Writing a Series--If You're Called to Connected Stories, Some Important Tips

Every now and then in my classes, a writer would ask about series. it takes a dedicated soul to even consider a clutch of books and plan for their overarching purpose. Most of us have enough challenge with just one, right?

But the question is a good one. There are indeed certain tips or techniques for those who are tempted to try two or more books using the same topic or characters.

I wasn't going to be one of those, but the characters in my first novel wouldn't leave me in peace after it was published. One of them, the narrator's father, made it into a few short stories (notably the just-published "Breathing Room" which I mentioned last post). He was challenging and interesting to write, and I felt he had a lot more to say than just one novel, or as it turns out several short stories, allowed. The young narrator of Qualities of Light also intrigued me, and I was especially taken by her love interest. So I began to wonder: what might happen three or five years down the road with this family? How might they be same, different, tragic?

That's usually what launches a writer into series land.

One of my students back in 2012 was Steve George, who was writing a series of mysteries that featured an "average guy" main character with great handyman skills. A freelance business writer, he'd started two novels that fizzled out because he was "writing about things I knew very little about and it caught up to me." He likened it to climbing out on a limb too far. But from this beginning Steve's "Handy Mann" series was born. Steve lived in the same house for more than 30 years and did a lot of work on it, so his main character became a do-it-yourselfer. And not just for sleuthing out solutions to house repair problems.

In one of the series, Steve says, "I decided it was time for him to upgrade his basement. I sat in my basement and imagined tearing down the ceiling and walls and floor and thought: What if Handy found something unexpected during his demolition? What if it was something a previous owner didn’t want him to discover?" That led to a new story to tell.

So, if characters or a place or a time/era or a particular unsolved situation keep you interested past the original book's creation, here are some suggestions from series writers.

* Each book must have a clear beginning and ending--it must be a satisfying story in its own right, without its prequel or sequels. Even though it might make marketing sense to leave a reader hanging, main story problems need to be resolved by the end of the book. One author friend put it well: "Instead of keeping the current problem hot on the stove, give the reader some conclusion or wrap-up--it doesn't have to be complete, just answering main questions--then introduce a new problem to carry into the next book."

* Many readers will go for individual stories and not read the earlier ones, so you need to establish the place, time, and characters completely in each book. Bring in what's relevant to that story, maybe not everything revealed in past books in your series. I think of prolific Canadian mystery author Louise Penny, of the Armand Gamache series fame, who introduces us to the village of Three Pines and the main players in her opening chapters, but always in a new way. Consider that your reader may only read that one book, so don't keep them in the dark.

* At the same time, don't feel you have to have every character from earlier books show up. Choose the ones who will be important to the current story. Readers of the series may wonder, "What happened to Joe from book 2?" If that's a concern--Joe was a big part of that story and this one follows close on its heels--give enough to satisfy but not derail.

* Some series writers draft ideas for more than one book all at once. I don't. I usually have no idea what the sequel will focus on until I begin writing it. Sometimes it starts out as a story about other people, in the same location, and not until revision do I realize it's a sequel to another story. I think that's fine--whatever works for the writer, as long as it serves the story.

* What element holds your series together? Is it the evolution of a character, how a town reacts to an ongoing change, the effect of an era? My interest was in the character evolution question: I wanted to continue an aborted love affair and I wanted to "grow" the escapist mother by forcing her to face what she avoided in the first book. What's the unfinished business that can carry through your stories?

* Penny creates a world (Three Pines village) that readers love. What world in your series compels the reader to return and immerse themselves?

Unless you are very well established, don't expect your agent or mainstream publisher to applaud the idea of a series. The success, in their terms, hinges on the first book. But many series writers go for e-books or indie publishing and do well. If you feel called to series writing, do it!

And what about memoir? Can a memoir become part of a series? Some experts suggest considering a collection of anecdotes, similar to an essay collection, instead. Check out this article from The Writer.

Some helpful links on series writing (if any link doesn't work, search for the name in your browser):

Now Novel's ten tips

Reedsy's five tips

Some interesting ideas from Wattpad