How much to reveal of book one in series book two?

[DeadlyAccurate]

The generous and talented midwife recently beta read my book and made a note of something that got me thinking. My MC gets sucked into the next plot by being blackmailed. The blackmail has to do with someone she killed at the end of book one. Revealing that in book two means spoiling, rather severely, the end of book one.

I know that some spoilers are necessary. If the MC's husband dies in a previous book, the heroine can't very well pretend he never existed in the next. But how much spoilerage is too much?

I'm pretty sure I'm going to change the blackmail to something completely made up anyway, something that happened before book one, but it did make me wonder what everyone's thoughts are on this.

[rugcat]

Backstory is always difficult, esp if book 1 has a surprise ending, or at least one that explains all the previous events in the book.

I would definitely think about changing the reason for the blackmail to avoid having the ultimate spoiler.

[Soccer Mom]

If I was reading book two and couldn't understand what was happening because I hadn't read book one, I'd be pissed. But I'm just that way. It spoils the end of book one, but If she's being blackmailed because of it and that's central to the plot, I think its unavoidable to spoil it.

Just my .02 of course.

[MDavis]

....I never read anything unless it's the first book in the series...

I think it might count as a minor neurosis.

So anyway, I guess I'm no help. Carry on!

[DeadlyAccurate]

....I never read anything unless it's the first book in the series...

I think it might count as a minor neurosis.

So anyway, I guess I'm no help. Carry on!

Same here. I have to read all the books in order. When I accidentally bought Barry Eisler's third book instead of his second, it went on the shelf until I could get my hands on book two. I still have a MaryJanice Davidson book I haven't yet read, because I realized after I bought it that it wasn't the first book in the series (the werewolf series, not the vampire one).

But, since this spoiler is used to propel the MC into the plot, rather than being central to the plot itself, I think changing it will still be for the better for those who don't mind reading out of order.

[WorldPlanter]

Just like MDavis, I too never read any other book than the first in a series if I’m reading the series for the first time. In my opinion, if someone is willing to risk starting a series at some point other than the beginning than they're voluntarily accepting the possibility that they’ll encounter plot spoilers. It's the reader's fault at that point for assuming that they can read a story installment without expecting to have previous plot elements revealed.

Just my two cents.

[ChaosTitan]

Unless I'm misunderstanding the OP's question, I don't think you can avoid spoilers in a series. And they technically aren't spoilers, because character development often depends on what has previously happened to the MC. It's like a TV series not referencing events from the previous season, because the producers are worried that someone missed a few episodes. Don't worry about spoilers.

You can't assume that everyone who reads book two will have read book one. Treat book two like its own entity. Provide the backstory necessary to orient your reader. If she kills someone at the end of book one, and it propells the action of book two, so be it. Write the best book you can, and if a reader hasn't read the first one, maybe the second one will entice them to go back.

I once picked up a book that was the third in a series of six. I had no clue it was part of a series, and didn't realize it until I finished the book. I went back and got the first two, and while a few points were "spoiled," it did not draw away from my enjoyment of those novels.

[JoNightshade]

I too will ONLY begin with the first book in a series. And I will not read a series out of order. When I was about 12 I read the first book in Timothy Zahn's Heir to the Empire trilogy (hopefully I got that right) and then realized the library was missing the second book. I ordered it but could not resist the temptation to devour the third in the meantime.

Man. First and LAST time I will ever do that.

[fjeastman]

Y'all are strange...

I like reading books out of order.

[auntybug]

Y'all are strange...

I like reading books out of order.

No - you're strange:tongue

I love reading a good series. I read a Sanford Prey book and had to hunt them all down & read then IN ORDER! He is great about going back enough so you know whats going on but not too much so its so much repeat. I've read some VC Andrews that go 1,2,3 then 4 is actually #1. You know what happens in the end but it was still fun to read the pre-quel.

So there...Are any of us helping?

[johnzakour]

I sometimes refer to events that occurred in past books in my current book. I ass-u-me anything from past books is fair game in the current or future books. Though I try not to do this too much as some book stores don't carry my older books.

[Dancre]

Honestly, I wouldn't worry about it. I see series as a very looooonnnnggg book and so, yes, you will have spoilers for the first book.

kim

[DeadlyAccurate]

Then perhaps I'll leave it for now and see what my agent says when she reads it. Even if she doesn't say anything when she gives me her edit notes, I may ask her. The reason I even came up with the idea of using the event of book one as the propellant for book two is that the reader was actually there when it happened, which is more meaningful than something that happened "off screen."

[rugcat]

You can't assume that everyone who reads book two will have read book one. Treat book two like its own entity. Provide the backstory necessary to orient your reader. If she kills someone at the end of book one, and it propells the action of book two, so be it. Write the best book you can, and if a reader hasn't read the first one, maybe the second one will entice them to go back.If you’re writing a fantasy sequel it's even harder, because you have to decide how much of the world building to explain without repeating yourself all over. The only time I’ve used a beta reader was when I gave someone the first two chapters of the sequel and asked them to tell me if they had any idea of what was going on.

I still think the spoiler issue is important though, depending on the book. The Sixth Sense (yes, I know that’s a movie) wouldn’t be half as much fun if you knew the ending. If your entire first book revolves around who killed Lord Bigbucks, and then the next book in the series mentions straight off that the butler did it, it will ruin readers for the first. So I try to talk around specifics, esp on the crucial points.

I agree that reading out of sequence is a bad idea–but many people do.

[katiemac]

Like many others here, I never out-of-order, unless it's by accident. And, like ChaosTitan said, you really can't think of them as spoilers.

You can't control how someone reads. It's the same thing if someone picks up the first book in a series, but reads the last ten chapters before reading the first ten. They get "spoiled."

Similarly, I really dislike it when a series doesn't refer to past events -- unless the series truly acts like standalone, one-shot novels. But if you want character progression and story progression over time, it's my thought that you have to mention those former details. Or, perhaps it's not necessary to directly mention them, but the characters must change as a result, and so those details matter. I don't like it when characters die, then everyone else acts like they never existed, or when a character does something major (like commits murder), and it gets shlepped under the rug.

That being said, it doesn't mean you have to have the books' plots revolve around each other. But to some extent, it makes the overall puzzle a little bigger, a little smarter. If some readers miss out, or didn't get the reference, it's no big loss to them. But it's extra fodder for those who do.

[Azraelsbane]

I agree that you shouldn't worry too much about spoilers. One thing you might want to watch out on is description of characters. I had a reader start on book 2 of my series, and while they didn't complain about spoilers from book 1, they did complain that the characters were a bit blank, since I had obviously spent the in-depth descriptions on book 1. I hadn't even thought about that until then, because basically when I started writing book 2 I just saw it as an extension of book 1.

I actually have a question that goes along with this- What about between the prelude book and book 1 of a series? Is it the same rule for spoilers even though the two books are not quite as closely connected?

[Ziljon]

Rugcat makes a good point. I wonder if you shouldn't get additional beta readers for book II, ones that haven't read book I, so you can compare their comments. It's a delicate balance to maintain.

[JohnB1988]

....I never read anything unless it's the first book in the series...



You would hate my local library. All sorts of books two, three and four. Nary a one of one. Drives me batty.

[scarletpeaches]

See, this is why I don't like sequels. You can pick up one book, discover it's a follow-on from another you haven't read yet and... :rant: !!!

That said, if someone gets a book home and then realises it's a sequel and still goes on to read it before having read Book #1, more fool them. You either read books in order, or put up with spoilers.

[DeadlyAccurate]

Rugcat makes a good point. I wonder if you shouldn't get additional beta readers for book II, ones that haven't read book I, so you can compare their comments. It's a delicate balance to maintain.

Actually she did read book 2 without having read book 1. It was an excellent way for me to see if I had included enough description of the characters, and she did a terrific job of seeing stuff I would have overlooked since I have book one firmly in my head. (Did I mention what an awesome critique it was?)

[Chasing the Horizon]

Count me among the 'series must be read in order' group. I personally hate in when authors spend pages re-describing or re-explaining everything from book one in book two. I already KNOW all this, so it's both boring and a waste of paper. Put in an occasional line of description to jog my memory of returning characters and settings and get on with the story already.

I'm writing a series and if you start with book two or three you really won't have any idea what's going on, and it will completely give away the endings of the previous books.

Oh, and publishers really need to make it clearer when a book is a part of a series. It should say in fairly large letters under the title 'book 2 of the Horizon series' (insert you own number and title, of course). I can't count how many times I've bought a book thinking it was a stand alone only to discover it was somewhere in the middle of a series. That really annoys me, particularly when it wasn't marked on the cover as part of a series (or was marked in a microscopic font somewhere on the spine)

[Stijn Hommes]

They may not be the best examples to compare your story to, but in two series I read the author reveals crucial plot details in later books in the series.
(Take "Harry Potter" for example) I would reveal as much as neccesary so the reader who gets spoilt can still enjoy the little things.

If you make it clear they should be read in order to start with, you won't have the problem.

[Inkdaub]

I may be in the minority but I like the 'Previously...on General Hospital' mini-treatments that some authors put at the beginning of subsequent books in the same series. I tend to like this in fantasy because fantasy series usually are one long continuous narrative. In crime novels, say Connelly's Bosch books, it isn't at all necessary to read every book...even if I think you would enjoy the series more if you did so. Connelly calls back to any information needed for the current story to progress but no more.

[midwife]

Oooh, I come back from Branson to such lovely compliments.....I'm blushing, and I want to say that the pleasure of beta reading DA's book was all mine. Now that I've met some deadlines, I can't wait to sink into the first book. I'll put on my thinking cap, DA, and see if I can offer any ideas about the blackmail.

Would the blackmail reveal keep me from reading another one of DA's books if I bought them in a bookstore? Nope!!! She is an excellent writer and I am so hooked. So I get to read it now and you all have to wait until you buy it at your local bookstore! Neener neener neeener!!

midwife

[sassandgroove]

I have read later books in a series without reading the first. I know, I'm weird. I bought one at a used book store and didn't realize it was part of a series, but hey it was .25cents. I liked it so much I ended up finding the first books ( I found an omnibus edition, YES!) but it had been long enough I forgot some of the one I had read. You know, if someone reads book 2 without book 1, it is the choice they made and will expect 'spoilers'. I needed them if I was to follow the book, yes? DOn't worry about it.

[TheKnightWhoSaidNi]

I'm puzzled on why some people would read book 2 before book 1 anyways. It's not the right order....naturally there will be spoilers. If the reader cares about spoilers, they'll have the brain to read the first book before the second. I'm on the third book of a trilogy that I've been writing for a little over two years; if the reader was to start with the third or the second it wouldn't make any sense because I spend ZERO time retreading what happened in the previous novel in a "last time on 'The Calling'" type fashion. I would trust my audience to be smart enough to read them in the correct order and from front to back, and not bitch about having twists spoiled if they don't.

[Bufty]

I hope you don't find Book 1 doesn't sell too well, or maybe receives poor reviews because then - using your reasoning- Books 2 and 3 will be down the drain because they make no sense unless book 1 is read.

Think about it.


.I'm puzzled on why some people would read book 2 before book 1 anyways. It's not the right order....naturally there will be spoilers. If the reader cares about spoilers, they'll have the brain to read the first book before the second. I'm on the third book of a trilogy that I've been writing for a little over two years; if the reader was to start with the third or the second it wouldn't make any sense because I spend ZERO time retreading what happened in the previous novel in a "last time on 'The Calling'" type fashion. I would trust my audience to be smart enough to read them in the correct order and from front to back, and not bitch about having twists spoiled if they don't.

[sassandgroove]

I'm puzzled on why some people would read book 2 before book 1 anyways. It's not the right order....naturally there will be spoilers. If the reader cares about spoilers, they'll have the brain to read the first book before the second. I'm on the third book of a trilogy that I've been writing for a little over two years; if the reader was to start with the third or the second it wouldn't make any sense because I spend ZERO time retreading what happened in the previous novel in a "last time on 'The Calling'" type fashion. I would trust my audience to be smart enough to read them in the correct order and from front to back, and not bitch about having twists spoiled if they don't.but in the real world that won't happen and I bet if yous hould get so far as to find a publisher, they would want you to add retreads to 2&3. You may never ever read books out of order but some folks do. Like when I was in the used book store and a Marion Zimmer Bradley book caught my eye. I loved the other books I'd read by her, and it was only a quarter. YAY! And it wasn't one of those series where it had a number on the cover. Inside where they list books by her, the one in my hand is listed with two others before it. But it stood alone just fine. So if you want to publish your trilogy, your going to want to add a few references here and there, becuase not everyone is just like you. Imagine that. And if you are thinking, well it was used anyway... I liked it so much I ended up buying a brand spanking new Omnibus edition with all three novels in one book.

[katiemac]

This thread reminds me when I used to read the Babysitter's Club (sue me). An absolute guarantee: chapter 2 was always a recap, nearly word-for-word the same as all the other books' chapter twos. I don't suggest this route -- even at seven years old it was annoying -- but this was a case where there were over one hundred of these books, and it didn't matter one bit if you picked up #118 before reading #3.

Still, I do believe recap is necessary in most series. But the amount you spend recapping is going to depend on the importance of the events from the last book, and the amount of weight they carry through the sequels.

[Sunny7L]

I've read several series out of order, rather I pick them up at the bookstore or library. Most read well enough on their own, though, admittedly, rarely do I go back and play catch-up unless I really love the story or something referenced intrigues me.

Considering that there's a space of months, if not years, between books I don't see how you can expect to not include some backstory.

As a writer, I can careless when a reader tunes into my story, my aim is to give them the best experience possible. So, if they are late adopters I'll make sure to include enough for them to "get it" while not boring long-time fans. I believe backstory can be strategically placed throughout the story, you don't have to spend several paragraphs or pages rehashing the past.

[sassandgroove]

This thread reminds me when I used to read the Babysitter's Club (sue me). An absolute guarantee: chapter 2 was always a recap, nearly word-for-word the same as all the other books' chapter twos. I don't suggest this route -- even at seven years old it was annoying -- but this was a case where there were over one hundred of these books, and it didn't matter one bit if you picked up #118 before reading #3.

Still, I do believe recap is necessary in most series. But the amount you spend recapping is going to depend on the importance of the events from the last book, and the amount of weight they carry through the sequels.
Hey I used to read Sweet Valley High. I was in Jr. High when I read them. Same thing. Recap. Redescribe main characters. etc etc etc. But at least it wasn't verbatim in every book or as blatant as always being chapter two. It was the same deal, over a hundred books. I read I think 1-40 before I was a little to old and had read a enough that I was done. I did read some special editions that were stand alone. They all had to have the obligatory explanations for those who hadn't read any, as well.

[TheKnightWhoSaidNi]

But it stood alone just fine. So if you want to publish your trilogy, your going to want to add a few references here and there, becuase not everyone is just like you. Imagine that

...I'm imagining, and I still question why a person would start halfway through a series. Your example is one thing, but can you explain why a person would start on, say, book six in the "Wheel of Time" series, out of eleven? It's a long series, sure, but it won't make any sense if you don't read what comes before.

My main point is that if a person is going to read a series in random order (hell, read how you want, it's your decision, but...), it makes no sense to complain about spoilers and confusion. Sure, authors could offer backstory for readers starting on book 2, but what about if they start on 5? That's a lot of recap for an author to have to type up just because somebody might decide to start on the fifth book for whatever reason. And it will be DRY recap anyways, and who wants to read a summary of all the dramatic events rather than watch them unfold while invested in the story? I suppose the hopelessly impatient might start that late in a series, but if they complain they're being silly. If you want a summary they're all over the place on the internet, keep them out of the finished product.

[Bufty]

You are assuming folk will know it's a true 'series'. Not everybody studies everything on the covers and backs before selecting a book. The chain of 007 books were not a series. Neither were the Simon Templar books, nor Sherlock Holmes etc., etc..

If the recaps are dry, that's the author's problem. Saying recaps will be dry is silly. All that's needed is enough to put the reader in the picture. Rowling manages it. You don't have to read all the Potter books in order.

...I'm imagining, and I still question why a person would start halfway through a series. Your example is one thing, but can you explain why a person would start on, say, book six in the "Wheel of Time" series, out of eleven? It's a long series, sure, but it won't make any sense if you don't read what comes before.

My main point is that if a person is going to read a series in random order (hell, read how you want, it's your decision, but...), it makes no sense to complain about spoilers and confusion. Sure, authors could offer backstory for readers starting on book 2, but what about if they start on 5? That's a lot of recap for an author to have to type up just because somebody might decide to start on the fifth book for whatever reason. And it will be DRY recap anyways, and who wants to read a summary of all the dramatic events rather than watch them unfold while invested in the story? I suppose the hopelessly impatient might start that late in a series, but if they complain they're being silly. If you want a summary they're all over the place on the internet, keep them out of the finished product.