OLD POST ALERT! This is an older post and although you might find some useful tips, any technical or publishing information is likely to be out of date. Please click on Start Here on the menu bar above to find links to my most useful articles, videos and podcast. Thanks and happy writing! – Joanna Penn
I recently heard PD James (aged 91) and Ruth Rendell (aged 81) speak in conversation with each other. They are both Baronesses with innumerable honorary degrees and between them have over 100 published books. James has the Adam Dalgliesh and Rendell the Inspector Wexford mysteries which have formed the backbone of their literary works for the last 45+ years. They are excellent role models for the aspiring author who wants to create a long term writing career.
Here are my issues and suggestions on how you can avoid the same pitfalls. Please also let me know your tips in the comments.
(1) Continuation of character history, physical and personality traits
I thought I knew my characters well but when it came to writing scenes and fleshing them out in Prophecy, I realized I couldn't remember certain aspects. Does Morgan have a violet slash in her right or left eye? Where does Jake come from? Did Morgan actually meet Martin Klein, the Brain of the ARKANE Institute? How old is little Gemma? Where did Morgan's parents meet and why did they split up? I had rough notes from writing Pentecost but no official character sheets to follow. I ended up re-reading Pentecost and copying sections of the book into different pages per character and using them as guidelines for Prophecy so these pages now act as character sheets which I will add on for the next book.
(2) How much to repeat in case people don't start with the first book
With series books there is always an aspect of setting the scene again. You have to explain characters or part of the fundamental storyline in subsequent books in case people start reading that one first. I think each book should be a stand-alone as well as being able to be read in sequence but it's hard to know what to repeat and also how to phrase it without sounding repetitious. For example, I have to explain that ARKANE stands for the Arcane Religious Knowledge And Numinous Experience Institute and that it has a secret base below Trafalgar Square in London from which they solve religious and spiritual mysteries. ARKANE is consistent across the books. I don't want to bore previous readers so I can't include too much detail but I need to explain it for new readers. The challenge is balancing these respective needs.
(3) What I remember vs what I actually wrote
When writing a book we cut out a lot of scenes and extraneous material in the rewrites and editing process. Because Pentecost was my first novel, I had so much source material and research as well as a lot of rewrites and editing. In approaching Prophecy I found I couldn't really remember what I included in the book and what was still in my head or on discarded passages which of course, the reader wouldn't know about. The only cure for this is to re-read the first book again (or the whole series again if you are further on). I must say I was very scared to re-read Pentecost, wondering if I would be upset with it and want to rewrite that instead! But I am still happy with the book and I refreshed my memory on the details.
(4) Retrofitting cover design and branding
(5) A story in itself but also part of a series
Each book must be a stand-alone story with its own plot, character arcs etc but the challenge of a series is also to tie the new book into the old one and close off the open questions left hanging at the end of the prequel. It must also open new questions that will be tackled in the next book so you can get people ready to buy the next in the series. Ideally, one would plan the whole series end to end and indeed some fantasy authors do this kind of extensive world-building. I have been a ‘pantser' in this regard, flying by the seat of my pants and just waiting for serendipity to give me new material to work with. I'd like to get this process more organized with the next few books. I always had Prophecy after Pentecost but now I have at least 5 more books planned, it would be better to at least roughly outline a path through that so I don't end up writing this post again next year!
(6) Does the protagonist change within the book or over a series of books?
Lee Child's protagonist, Jack Reacher, doesn't change, he is always the loner hero, but others change around him. There is no central character arc but there are other people who change. In a similar manner, James Bond never changes across multiple adventures. This is the type of model I want to follow but that doesn't gel with most writing advice that focuses on a central character arc.
(7) How to cope with timescale over multiple books
A thriller must always have some kind of ticking clock that keeps the pace going. There must be high stakes worth caring about and potentially dying for. This makes the adventures pretty hardcore for the protagonist and across multiple books, it seems as if they are super-human. But we don't want to see Bond taking a day off in his pajamas or Reacher taking a soak in the hot tub (or perhaps we do??!) So I kicked off Prophecy a few weeks after Pentecost had finished but find with the ending of Prophecy I am immediately heading off into the next adventure with a scene that links to the next book (working title Pharaoh.) The issue as subsequent books are added is around whether to change the seasons and age of the characters, or to keep them eternal like Reacher and Bond. It's manageable with 2 books but some series writers are at 25+ so there has to be some development – or does there?
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1 2 3 4 Next »Great thoughts here, especially about making each book a contained story with a satisfying conclusion. Don't save anything for the next book! Leave all the your best stuff on the page, and then come up with new best stuff for the next book.
Thanks Ryan - I also believe in not saving anything for the next book, I just mean in terms of a broad subject and area. So the next in the series is around ancient Egypt so I won't touch on that in this one, I also have a plan around King Arthur and the holy grail. But in terms of plot, character etc , I'm letting it all rip!
I've recently started writing, and know that the novel I want to do, will turn into a series. This was very helpful because I do worry about this kind of thing more than I should for a newbie. I'm just going to get cracking and finish it. And keep all my passages!
Character development is my main concern, and you touched on it in a way that relieved my anxiety.
We worry about way too many things Musa! I hope your character will turn out how you want. The Jack Reacher example is a good one to follow.
This is wonderful, and I think the key to a successful series resides in planning. Concerning the number one issue, I have this table I got from a script writing book. It helps me nail each of my characters, their personalities and stories to an A4 paper. And so far, it's been splendid. I can forward you a copy of the table if you like.
Thanks Walter, I think everyone has to find their own ways of doing this. I do have something like a table now, but thanks for the offer!
Great article. I use a spreadsheet to keep track of details. I have one per book. I wrote about it on http://kristinastanley.net/2011/08/10/keeping-track-of-scenes-2/
Basically I have two sections. A large one for scenes, chapters etc.
Then a smaller one where I keep track of important character information. I couldn't write without a spreadsheet to keep it all under control.
I built the spreadsheet as I write the book. Then I update it as I edit the book. Lots of work, but lots of fun too.
Thanks for sharing Kristina. I definitely need to move into something that can expand for future books!
Superb advice as always. I'm in the process of writing not one but two seperate series. The first is an ongoing erotic suspense; the second is a vampire thriller. The first is comprised of novelettes (around 11500 words each) and I see them as having an episodic style. The first book 'What Lisa Did' ends on a cliffhanger of sorts and the second story will basically be a continuation.
The vampire thriller, however, will have an ongoing story arc but each book (all full-length novels) will be self-contained. It's a tricky balance to get right - Sean Platt and David Wright have definitely gone for full-on serialisation with 'Yesterday's Gone' to good effect. I can also see how Bond and Reacher can basically stay the same character forever but the lack of development may leave some people cold - it's never hurt their sales though!
A good example may be Henning Mankell's 'Wallander' books. All the stories are self-contained and the supporting characters are frequently different but there is also an ongoing development and change in Wallander himself. There is also a definite timeline to the books - he frequently dreams of retirement and aspiring to things beyond his work etc that may only happen in the future. The final book, 'The Troubled Man', even brings a sense of complete closure to the series.
Thanks Katie, the trouble with the getting older or even dying aspect is that you might want to bring them back. Look what happened after Conan Doyle killed off Sherlock Holmes! He had to resurrect him later on. It depends how long the series is I guess. I don't think Patricia Cornwell planned on 26 books, but the sales justified it. That's why I want to keep it open.
The idea of novelettes is interesting, something we can do more of with the Kindle etc. I'll be interviewing Sean Platt soon so I will ask him about this too.
Absolutely! Bringing characters back from the dead is always a groan-inducing moment. It's no spoiler to say that fans were equally split over Wallander's final pages - some felt it a dignified conclusion to the books while many felt the character had been treated disrespectfully. No matter what we do, part of the trials - and joys - of writing is that everyone has different opinions on how to handle the characters. I guess that's a testament though if you've made readers care to that degree.
Hi Ms. Penn,
Great post! Lots of very good information for writers who want to do serials.
Let me tell you what happened to me. I'm probably the ultimate 'accidental serialist'
In 2002-2003, I wrote Janelle's Time (which will be published in 2012 by ATTMP), a paranormal romance that takes place in New Hampshire (USA) and England. I then shelved it for six long years, bringing it out to finish it AFTER I started @Writers_Cafe. AT THAT TIME, a minor character got in my face, demanding his own book (picture Fabio with red hair and an attitude). I thought long and hard until I decided I could do this. The very same day I sent Janelle's Time to the publisher, I started Logan's Time which, while it's book 2 right now, will likely be book 4 for publication.
Logan's Time (which takes place mostly in Scotland) is a spinoff that actually begins chronologically almost 30 years BEFORE Janelle's Time yet shares about 12,500 words worth of scenes with Janelle's Time. Logan's Time's rough draft is something over half done, but I've put it aside for now. When I started it, I took a copy of Janelle's Time (100,000 words) and renamed it Logan's Time. I then eliminated everything except the scenes Logan was in, changed the point of view, where necessary, and wrote some supporting scenes to bridge some time gaps. I then started at the beginning, working the details until it caught up with the shared scenes.
I'm doing my first NaNoWriMo - writing the SEQUEL to Janelle's Time, which is really the second book but I conceived it AFTER what I'm now calling book 3, Moria's Time. To add to the confusion, the title - Moria's Time - MAY move to the sequel I'm writing now - it depends on how it works out. Once those three are written, I'll go back and finish Logan's Time (which may require a sequel of it's own to wrap things up).
Are you confused yet?
Janelle's Time, the sequel (book 2 - started on 11/1), and Moria's Time (book 3) encompass at least 25 years of timeline, starting in 1830. Logan's Time encompasses at least 50 years beginning in 1807, and some of the characters in all four books (maybe 5, if Logan needs a sequel) interact with each other, one way or another. Richard (Janelle's Time) makes an appearance - pre-Janelle's Time - in Logan's Time when Logan and Richard attend the same university in England, long before he goes to America and meets Janelle, whom he marries - Logan appears suddenly at Richard and Janelle's wedding.
In Logan's Time, Richard, Janelle and their family visit Logan (and his wife, who is an old friend of Janelle's) at his Scots castle but the shared scene for the visit to Scotland is in book 2.
Add to this that I'm a 'pantser,' and all this is a real recipe for disaster.
However, thanks to having read Bertrice Small's multi-book Skye O'Malley series years ago, which makes my little series look like a walk in the park, I haven't freaked out! I'm naturally very organized and I am very good at remembering details, so I quickly realized I needed a Master Character List for all of the books. This consists of separate lists (tables) for major characters, minor characters and 'other' (which includes animal's names, locales and other tidbits of information I even THINK I may need to avoid the re-reading syndrome), then I color-coded the entries by book.
I also devised a Master Timeline that includes things like birthdays, anniversaries and other pertinent data about the characters, regular, day-to-day activities by the various characters, world, national and local current events of all kinds, plots and story lines (brief) both actually written/used and proposed, all color-coded, of course. It's a sort-of outline except that the details are not necessarily linked together - they're just there for the using if they're needed.
While doing the research, I bookmarked articles into folders by topic, I printed some information (but a lot less than I printed for Janelle's Time all those years ago), and copy/paste little tidbits of like information into files.
Each book has it's own folder on my computer within a master 'TIME' SERIES folder into which I put everything that pertains to each book (and sometimes the information is in more than one book folder as it applies), including multiple backups of the manuscript file (which is also backed up to an outboard drive - and a portable drive). Inside the Janelle's Time folder is a folder for ATTMP which contains all the files I sent to them when I submitted Janelle's Time there - query, synopsis, etc.).
If all this sounds like a monumental undertaking, it is. It's all about control - you have to stay in control of the situation. If you do, you'll be fine. If you don't . . . I'm having the time of my life!! I'm loving every minute. Now that I'm retired, I have the time to write that I never had when I was working, so I'm playing catch up.
There are a number of posts on my blog about Janelle's Time starting in May of 2010, including a multi-part interview I did with Richard and Janelle. Also, the Wedding Chapter is available there.
Have a great day, everyone!
Julie Jordan (Dayna Leigh Cheser)
Wow! That's a hell of a story - thank you for sharing it with us and also in demonstrating your immense organization! Brilliant. I aspire to be as regimented :)
Hey Joanna. Thank you for writing this post. I have stumbled across the same issues in writing Alcatraz The Prodical Daughter. I've had to reread the first book, take notes, change a few things like the protagonist age and time of events. I didn't realize how close together I placed some events and in writing book two realized the sequence didn't make sense if I were to continue the story. I've thought about the cover while designing Alcatraz The Lost Pearl by studying other successful author's series covers and noticed there is a branding pattern followed throughout the series. Even in book titles. And I'm even contemplating the word count be concise as book one so people don't have to read any more or less than the first. To me this process is so exhilirating. Yes I don't quite know what I'm doing but I LOVE THIS JOURNEY!
Thanks Aleshia, I should have added that I am enjoying it too! The continuation of character frees the mind up to other things as you have the baseline people in place and can play with theme and plot instead. I have some complicated plot issues to get sorted out before I finish 2nd draft but you're right, it is awesome fun!
Thanks for tips!! The hardest thing for me in writing is keeping all the details in my head!
Brittany Roshelle
The Write Stuff
Thank you for the tips!
I am in book two of my Dragon Forest trilogy and found it necessary to go back and read the first book. My readers had commented about certain details in the first book and wanted to know what happens to them in the second book. For instance, in the first book, a mysterious map is stolen by on of the main characters. One reader asked what happened to the map. What map? I thought. Oh...THAT map! Oops! I had to go back and add it to the sequel which was already with my editor!
After attending a writer conference, I followed the suggestion by writer Gail Gaymer Martin. She suggests Character Worksheets. She showed us how to fill out one in a workshop. For my next 7 book series, The Warfare Club, I have already completed all the character sheets for the first book. I cannot tell you what a difference it has made!! I have also completed chapter synopses that keep me on track with the tiniest of details.
Thanks for this post. It helps to collect all these tips!
Blessings,
Ruth
Thanks Ruth - I did have a note of my open questions (like where's the other bad guy who escaped the fire from the first book) and I think it's also important to open some questions for the next book so people are eager to continue reading.
Excellent points! Especially #2. I've run into a writer of a series who didn't explain anything. I picked up the middle book in the series and put it down because of a continuing story that I could not follow at all. It needed the previous book to understand what was going on, and my bookstore did not stock it (never mind that I was unwilling to buy the earlier book because I was expecting the same problem!).
On #1, I try to keep the nitnoid details to a minimum. I'm not detail-oriented, so if I tried to track things, I would get completely derailed in figuring on what needed to be tracked (details mean something different to me than to someone who relates better to them). So, while I describe characters, I do not have a single reference to hair color, eye color, hair color, height, or weight (I describe them in a different way). Anything specific has a major place in the story.
I'd also suggest adding two more, because these have turned up in series, and it's turned me off of reading them:
1. Never ever break your own story rules and promises. If you do a mystery series for five books, you cannot suddenly turn it into a romance novel and expect the same readers to continue reading. There's a fantasy author who started her books one way and completely changed them from what drew people to them to something that has turned people away.
2. If your character changes, don't change them too fast. I've abandoned a number of the series because the changes were so big that I lost one of the reasons I was reading the book.
Those are 2 good extra points - and I am wondering if I'm straying into (1) I will check with my beta readers. I write thrillers but they sit between action/adventure & religious fiction - the latter can swing right into fantasy with authors like Frank Peretti. I am heading in that direction with the latest book whereas the first only had hints of paranormal/supernatural. But I really like it so far so I will leave it in and see what the betas think.
and (2) is excellent - my character has changed but not too much already. Thanks for those additions.