Writing the
Fiction Series
The Complete Guide for Novels and Novellas
Based on the book by Karen S. Wiesner
And presented with her approval and permission
By Mahrie G. Reid, Mystery Author
Why do readers like
series?
- fun that doesn’t
have to end
- friendships on the
page…-they becomes invested in the characters
- story & writer a known quantity – know what they’re getting ($$)
- comfortable to read about known characters
-…and many others
- story & writer a known quantity – know what they’re getting ($$)
- comfortable to read about known characters
-…and many others
Why do writers like series? Or not?
-all
that time on creating a character – nice to use it more
-something pops into your head you wish you’d included about a character and you can add it in the next book
-opportunity to start things in one story and finish it in the next (minor items)
-easier to promote a series
-publishers like series
-setting can continue
-secondary characters open opportunities for more story lines
-something pops into your head you wish you’d included about a character and you can add it in the next book
-opportunity to start things in one story and finish it in the next (minor items)
-easier to promote a series
-publishers like series
-setting can continue
-secondary characters open opportunities for more story lines
What is a series?
•
-some say it’s not a series until after book 3
•
- you can also do a trilogy, a duology…
•
- a serial?
•
- a group series-
•
- multi-multi-books….. 25 or more…..
How does a writer get
into a series?
Stumbling into a
series…
•
- start with a stand-alone, get caught up in the
characters…….
•
& don’t want to say good-bye
•
- readers fall
in love with the characters & setting and ask for more
•
If the other characters in your book demand stage-time
– you may have a series
The
on-purpose series
•
- you brainstorm and realize you have more than one
story in your mix
•
- you decided to do a series and turn your
brainstorming deliberately in that direction
Publisher
generated Series
•
- publishers like series because each book helps sell
the next and the former
•
- most likely genres for these – romance, paranormal
or fantasy-oriented
•
- written by authors hand-picked by the publisher
•
(these can be the trickiest to do)
The
TIES that link a series
•
Mary Jean Kelso, author: “There needs to always be a
firm stake to tie the story to.”
•
1) recurring character (Miss Marple, Sue Grafton, …)
•
2) central group of characters where members of the
group take turns as the main character (Shannara Series, Spirit Creek Stories,
Look Behind You,)
•
3)Premise/Plot Series (books linked to inherited items
– Family Heirloom Series; Home for the Holidays by Linda Varner Palmer center
around holiday stories, Blossom Street series (Debbie Macomber); Diet club
Series by Denise Dietz
•
4) Setting Series- setting is the same in each book,
characters may or may not change (Harry Potter goes to Hogwarts in each book,
but he is also the main recurring character. Caleb Cove Series is a setting
with a cast of characters but the main character is each books changes).
Why
are ties important?
- • It is the thing that will bring readers back for more.
- • Defining your tie, even if there are overlaps, helps you establish the pattern from one book to the other.
Story
arcs and Series Arcs
We know
many story arcs:
– Hero’s Journey, Virgin’s Promise, 3 act
structure
For looking at the basics of each book’s story arc –
Wiesner pares it down to:
Introduction (leads to) Change (leads to) Conflicts
(lead to)
Choices (lead to) Crisis (Leads to) Resolutions
Story arcs are completed in each book
Each
book could be read as a stand alone
• All the elements used
for any novel are present in a book within a series.
• Introduction to
balance “usual” life (can be quite short)
• Inciting
incident/change – a conflict disrupting character’s life
• Both plot and story
are present. (i.e. external and internal elements)
• Actions and reactions
– progressive conflicts & tough choices
• GMC
• Black
moment/downtime/crises point/ all is lost/ It looks like it prevents them from
getting their HEA (which they have had a glimpse of)
• Climax/ the win/ the
resolutions and the summing up of what has changed
What are Series Arcs?
-
plot introduced in the first book, alluded to in all
others, wrapped up somehow in the last book
-
- fits seamlessly with the individual story arcs
Are series arcs necessary?
-
if the series has a finite end – 6 books or 25 books –
then yes
If not, what are the
exceptions?
-
- books with a
recurring main character, but other than their profession or hobby, the
individual stories are not connected
-
- no clear and measurable end in sight
What do series arc
look like?
They can be:
General - (good vs evil/ Harry vs Voldemort)
Simple
• happiness and love for all members of a group
(romance)
• Each lead solves a
problem and brings justice to the case (ex-marine groups)
Clearly defined
• Quest stories,
fantasy kingdom stores (Heritage of Shannara Series), some thrillers (Intuition
series)
Planted
arcs –
• Used in a series with
an ending.
• Small details,
seemingly unimportant, that set things up for something in an upcoming book
• Repeated references
to a character or an item in passing
• Extends the Chekhov’s
gun theory
• It is a plot device
that is believable – or sets up for something in the future to be believable.
(put-outer in Harry Potter)
Exercise – build your
series muscles
What is your series
tie(s)?
• Recurring character
series
• Central group of
character series
• Premise/Plot series
• Setting Series
• Combination of 2 or
more (list them out)
Avoiding information dumps and “as you know” character
speeches
Mini details woven in
• Mini-flashbacks
• Using quick questions
• Teasing about an old event
• Newspaper articles or
diary entries
• Using a group
hierarchy at the front of each book
• A family tree at the
front of a book
• A map of the village
or area involved
• Use at least on fresh
beta reader for each book – then if they are confused you know you’ve not put
in quite enough. If they are bored…you have too much.
Consistency
• all the usual things
like eye color, education, number of siblings, birthmarks, hobbies, phobias….
** For these things you want at least one beta
reader who is reading all the books in order for you.
Check out Phil Farrand’s “Nitpicker Guides to Star
Trek and the one for the X-Files”
Farrand breaks them down to:
Plot Oversights
Changed Premises
Equipment Oddities
Continuity
Production Issues
And more recently in “Nitpicker’s Guide for
X-Philes” he added:
Unanswered questions
Modified
for authors these become:
1) Oversights - explainable or illogical items, plot holes or uncharacteristic actions. The often referred to "A deus ex machina" situation is one of these.
2) Changes Premise: “If anything concerning character, plot or setting directly conflicts with something previously established in the previous book(s), it fits here.
TECHNICAL
PROBLEMS
• We might refer to
some of this as Craft problems – jumping in and out of POV without realizing
it.
• Characters that had a
certain vocabulary and dialect and then in one book, it is just gone with
explanation – that’s a tech problem
• Using or not using
cell phones to further the plot – or not wearing a vest because a character
needs to get injured when before they always wore a vest – that’s a tech
problem.
• Not acknowledging
current tech equipment because it’s convenient not to – that’s a tech problem.
CONTINUITY
• Continuity is the
flow of the story – having everything from book to book appear in an
appropriate time.
• Date of a baby’s
birth might be referred to – you want to make sure it lines up appropriately
with when the couple met and married or whatever.
• It is also having the
setting constant – if an outhouse is blown over in one book – have the right it
before using it again. If a tree blew down and was sawn up and hauled away –
don’t have anyone take shade under it in a later book.
UNANSWERED
QUESTIONS
• If you are not going
to resolve a question somewhere in the series – don’t bring it up at all.
• If you plan to answer
it two books down the road – remember to do so – and also have a couple of
plants in the book in the middle to remind readers of it.
•
HOW
DO YOU MAINTAIN CONSISTENCY AND CONTINUITY?
Use a series ‘bible’.
A
series bible is a binder or book with all your story blurbs, your series blurb,
your character sketches and charts of who is related to whom, who is in which
book and their role, their relationships to other characters and their unique
mannerisms.
For
each mystery you can chart your suspects or interviewees and list who knew
what, who heard what, saw what, and smelled what and so on. And who did they
tell? List their alibies and if they can be confirmed or not.
Put
anything in this book that you might need for following stories. Town layouts,
house configurations and location descriptions.
Where to find more information from Karen S. Wiesner
This is partial information only. There is more and it
can be found in Ms. Wiesner’s books and articles as listed here.
Book: Writing the Fiction Series – The
complete guide for novels and novellas by Karen S. Wiesner
(ISBN978-1-59963-690-0)
Worksheets - a pdf, printable
workbook (32 pages)
http://www.writersdigest.com/wp-content/uploads/Writing-the-Fiction-Series-worksheets.pdf
http://www.writersdigest.com/wp-content/uploads/Writing-the-Fiction-Series-worksheets.pdf
MORE RESEARCH AND
LINKS
127 Prompts To
Complete Before You Write About Yourself - Writers Write: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/263249540699057927/
Great Tips on How to
Write Your Memoir | Reader's Digest
MATERIAL IS THE PROPERTY OF KAREN S. WIESNER
AND WAS PRESENTED IN AN AUGUST, 2017 WORKSHOP
BY MAHRIE G. REID with MS WIESNER’S PERMISSION
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