So, You Want to Write a Series - Part 1
What do I mean by Series?
I often hear from clients that they are writing a series or hoping their first book will become a series. I understand it. You spend all this time with a group of characters, molding their lives, following them from heartbreak to victory. It’s hard to let go.
But writing a series is a Big Task. It requires forethought and preparation. It requires a master plan. And there is a difference between writing what I would call a “true” series and writing companion books or shared universe books.
What are the differences? My definitions as follows:
Companion Books – Think of Kate DiCamilla’s books, Raymie Nightingale, Louisiana’s Way Home, and Beverly, Right Here. Or Lisa Yee’s Millicent Minn, Girl Genius; Stanford Wong Flunks Big-Time; and So Totally Emily Embers. These companion books share the same characters and the same world, but they are complete and independent stories that don’t have to be read in any order (although readers might want to). Think of these books as friends of or companions to each other.
Shared Universe Books – Think of Marvel or DC comics. Think of Terry Pratchett’s Discworld books. Or David Brin’s Uplift books. As with Companion books, Shared Universe books share the same world, (be that world contemporary, fantasy, or sci-fi) and are independent stories. What I feel most sets these Shared Universe books apart from Companion books is that these books will have different casts of characters who may or may not overlap. Think of these books as independent yet loosely connected.
A Series – Think of Suzanne Collins’ Hunger Games trilogy, Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events, or Maggie Stiefvater’s The Raven Cycle. These books share characters, share a world, share a purpose. They build upon each other and so should be read in order, and, when the series is taken as a whole, create an overarching story arc. Think of these books as dependent on and integral to each other and the ultimate story.
There is a lot to unpack in prepping and developing a series, and I want to get into that in subsequent posts. I am working on a series myself and so you can learn with me as I go.