Writing a Book Series
Let’s take a peek at the cogs inside the machine and talk about why I write and how I write on Behind the Scenes Sunday! Today I’d like to talk about some tips and tricks that I’ve learned the hard way when it comes to writing a series of books rather than a stand alone novel.
- No plan? No problem!
Want to write a trilogy? Great! Go for it! Start today, start right now! But Robin! I hear you cry. I don’t have a plan for each book! I barely have a plan for book one!
I give you my planless blessing.
Maybe it’s because I started my writing life as a pantser, but I’m of the opinion that not only is having a detailed plan when writing highly overrated, it can actually be detrimental to the process of creation. Books are living, breathing creatures, that will change and evolve as you write and rewrite them. If you have a plan for books one through three, you better be prepared to throw that plan out the window and come up with something new by the time book one is actually finished, because I can almost guarantee you Book One won’t go the way you thought it would.
- Let characters change.
Are you worried that you’re going to be rehashing the same plot from book to book? A good way to avoid this is to remember to let your characters change and remain changed. Each time you write a book, even if it’s with a character from a previous book, they are NOT the same character you’ve written before, simply by virtue of everything you put them through in the previous book. Keep that in mind and fresh, new conflict should be easier to find.
- Build a Series Bible
A Series Bible is a collection of information (presented however you want – as a pinterest board, whiteboard, GoogleDoc, or binder) that helps organize all the relevant information about the world you’ve created for your series. Anything you might refer to again should be included here, such as character descriptions, motivations, settings, magic rules, music you’ve used for inspiration – really it can be as extensive as you like, as long as it’s helpful! And trust me: it will be helpful.
If you’re interested in starting a new fabulous book series, then look no further: Hungry is the Night is now available for preorder on all major ebook platforms! Visit the link here to order your copy in advance and, if you send a copy of your receipt to rsjromance@gmail.com, I will send you back an exclusive excerpt of the book! Three full chapters of wolfy goodness for you to enjoy!