Get ready to learn more about the book Leveled in this discussion with sapphic author Serena J. Bishop.
Join us for an exclusive peek behind the scenes as we quiz Serena J. Bishop about Leveled, writing, reading, and more.
This book is part of the Maryland category in the 2026 IHS Reading Challenge.
Why did you write Leveled?
While this book was my third published, the idea for the story was the first novel I ever wrote. I started drafting when I was in graduate school and I had time on my hands due to major equipment failures (an incubator for cell culture and -80 freezer) and started writing this story I had in my head of a relationship system. Since I was surrounded by all things academia at the time, I set the story at a fictitious college, Chesapeake Bay University, and centered the rom-com around two professors.
Who is your favorite character in the book?
My favorite character is Missy, the rather loud and filterless sister of the protagonist, Perse. I’m very different from Missy; however, we both dislike watching soccer.
What was the biggest challenge writing this book?
When I first wrote the book, I had written in from Stef’s POV. However, Stef is a highly logical character; therefore, the reader would know what was coming next. After sleeping on it many nights, I finally came to the unfortunate conclusion that I had to rewrite the novel from Perse’s POV. The story is much more unpredictable and humorous that way.
What part of Leveled was the most fun to write?
The scene where Stef explains her relationship system to Perse is by far my favorite. Not only did I have to create a system of levels to begin with, but I had to do so in a way that would make sense to someone who is highly logical (not a far stretch from my personality). Creating Perse’s reactions to it was also entertaining, because her character loves learning about other people and cultures, so while she was bewildered where certain levels came from, she asked questions.
What is your favorite line from your book?
“How many levels are there?”
“Six. Dating, love, orgasms, family meetings, cohabitation, and marriage.”
What is your writing process like?
Um, I am an extreme plotter. I have literal maps of places and destinations. I outline into the dozens of pages with hyperlinks. I create spreadsheets with word counts to analyze my pacing. The pantsing scares the bejeebus out of me. I feel that being a plotter I limit possible plot holes and can insure I have a solid story before I start writing.
What’s your favorite writing snack or drink?
Black coffee. I’m at my most creative in the morning, so a cup of hot coffee waking up my brain and making connections for different creative ideas is heaven. Bonus if there is a leftover sweet treat from the week to go with it.
How do you celebrate when you finish your book?
There’s usually a meal in the story that has significance, so I like to celebrate with as close a proximity to that meal as possible. For this book, I made risotto and had wine.
When you’re writing an emotional or difficult scene, how do you set the mood?
I have playlists for all of my books. Either the lyrics or the music itself sets the mood to inspire me to write. To say that I listen to the same songs over and over hundred times for each book would not be an unreasonable statement.
Have you ever hated one of your characters?
Yes, absolutely, and this is where I need to remember the advise of my developmental editor, “secondary characters are the main character of their own story.” I have to remember that something happened to this person to make them this way and a character that is 100% evil isn’t interesting. A character 100% good also isn’t interesting. So, while it does pain me sometimes, I have to give my villains some shred of positivity.
What type of books do you enjoy reading the most?
I actually prefer reading non-fiction the most. I love learning and with non-fiction, I feel that I’m enhancing my knowledge of something and being entertained.
Describe your favorite reading spot.
A cozy chair and blanket while sipping tea on vacation. I wish I could say someplace outside, but I use an e-reader most of the time and the glare is impossible to deal with.
