What stuff do you find tough when planning or writing your series?

[Kindness]

I think it's safe to say that the majority of us have a series in mind I want to write something upwards of ten books. It's just one of those dreams I have. I figured I'd make this thread to talk about whatever issues people might have.

For me, it's making things stay immediate. I have this habit of zooming out and looking at the series as a whole. I can see that what's happening now is nothing compared to what's going to happen later, and so I'm getting to grips with giving every book this "holy crap! this is the biggest problem ever! there's no way these characters are going to get out of this one!" feel :P

What about you guys?

[WillSauger]

- Building a character I'll like enough to carry me over the 600K trilogy mark.

I've got 3 great characters for my WIP and some ideas of a trilogy of trilogy with a prequel.

- Advancing the world/story. I hate static stories, so I like the story to progressively change as I write.


It's mostly what I would find hard to even write. I need to really like the characters, work and story to stick around.

[Raventongue]

Knowing where, in the chronology of the series, to start, and where to stop. @#$%!

[Lhipenwhe]

Making sure that there isn't a single thing that can be construed as a plothole, and that there's enough information for the reader to (eventually) realize why it isn't one.

[Shirokirie]

Sub plots.

Because the world aspect of my WIP turns into quite the open one, and any given character classified as a secondary char to the overall plot of the main story can easily have a book written about them, and given the gravity of the main plot, it wouldn't be boring, either.

[YeonAh]

Consistency. I'd get to the end of a series and realize some rules that were established in the beginning just don't make sense later on. Really drilled it into my head why writing things down in a master file was important /o\

[Soletaken]

Originally Posted by Kindness

I can see that what's happening now is nothing compared to what's going to happen later, and so I'm getting to grips with giving every book this "holy crap! this is the biggest problem ever! there's no way these characters are going to get out of this one!" feel :P

I get this feeling often. I'm starting the story at a transition point after a period of stability. While the action has started, I keep thinking about all the crazy stuff that's going to happen later on.

[Death Wizard]

This is an easy one for me to answer. To me, it's about how much research I need to do. I'm not an expert in most ways, so I don't feel comfortable starting my writing until I have researched every conceivable angle in great detail. I spent about 2-3 hours a day for three months researching The DW Chronicles before I wrote word 1.

[rwm4768]

How do I make the first book stand alone yet leave enough open for a series? How do I keep the first book short enough to entice an agent and a publisher?

[Reservoir Angel]

With my current plan it's that I have a nasty habit of planning the sequels before the first novel.

Plus "how to make the first one stand on its own?" is a constant question, because I don't plan a series in an "instalment" way, I plan it as one big story that then gets cut up into sections. This makes it difficult to figure out how to end the first novel in such a way that it's not a massive cliffhanger.

[LadyV]

Originally Posted by Kindness

I have this habit of zooming out and looking at the series as a whole. I can see that what's happening now is nothing compared to what's going to happen later, and so I'm getting to grips with giving every book this "holy crap! this is the biggest problem ever! there's no way these characters are going to get out of this one!" feel :P

What about you guys?

I have a habit of doing the same thing. Then I wonder, "How the heck am I going to get there?"

My series won't have a continious bad guy, so I'll have all sorts of different threats to keep the protags occupied. However, another issue is giving each new antagonist a unique reason for wanting to cause destruction. I can't have them all just be inheriently evil, or pissed off at human society for one reason or another.

[Civic]

I'm the same. My planned trilogy was planned as a trilogy and not separate books. I've worked out where the cut off moments are for the end and beginning of the books, but then filling in each book with the other events is the tough bit.

[robertbevan]

i have some ideas here and there, things that might be cool to happen sometime down the line. but for the most part, i don't plan at all. i just write what the characters do, and it turns into a story.

i was probably about three quarters of the way through my first book when i thought of the idea that became "this absolutely has to be the way that this book ends!" it only required a small insertion in the first chapter to make it seem like i had this ending planned from the get go.

[ULTRAGOTHA]

Originally Posted by rwm4768

How do I make the first book stand alone yet leave enough open for a series?

Lois McMaster Bujold is so good at this in her Vorkosigan series, that there are continual and ongoing discussions on what best order to read the series in, and which book is best to give as the first one for a friend to read. (I tend to recommend The Vor Game as the entry point.)

She has several essays on line at The Author link at www.dendarii.com where she discusses this and other things.

She's so good at it that I would confidently recommend even her newest book, that isn't out yet (Captain Vorpatril's Alliance) as an entry point, knowing that a new reader won't get lost much.

If I ever get enough past my current WIP to write a series, I shall emulate her as best I can.

[Wind Ann Wise]

My series usually don't start out as such, but when I get to the end of the first one, I suddenly have so many new ideas that it just turns into one.

[Fallen Angel]

Plot is simply X>Y>Z that makes sense.

What I get is the working through a scene I have no spirit to write. Lots of scenes I start, but the 'Butt in Chair' eludes me.

[The_Riskbreaker]

I have the same issue that people are describing. My book "The Outlands" is the first in a trilogy, or quadrilogy. As long as you're writing it as the first book in the series you'll be fine. TLOTR was designed to be one, which the publisher had split up if i understand correctly. That's why it doesn't read like some books which have a definable end and yet leave enough open for the next one. It's hard to do that, because as others have pointed out, some writers like myself like to plan ahead. I mean "next book" type of planning.

I also find it tough to determine which characters need to bite the dust. It's usually not a matter of getting too attatched to them. (though it sometimes happens) But it's a matter of planning who leaves the party or dies, and who joins them. I don't want too many, as i'll likely end up like Stephen King during his writing of "The Stand" and get roadblocked. (his solution was to cut his cast down by drastic measures)

So it's mainly ending the book correctly to stand alone, and managing my characters.