You are on the precipice of womanhood and have become obsessed with an ex-convict, Roman. She introduces you to the dangerous and honest side of life that no one else has been able to. As she unapologetically places you in scandalous situations, you begin making self-destructive decisions. Depending on which decisions you choose, you may taste Roman’s blood, get branded with a searing screwdriver, or date a married man – all while each choice challenges what it means to be a woman, real, or both.
In this interactive novel, readers have twenty-four possible pathways with four unique endings to explore the wild that is growing up girl.
Raising Women is undeniably candid in how it mirrors the hoops girls jump through to bargain their place in society. Waite illuminates the desperate craving they have for belonging in a culture that is quick to cast them as pawns on a chessboard.
Author's note: While, as a whole, Raising Women is the length of a novel, you would actually be reading less. Each pathway is the length of a short novella (and I wouldn’t expect you to read more than one pathway unless you wanted to).
"I really enjoyed this style of pathway storytelling. Roman . . . was intriguing and infuriating at the same time. The voice is extremely strong. Waite literally pulls us in and doesn't let us go until the very end!"
"Waite builds a story with consistencies through each path... As someone who had her first child at thirteen, I appreciated the candor and real-world insight."
"Less a journey and more a plummet through a mad funhouse of personal discovery, risky behaviors, and strange bedfellows, to a place where the reader overturns narrative stones and returns time and again for those left unturned, and the questionable choices become theirs with every turn of the page."
"Raising Women offers insight on how to acknowledge the human being and their experience, shattering any judgements of what a “real” woman should be, look and think like."
"As I’m reading the book, I’m legit like omg I knew this girl (Roman) growing up."
"Raising Women is a book that knows you. It knows all your secrets. It knows all the thoughts you've had. It knows what choices you've made, as well as the choices you'd change if you could go back and be a teenage girl again. It also knows that sometimes, a little self-discovery is the scariest thing of all."
"The whole story has followed You creating an identity as a woman amidst an infinity of mixed signals and potential dangers, and these lines really take that to a deeper level by pointing at the fact that this is not exclusive to You. The end adds to this final realization and seems to be speaking about how women are asked to sacrifice who they are."
Unlock the secrets to captivate your audience with interactive fiction! Learn from this author interview on how to create engaging and immersive stories. Join us on Stories and Stanza for an in-depth discussion with Shannon Waite, the author of the interactive fiction novel 'Raising Women.' Based in Detroit, Michigan, Shannon draws inspiration from the Choose Your Own Adventure series to create a narrative targeting millennial women. The story follows a teenage girl and her friend Roman, exploring themes of reality, identity, and womanhood. We delve into Shannon's creative process, from planning and outlining to crafting multiple plot paths and endings. Featuring insights into the challenges of independent publishing, the importance of understanding one's audience, and a review by fellow author Rebecca Jones Howe, this episode offers a comprehensive look at literary innovation and the resilience required to bring a story to life. Don't miss an intriguing excerpt from the novel and exclusive information on upcoming projects and how to pre-order the book.
In this captivating episode of the Phase 4 Podcast, we welcome award-winning writer and educator Shannon Waite to the podcast. Shannon is the author of Raising Women, an interactive and innovative transgressive fiction novel that invites readers to determine how the story unfolds, immersing them in the wild and often turbulent journey of growing up as a girl. Her stories breach societal norms, the characters who dare to defy them, and the wounds that shape our shared humanity. With two bachelor’s degrees in English and Creative Writing and an MA in Teaching and Curriculum, Shannon brings a unique perspective to storytelling and education. We discuss how her work challenges readers to confront uncomfortable truths and explore their own narratives. Shannon also shares insights into her teaching journey, inspiring the next generation of creative thinkers and writers. Whether you’re passionate about contemporary and transgressive literature, curious about the power of interactive storytelling, or simply looking for inspiration to challenge norms, this episode is one you won’t want to miss.
"One of the writers present during the Local Author Fair was Shannon Waite, who teaches creative writing and English in the Detroit area on top of writing “Raising Women: An Interactive Novel.”
“Raising Women: An Interactive Novel” follows a similar structure to “Choose Your Own Adventure” novels. The plot contains some more mature elements as the main character, a girl on the “precipice of womanhood,” comes to meet an ex-convict named Roman who becomes a mentor for the main character.
Throughout the story, the reader may find themselves in different potentially destructive situations that are meant to explore the different aspects of female experiences.
“A couple years ago, I was thinking it would be cool to reread the books I love in a different way and last year, I ran with it,” Waite said.
“‘Choose Your Own Adventure’ books are usually for kids but this book presents readers with gritty, questionable choices.”"
