I progressed, I gained a clearer vision of the entire series, stemming from my initial curiosity about incorporating humor into their writing and the question of whether Icould sustain humor throughout a full-length book.

What was your inspiration for Are We There Yet?

I wanted to create a new small-town setting. I decided to transition from my previous series into this one by taking a road trip from one town to another.  I did a cross-country road trip from Ohio to California, which inspired elements of the story. The trope of a person falling in love with their best friend’s older sibling,was something I wanted to explore as it’s great to try different romantic tropes in my writing.

How did you choose which character to focus the story? 

The author’s approach to writing involves focusing on characters who naturally emerge as side characters in their stories. They prefer to weave in hints about these characters’ future stories early on, rather than abruptly introducing them later. Their planning process is flexible, and they don’t adhere to a strict outline. While they do plan series, they also allow for spontaneity and adapt to how characters naturally evolve. They have several stories planned, with the order determined by how these characters organically fit into the narrative. The author’s goal is to ensure a seamless transition from one character’s story to the next, and they remain open to how the storylines develop.

What was your process for writing for Are We There Yet?

My creative process involves a lot of daydreaming and allowing characters and scenes to come to them naturally. I might jot down snippets of dialogue or character thoughts as they occur. For a specific book, “Are We There Yet,” which involves travel, I engaged in extensive research. I relied on Google Maps, travel blogs, TripAdvisor, and other sources to gather detailed information about various locations. This particular book required a significant amount of research, making it one of my most research-intensive projects. I would often use Google Maps, virtually exploring places and taking notes on my observations to ensure a realistic and immersive reading experience. While the process could be both tedious and time-consuming, it was also quite enjoyable for me.

What is your approach to world and character building?

My approach to world-building and character development is intuitive and dream-inspired. I don’t actively create worlds or characters, but rather, they seem to emerge from your imagination, often triggered by your dreams or intuitive thoughts. As I progress through a book, the characters and their development become almost like real people, and the worlds they inhabit feel like places I explore rather than consciously craft. Despite being the creator, it feels as though these elements come to me from a source beyond myself, rather than something I actively generate.

How would you describe Are We There Yet in five words?

four friend road trip romcom 

Did you have a favourite moment to write?

I hate writing the beginnings of my books, as I find it challenging and uncertain. However, once I dive into the writing process, I genuinely enjoy it. My favorite part is when the characters in my stories finally fall in love and allow themselves to experience deep emotions. I prefer writing in different environments, like going on retreats in the mountains or by the beach, as well as writing at home on my laptop. I’m flexible with my writing schedule and don’t have a specific time of day I prefer to write; any time works for me.

What was your favourite book growing up?

I don’t think I had one favorite book. I read the little house in the Prairie series, I’d love to that series. I loved there was this book called Jennifer,  Hecate, Macbeth, William McKinley and me, Elizabeth, Narnia, Mrs frisbee and the rats of them was also one of my favorites. I had so many favorite books. My mom read to me out loud and she would always read me the author name and the illustrator name, if they were illustrations. She say ‘these are the people who put this book together and their very important’ and that kind of planted a seed that being an author and illustrator were important things so and I loved books.

Do you have a favourite genre to read?

I will not be very exciting because it is romance and rom-com but I also do like to read some fantasy on occasion. I like older books sometimes that are classics but generally if you looked at my Kindle and myself and everything to ask people what does she read? she reads romance and not only because I write it and I think it’s important to keep the voice alive in my head and so reading things that feed that voice, but reading those kind of books inspires me to have a certain type of voice in my head it just puts that voice back in my head when I sometimes lose it. So I love reading that kind of stuff but I also read a lot of like non-fiction when I get time.