How to Write a Series

How to Write a Series Sequel Prequel Classic Series Franchise Parallel Novel Open Series Serial A Large Book Divided Examples Variant / Feedback Charlie and Chocolate Factory / Charlie and The Great Glass Elevator Princess Academy / Princess Academy: Palace of Stone Jurassic Park / The Lost World Pros: Cons: 1.You can tell longer stories 2.Increased depth of characters, setting, plot 3.Makes fans happy 4.Increased exposure/easier marketing 1. If the first book doesn't do well, sequel will do even worse 2. Difficult line to walk: same but new 3. Tight deadlines with publishers Pros: Cons: 1. Delve deeper into backstory and worldbuilding 2. Fun for the author to explore depths of story 3. Lets readers see original books in new light 4. Can reinvigorate interest in original works 1. Often seen as a money grab, or fan service 2. Can be damaging to original work (Star Wars?) 3. Risks being info-dumpy, less story-driven 4. Won't sell without major fanbase of original Examples The Magician's Nephew / The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe The Silmarillion / The Lord of the Rings Hannibal Rising / Silence of the Lambs The Kill Order / The Maze Runner Pros: Cons: 1. Long-form storytelling 2. Increased depth of characters, setting, plot 3. Can build a strong fanbase 1. If the first book flops, you're stuck 2. Can get repetitive / lose freshness 3. Requires significantly more planning 4. Often harder to sell to a publisher Harry Potter (7 Books) The Wheel of Time (14 Books) Twilight (4 Books) The Hunger Games (3 Books) Examples Pros: Cons: 1. More freedom in planning 2. More freedom in deadlines/scheduling 3. Still get increased depth 4. More accessible to new readers 1. Can get repetitive 2. Can define a writer's career James Bond, by Ian Fleming Jim Chee and Joe Leaphorn, by Tony Hillerman Sharpe's Rifles, by Bernard Cornwell Sadie Hoffmiller's Culinary Mysteries, by Josi Kilpack Jack Ryan, by Tom Clancy Examples Pros: 1. Freedom to make every story different 2. Individual titles become a commodity; you market the series, not single books 3. Very accessible to new readers 1. Can get repetitive 2. Publishing contracts may work differently; lots of authors work on series 3. Lack of depth Nancy Drew Hardy Boys The Babysitter's Club Goosebumps Examples Cons: 1. Can gain good PR through noteworthy concepts 2. Can build on fans of the original work 3. Allows you to explore new points of view 4. Allows you to write in another author's world 1. Possible legal problems 2. Requires a lot of pre-planning and/or research 3. Much less accessible to new readers Ender's Shadow / Ender's Game Grendel / Beowulf The Wind Done Gone / Gone With The Wind Wide Sargasso Sea / Jane Eyre Newport Ladies Book Club Examples Pros: Cons: 1. Different storytelling experience; more episodic, more internal arcs 2. Keeps fans' attention and wanting more 1. Hard to find publishers 2. Requires strict deadlines 3. More opportunities to lose readers 4. Less accessible to new readers Uncle Tom's Cabin, by Harriet Beecher Stowe The Old Curiosity Shop, by Charles Dickens Hot Sleep, by Orson Scott Card The Green Mile, by Stephen King Examples Pros: Cons: 1. VERY long-form storytelling; epic scale 1. Very hard to publish without mitigating circumstances/compromises 2. Can be uneven, or have problems with narrative arcs The Lord of the Rings The Wheel of Time, Books 12-14 The Name of the Wind Examples Tips For Writing a Sequel or Classic Series Pros: Cons: Write An Awesome Book If your first book isn't published, there will never be a Book Two Remember Publishing is Hard You should never write Book Two until you have a contract in your hand for Book One Make Sure Your Series is the Right Size Plan Even if you're a discovery writer, you have to plan There are lots of ways to plan (This is a Google search of "Story Structure") So, choose one. I use Dan Wells' 7-Point Plot Structure: 1. Hook 2. Plot Turn 1 3. Pinch 1 4. Midpoint 5. Pinch 2 6. Plot Turn 2 7. Resolution Hook Plot Turn 1 Pinch 1 Midpoint Pinch 2 Plot Turn 2 Resolution Hook Plot Turn 1 Pinch 2 Midpoint Pinch 2 Plot Turn 2 Resolution Hook Plot Turn 1 Pinch 2 Midpoint Pinch 2 Plot Turn 2 Resolution Hook Plot Turn 1 Pinch 2 Midpoint Pinch 2 Plot Turn 2 Resolution The Series Structure Book One Book Two Book Three Character Bibles/Encyclopedia Things to include: Names Appearance Background Story Arcs Character Relationships Anything Else Useful 76 Starting Characters Split into 3 gangs Characters die Characters change allegiance Other secret stuff happens This was really hard to keep track of, so: I MAPPED IT ALL OUT Variants Havoc The Society I also kept track of: Clothes Hairstyles Tattoos Hometowns etc General Tips: Foreshadowing, Foreshadowing, Foreshadowing Don't Include Details You're Not Ready To Deal With Leave Questions Unanswered / Don't Solve Every Problem Fulfill Promises to the Reader Characters They need a book arc and a series arc They need enough issues (or big enough issues) to carry them through the series Luke Skywalker A New Hope Empire Strikes Back Return of the Jedi Growth: Naive Farmboy Successful Rebel Successful Rebel Aware Jedi Trainee Aware Jedi Trainee Jedi Knight Something to Think About: Unlearn What You Have Learned “It’s going to be the Empire Strikes Back of the series.” What does that mean, exactly? Of course, you can make a few assumptions: it will be darker than the first film it will contain unforeseen twists the ending will likely be a cliffhanger and something of a downer. In fact, there is a general expectation that the second part of a trilogy will always follow the “darker before it gets lighter” mentality. While that is a natural function in good storytelling, it doesn’t mean that the entire second film needs to be a paragon of misery and brutal life lessons. But Empire is the film to beat in Trilogy Land, so Hollywood follows to the tune of the Imperial March every time. --Emily Asher-Perrin Entire city is crime-ridden Marty's mom is the abused wife of Biff Marty's dad is murdered Tearing human hearts out Child slaves Beating child slaves More gruesome, icky, etc Evey is murdered in front of her husband and son Even the reincarnated girl mummy turns on her mummy boyfriend Will's father has to whip his son Lies and deceit aplenty All the characters we're supposed to like backstab each other I am not endeavoring to make a case that all of these films are inherently awful, but I think the trend is lamentable. There is no real reason why the second installments of trilogies need to be such a complete turnaround from the initial material presented in the first films. --Emily Asher-Perrin Robison Wells Questions?