Fiction Series

     One of the things on my mind recently has been the idea of writing for a series of books as opposed to a novel with no intended sequel. Writing a series of books instead of a single novel changes the game which we writers are playing. The particular kind of series I'm thinking of are not like the Hardy Boys, Nancy Drew, or other long-running, episodic books. I'm thinking of series usually running between three and seven (or more) books with a tightly-woven story line as opposed to a series with a separate plot for each book.

     When approaching the idea of writing a series of books, we have to think about long-term consequences. The scoundrel that our adventurer pestered in the first novel may come back with a band of cutthroats later in the series. The pair of diamond earrings the professional thief took in the first story may be a precious heirloom that the noblemen will stop at nothing to get back. The story arc of the characters will be longer as their relationships develop and become deeper as they are thrust further into each other's lives.

     So far, the novels I've written, am writing or am planning are all single novels, but it occurs to me that I may eventually find myself writing a series. The questions that naturally come from that assessment begin to approach. What does that involve? What kind of planning would I have to do before starting a series like that? Do I have to have the entire cast of characters figured out already or do I just have to have a few substantial ones, the hero, antagonist, love interest, and a friend? (I read about that list of relationships somewhere recently.) Do I focus on the book that I'm writing now, or do I plan out the entire series before I start the whole thing?

     When I was fourteen I learned how to juggle. I found some tennis balls and with much throwing, some catching, and much more dropping, I eventually got a feel for how to keep the balls in the air. It wasn't like in the cartoons, where they all follow each other in a circular patter (what jugglers call a 'shower' pattern, but a figure-eight 'cascade' pattern. When I learned to juggle, I learned that it's a game of multi-tasking. You've got to focus on the ball in your hand, catching in and throwing it back into the pattern. But you also have to be aware that you have two other balls in the air, and you've got to know where they are so you can know when they're going to land. When you're juggling, you can't follow one ball with your eyes all the time, otherwise you'll drop the other two.

     So what does juggling have to do with writing? Simple. It's about principle - multi-tasking. The ball in your hand is your current project. While the ball is in your hand you focus on that one and work on getting that draft finished or revised or whipped into shape to send to your beta readers or to the publisher that you hope will take the hook.

     At the same time you stay aware of the idea that you still have 2 or more books that you may be writing, and a long-term story to deal with. From what I've heard of some publishers, some will sign an author with a written book and an outline or summary of the series. If you are an author who is looking into getting published or writing a series, do some research, see what's out there; what publishers put out novel series, in what genres? What authors do they sign? Do they take unsolicited manuscripts? (Books publishers haven't asked for. Some publishers will the manuscript back without opening it, so be sure you know what the publishers are looking for and if they take unsolicited manuscripts, or if your manuscript is solicited.)

     The other thing I have read about series is that publishers are eager to pick up a series of books rather than a single novel. This is for a number of reasons. First, a series of books with have natural momentum. When the second book is published, it will be advertised as the second book, drawing attention to the first book. People who know about and like the first book and hear about the second will keep their eyes open for it. This also means that the publisher is, essentially getting a two (or three or four...) -for-the-price-of-one. If the publisher has one author contracted to write multiple novels, they have to work less to find another new author or novel.
    
     After considering a few of the different things involved when writing a series of novels, what is the conclusion that we come to as authors? We know that every novel we write has to be self-contained and have a proper story arc- Beginning, Middle and End. Acts I, II, and III. We know that a story-line and characters will have to be consistent throughout the series. We'll have to keep the long-term goals and consequences in mind.

     My conclusion is that writing a fiction series would be very rewarding. To see a story come together on a large scale as characters' relationships deepen, sever, heal - these will drive your story forward and, if used properly, and send your series soaring forward into the unknown.