Tag Archives: how to plan a book series

I’m a fan of book series. I’m like every other avid reader in that I hate to see the story end. Also, if it’s a really compelling series, I will wonder how it all started.

Most authors don’t plan for their novel-in-progress to become a series, but by the time they reach the conclusion of the story, they discover that it isn’t really the end, that the characters have so much more to say. Most cozy mystery, fantasy, and sci-fi series begin this way.

Sometimes, a first novel finds its niche. Readers love the engaging characters, and the plot moves along to a satisfying conclusion. Readers say they want more, and so the series begins.

However, there are times when an author knows at the outset that the story is too big for one book. They know it will take two or more novels to tell that story.

Regardless of whether or not you plan for your novel to become a series, the novel that opens the series must have a complete story arc, a finite, satisfying ending, and be able to stand alone.

I say this because writing a novel takes time. Readers nowadays are impatient and vocal about it on social media, often heaping criticism on the offending author.

Yet they don’t want AI slop. They just want YOU to spew it forth in as little time as possible.

Very few of us are able to write two to four novels a year, as Stephen King does.

First, you must remember that a projected series is a universe unto itself, even if it is set in the real world. It is the story of that universe, explored across several books.

Speaking as a reader, if you are writing a series, you should think about the overall structure well in advance. Every book in the series needs its own plot and must end in a way that doesn’t leave the reader wondering what the hell just happened. They like a satisfying ending and HATE cliff-hangers.

There are two kinds of series, episodic and continuing, or as I like to think of them, finite and infinite.

The episodic series is like a television series. Each novel features an established set of characters, and each episode is a new adventure. There may be a lingering mystery in the background that unites them and is resolved in a later book, but each episode must resolve the problem at hand.

In some ways, an episodic series is the easiest to write because each book features established characters in an established world and society. (Sorry about the repetition there.) Many cozy mysteries and fantasy series are episodic. They feature standalone stories that bring us closer to the protagonist, and I love them all.

In another type of series, the installments might jump around between characters or to widely different eras in that universe’s historical timeline. Think Terry Pratchett’s Discworld or L.E. Modesitt Jr.’s Saga of Recluce series.

Some installments in an episodic series may introduce a new protagonist, or even explore the other side of the story from a less antagonistic point of view. It may show that the opposition is not intrinsically evil, that both sides are striving for the same thing but with radically differing methods.

The continuing series requires some advance planning. It is a finite multi-volume series of books covering one group’s efforts to achieve a single epic goal. While each book may be set in an established world, it might feature an entirely different set of characters and their storyline.

The story usually has a strong theme that unites the series. It might be the hero’s journey or coming-of-age. Or it might follow the life of one main character and their sidekicks as they struggle to complete an arduous quest. Robert Jordan’s (and Brandon Sanderson’s) The Wheel of Time series is a prime example of the continuing series.

An episodic series is easier to plan, as each quest is resolved in a single novel. The worldbuilding was accomplished in the first novel, so all one has to do is build on it in the later novels. Each installment should leave no loose ends. If the author stops writing in that series, nothing is left hanging.

A continuing series must have a complete plot arc for each book. PLUS, it must add to the series’ overarching plot arc. Each novel is only a section or chapter of the larger story, all with the goal of meeting at the end for the final battle. Speaking as a reader, please keep track of the subplots via an outline. I say this so you don’t leave loose ends, but also to ensure the subplots come together at the final battle.

• Sequels happen when an author is in love with their characters, and those characters and their stories resonate with readers. Sequels are how trilogies become series.
• Companion novels occur simultaneously alongside the main story but feature side characters doing their own thing.
• Prequels are one of my favorite kinds of novels. I am always curious as to how the whole thing started.
• Spin-offs might feature side characters or the protagonist’s descendants.

How does an author manage the character arc for one group over the course of a series? I suggest storyboarding. I do my storyboards in Excel, but you can make them any way that works for you. A notebook, sticky notes, Scrivener, it’s all good. Feel free to find your own happy place.

Then,

• Write a synopsis of what you think the Big Picture is, the entire story.
• Write it out, even if that synopsis goes for 5,000 to 10,000 words.

If that storyboard alerts you to the fact that the story is too large for one book, separate the sections into however many novels of reasonable length it will take, and plan how to end each installment in a way that won’t make readers quit the series.

Outlines help me decide on the structure of the larger story. By making one, I have a better idea of how each plot will unfold.

Once you have figured out the entire arc of the series, make an outline of book one. This allows your creative mind to insert foreshadowing. This will happen through clues and literary Easter eggs that surface as the series progresses.

What if you are writing your first novel, but you suddenly realize the characters still have adventures waiting for them, I suggest waiting to outline the next book until after book one is finished and ready for the final edit. Plots constantly evolve as we write. Book one is the foundation novel of the series, so it must be completed before you begin building the rest of the story.

Maps and calendars are essential tools for the author, no matter what genre you are writing in. Regardless of how you create your stylesheet/storyboard, I suggest you include these elements:

1. A GLOSSARY is especially important. I suggest you keep a list of names and invented words as they arise, all spelled the way you want them.
2. MAPS are good, but don’t have to be fancy. All you need is something rudimentary to show you the world’s layout.
3. A CALENDAR of events is especially important.

Outlining the next novel should be simpler if you keep a record of all the changes that evolve when writing the first novel.

• A stylesheet/storyboard is a good tool for fantasy authors because we invent entire worlds, religions, and magic systems.
• We often invent names and don’t want to contradict ourselves or have our characters’ names change halfway through the book.

Next week, we will look at creating a calendar for stories set in a speculative fiction world. We will look at some of my failures and see why simpler is usually better.