Series writing (or what I wish I knew before I began writing this series)
I have a universe, that I created from scratch, I have a large Word document with all the worlds listed and their attributes, another that has all the races, another with all the mystical tools used in my novels, and separate documents for each character and each novel that I'm writing. I thought when I begun my novels that I needed an event that would stretch over all thirteen, only to find out that what I thought was not how it actually was (see section on What is a Book Series?). I think at this point, I will end my present main Villains arc at book four (for now).
What is a Book Series?:
A book series is a set of books that share certain characteristics and are identified together as a group. They’re most often written by the same author.
In fiction, many series star the same protagonist or share common characters. It’s also common for the stories to progress from one another. However, there are examples of works in a series that can stand alone—that is, they don’t need to be read in any particular order, such as the Nancy Drew series.
Nonfiction books can also be written as a series, with different books expanding on different subtopics.
Following is a list of varying series types and examples as pinched from TCK publishing, 8 tips (link following).
Serial
This type is most likely what comes to mind when you hear the term “series.” It follows one overarching narrative that is told in several chronological instalments.
One popular serial example is the Harry Potter series: to be properly understood and appreciated, they must be read in order, and the books follow a central plot that lines up with the main character’s arc
Episodic
An episodic series features self-contained stories with a strong protagonist who readers want to follow on adventure after adventure. It’s this character, rather than an ongoing storyline, that connects the instalments.
For the most part, these books don’t need to be read in order to enjoy the experience. This is a common format for mystery and thriller series.
Interlinked
In an interlinked series, all of the books take place in the same world, but they might feature different protagonists who may or may not be connected.
Like an episodic series, interlinked books can be enjoyed independently of one another and in any order.
One example is The Century Trilogy by Ken Follett. This series follows five families from five different countries as they struggle from generation to generation and endure three wars.
How to Write a Series:
- Outline your series in advance (So, So Important)
- Establish main characters early, but reveal back stories slowly, make sure your characters are fleshed out fully and that they are interesting
- Series can be set in the same universe, but not necessarily including an overall plot (for all books in the series, they can all be stand alone, but based in the same place)
- There is no rule as to how long a series should be (though most don't state anything near 13 for an over reaching plot lol)
- Ensure that the plot is loose enough to allow changes to occur
- Create a universe that is interesting enough to keep not only your characters going, but your readers wanting to come back for more
- KEEP A MASTER DOCUMENT that is accessible with the tangents (each book) listed and what happens to the characters/ world/ villain/ overall plot
That was an interesting closer look at series. I started one with a plan to write three books, but when I got to the end of book 3, I felt compelled to add another volume. Mine need to be read in order, mainly to understand the relationship between the main characters. (the romantic subplot). There are loose connections between the main plots of each. It's an interesting adventure for me...my first serial series.
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