Changing the tone within a series of novels?

I originally posted this in the Mystery section but it actually applies to any novels written in a series, so I copied it here...

I've now finished my 2nd "Mitch King" mystery in a Houston-based private detective series I'm working on. I had previously signed with an agency for the 1st novel, and I mailed the 2nd novel to them this week.

Now I'm getting ready to start on the 3rd book, and I'd like to discuss change of tone.

My first 2 novels are quite dark. The protagonist, Mitch King, is very conflicted and has a great many internal problems to deal with. Through inaction or action, he causes havoc and brings much ruin onto himself.

I'm planning to lighten the tone in book 3. In this novel, he goes to Austin to stay with a college pal for a few weeks, and becomes involved in a mystery (of course).

What I'm planning to write is a more conventional mystery thriller, with layers of bad guys, each a threat, the deeper and more hidden baddies being far more dangerous. I plan to insert more exterior scenes and less internal musing and despair. There will also be more sarcastic humor and snappy dialogue, less self-hating nastiness on the part of my protagonist.

I do however intend to keep the principal character intact, except that Mitch will agonize less and have some greater success in his life, at least in this novel.

Do you see this as a sellout, or am I okay in lightening the tone? I figure a change of scenery from Houston to Austin will allow me the latitude to also move the protagonist into a less nasty mood.

What are your experiences with these things, either when reading a series of books by someone else, or from your own writing?

I'm thinking about Robert Parker's "Spenser" series. At times, Spenser "got good" and the books were bland. Then Parker revised the action themes and the books improved again.

But I'm not planning a "face change" (as they say in pro wrestling) for my Mitch King protagonist, only to let him off the hook a while. Then for book 4, back to despair and tragedy. ha ha

What are your thoughts on this? Pitfalls, caveats, things to not do?

Remember, it's just my opinion.

I think you need to speak with your agent and see what he or she thinks. I think changing your tone/style mid-series could be a problem, especially if/when your first two books sell and you have a following. Generally speaking, I think lightening up is a good thing. However, your fans might have certain expectations.

Before your first and second book sell and make a killing, it's probably a little premature to know what the market demands. I'd say, consult your agent -- they're supposed to be the experts.

I'm not speaking professionally, but from a conventional wisdom perspective.

You have two thoughts. 1) If it isn't broke, then don't fix it. However, in this case, you are still in a growth phase of not knowing exactly where this will lead.

2) You can write variations of "She loves you Yeah, Yeah, Yeah," until the cows come home. And you have to consider your own artistic growth as opposed to always writing for the market.

If the Beatles stuck with what worked, we'd never have Sergeant Pepper, or any of their other classics.

My own perspective is that you want someone who is growing as a person, learning about themselves, and making modifications based upon that. You can always bring back those dark sides to his nature, because even in a growing person, you have a little room for Jekyll and Hyde moments.

And this is just for the record, I'm not just rooting on you, in a metaphoric sense, I'm betting on you, because somehow, I think you'll succeed either way.

If you saw the movie "Ray" about Ray Charles, you'd see that experts told him to stick with what works. And then you hear that moment when he starts singing, "Georgia..." and it sends shivers down your spine. Well, he'd have never sung that song if the experts had their way, or several other songs that turned out to be among his very best.

Lastly, I'm not published, but having been writing and revising, I already know I'm not the same story writer I started out being. If you ask me, our styles emerge, the more that we write, and so we are (many of us) in the process of becoming. And it would seem natural that you are probably growing as a writer, even if you write two best sellers out of the gates. Perhaps the third will be your Sergeant Pepper.

I think the tone, or something about the series is bound to change sooner or later -- The question would be how much and when -- Possibly if you are in control of the change or if it "just happens."

I think I would try to have it happen gradually.

consult your agent

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Actually I'm doing that. My submission included a 3-page memo of sorts to her, discussing where I'm going in detail and asking for feedback.

The change in tone isn't really too severe. And in fact it may bring the series a bit more in line with the mainstream PI genre. My writing has been criticized as being too moody and interior-based anyway.

Understand that this change of tone isn't a flip-flop (I'll leave that to a certain presidential candidate). It's a shift of sorts, nudging my protag toward a somewhat brighter mood.

I do however intend to keep the tone shady, if not dark. My PI is a hopeless mess of internal conflicted mental state. And this tends to bring him into a paralysis of inaction. This hesitation naturally causes him terrible grief, because the delay may (I don't know yet whether it will actually occur, or will nearly happen) end in the death of someone he'd promised to protect.

And I'll introduce a new series character to boost the interest in this book, too. I've outlined the "project" to my agent in the letter and should hear from her next week. (they got the book yesterday)

still in a growth phase

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This applies to my protagonist, too. The first novel introduces him and his "world". The second book emphasizes this, placing him into a conventional mystery, but also allows him to wallow in his self-pity.

What I don't want to do is get stuck in this mud, nor to allow my protagonist to do it either. This has been the way I've planned it from the beginning, when I outlined the series and the principal characters, especially that of my PI, Mitch King.

I hope to get the readership interested in his life and tribulations (as well as the story at hand, of course), and to form a bond of caring for him. And slowly I want to bring him out of the darkness -- plus lapses and backslides -- and to let him become a better person.

I hope this explains things. D'oh!

Katdad,

Not every change is gradual. People and situation sometimes change in leaps and bounds. I'd suggest you put him through some catastrophe early in the story that jars him out of his depression.

His apartment could catch fire. He could lose half his belongings and be forced to move. Maybe he narrowly escaped being killed himself. Something like that can really make a guy re-evaluate his outlook.

Then he goes to visit the old pal, which reminds him more of the happy go lucky kid he used to be. etc etc.

Re changing the tone:

Does it work? (That is, will the readers buy it?)

Do you believe it? (Is that where your excitement takes you?)


If you can answer yes to both, then do it.

There isn't a magic formula -- make each book the best it can be let the series take care of itself.

I've noticed that Terry Pratchett has changed the tone of his Discworld series several times. It started as a straight satire of the fantasy genre, then changed to a more witty style dripping with allusions. Recently, it's changed again, dropping almost all of the allusions to concentrate on realism (of a kind). He's even branched out into YA novels set on the Discworld.

Michael Moorcock is another example I can think of. He started doing cheesy little fantasy stories. Then he wrote the arty, non-linear, and difficult Cornelius Chronicles. A lot of his established audience hated it, but it broke him out of a rut, and all his eternal champion novels since have been more interesting.

Both of these writers are still going. So, I guess it's not an absolute death sentence to allow a series to develop as you become a more experienced writer. It's probably a good thing, if it means maintaining your interest in the series, because there's nothing worse than a book that just goes through the motions. It always shows when the lights are on but nobody's home. Perhaps, after the next three books, you'll decide to change tack again, and start stretching yourself.

catastrophe

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Believe me, it's already happened in the first 2 novels. And it only deepens his depressive state. He blames himself for the death of an innocent person, and also considers himself a murderer.

So he's out for some R&R time and a change of scenery. And it will indeed have a salutory effect on him -- his sense of inadequacy will remain but he'll muddle through this time.

In novel #4 it's back to the dungeon for him. He'll lose a close friend and blame himself. He may even plan suicide. But at the final moment I'll toss him a rope ladder. Now he will have to climb it.

He'll also get help from an unexpected source, in that he will meet the love of his life. But he'll be too stubborn and morose to recognize it, so I'll have to dangle it before him several times before he grabs the ring.

Do you believe it?

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Actually, yes I do. Some of the things have happened to me, or at least versions of them, and so I'm drawing upon my own memories and experience to portray the emotional despair and conflicts in my protag.

Will the audience like it? I dunno. Friends who have read my books say 'yes' but that's not the same as an uninvited readership.

My agent certainly likes the darkness of my character. And it's not a "faux noir" dark, like some of the retro characters in other private eye fiction, who rail against the modern age and see only ruin, yearn for yesteryear, and so on.

His problems are modern and his emotional reflections are rife with today's lifestyles.

Bottom line, the reason for this change is that I'm not interested in hanging the albatross from his neck for the next ten years. That would bore me and certainly bore the readers. My protagonist must evolve and do so naturally, grow up in fact before our eyes.

One of his principal failings is that he's so damn smart and educated (double major in English history & art) and he knows he's smart. So that leads to hubris. But the veneer he displays is only that. He's empty inside and that hollowness is now filled with sarcasm and bile. In time perhaps that will fester and then drain, and leave room for some humanity.

And of course, in the meantime I'm working to tell a good mystery story in each book.

What I did was to post the whole outline of my purpose and mystery series on my website. If you'd like to check it out, here's the page reference. Everything is explained is some depth, as well as a brief logline for each novel:

Sam's Mystery Page

Katdad,

Sounds like you've got things well in hand. In fact, I'm very intrigued to read one (or all) of these novels, based on what I've heard here. The snippets I've seen in SYW showed only the barest traces of this stuff.

Please tell us when book 1 hits the stands! I'm sure you will, but just know I'm eager to get into Mitch King's head. I like the approach you're taking. There's a seasoned novelist here in my town, by the name of Mike Cormany. He's got a mystery series with a PI named Dan Kruger, who also is a man with "Issues" so does speak - not the most Macho character - rather a bit of a "head case".

I enjoyed Mike's novels immensely for just this reason, so I'm understandably eager to embrace King.

Contrast Parker and Vacchs

Although I agree that some Spensers are much better than others, Parker's change in this character holds my interest. Yeah, I like the darker, troubled times more, but observing the change is interesting, too.

Vacchs' Burke, however, remains bleak so steadfastly that this outsider who ought to remain intriguing is, by the fourth book (and the last I'm likely to read), utterly flat. I don't expect or want him to walk in the park enjoying butterflies, but he needs to grow beyond that sunless world where there's no one to trust other than those you already trust, and no hope for better.

Unrelenting dark can become just as dull as endless sunshine. Let your guy have a few better days in Austin, if you agent doesn't think you're shooting yourself in the foot. I agree that as long as you're true to your character's heart and soul, the best book you can write for him is the one that you believe in.

Maryn

PI named Dan Kruger

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Somehow I've missed this series. Next time I'm at the mystery bookstore I'll find a copy of the books, look into the character.

Yeah, I'll let everyone know about the sale, when it occurs. You'll probably be able to hear me yell, right across the DSL lines! ha ha

Strange memory just popped into my fevered brain when I wrote that item above --- I had an old 8mm projector when I was a kid, and my dad got me a bunch of cartoons and Our Gang shorts, all silent. I have just remembered a scene from a Popeye cartoon I used to laugh at...

Popeye is on the phone, talking to Bluto. This was an old-style standing phone with separate receiver on a hook. Popeye punches his fist into the mouthpiece, and an image of his fist travels along the phone line, like it's being squeezed through the line. I remember a row of birds sitting on the phone line, and as the fist travels quickly beneath them, they are popped up into the air in sequence. Then of course the fist emerges at Bluto's end, delivering the remote punch.

Amazing the things our brain stores away.

Re: Contrast Parker and Vacchs

Vacchs' Burke, however, remains bleak

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You know, that's the writer (and character) I was trying to remember when writing this thread. Thanks!

Correct. I've read about 2-1/2 of these novels, because I got bored with Burke's unchanging negative vibes. And all this secrecy he has, living in some strange apartment with the huge dog that lives on the roof, the fake Chinese restaurant, and such.

After a while, these things get boring. Doesn't the guy ever see a movie or eat in a decent restaurant? I understand that his character is paranoid, but it becomes a farce and loses its impact (with me) because it's so farfetched that it descends into parody.

And yes, parody is a legitimate avenue for expression, but in this case, I don't think Vacchs is trying to be humorous.

Regardless, in my stories, I am not attempting to be parodic. I am trying for a very realistic mode and therefore the growth and evolution of the protagonist's soul is something I'm endeavoring to maintain.

Thanks to you and everyone else for the helpful feedback!

Re: Contrast Parker and Vacchs

my humble opinion,

I don't think there's any real problem with a change in tone. in fact, i would go so far as to say that a series requires it. actually, not a series, but a trilogy or trilogy-esque book sequence. of course, i find series more often go from lighter to darker than the opposite.

books using the same characters and setting can be arranged in two ways. there is the true series, a number of seperate stories in the same setting or with the same character.

several mystery series seem to elevate this same-ness to the level of sitcom writing- the characters never change or grow, each book holds a similar story, and everything is back to normal by the end of the episode/book. Sherlock Holmes, for instace, never changed and only rarely referred to previous mysteries.

in this type of series, obviously, changing the tone or characters is against the point.

momentarily ignoring that option, there are two mroe types of series i see. in some series, each book details an unrelated incident of episode form the characters life. in this type of series, i think changing the tone is a necessity to keep things interesting. each story should be different from the one before it.

finally, there is the trilogy. what I call the "trilogy" model need not be exactly three books, but i have yet to come up with a better name for it. it could be two books or 4. it could be twelve.

most trilogies are in fact one story divided into sections. the Lord of the Rings, for instance, is one story in three parts.

in this type fo story, i belive a change in tone between books is critical. a good story has high points and low points and in a story that fills several books, these are stretched out. there are several patterns which seem especially frequent. i describe these models as if they wre three books, but they can be extrapolated for other numbers.

light-dark-darker: the character starts out in reasonable shape, but the events draw the character and the world steadily downhil, with everything getting worse and worse until the end of the series in which either things are fixed or the character is destroyed. LotR, for example.

light-dark-light: in many stories the darkest hour is the middle of the story. the protagonist begins happy, bad things happen plunging him into despair during the middle, when the antagonists power is greatest, but after the midpoint of the book the pendulum swings back as the protagonist figures out what he needs to do to put things right. Mercedes lackey' arrows trilogy, for instance: the first book details talia's training, in the second, she is testing sorely and everythng is generally painful and unpleasant, and in the third she finally assumes her full potential and saves the day.

then there is dark-light-dark: i see this frequently with stories that weren't originally planned to be series. the protagonist starts off in bad shape,but in the first story manages to vastly improve his situation. the next books shows him in his happy new surroundings, but the author soon needs to plunge him into darkness again to keep it interesting.

in closing, i don't belive changes in tone are a problem in and of themselves, but when moving from dark to light, make sure that the light story doesn't lack the energy and interest level of the dark stories.

Re: Contrast Parker and Vacchs

then there is dark-light-dark

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Precisely what my series is, except that it's planned, in a general way, from the outset.

By the way, thanks for that excellent posting. The folks in this forum are wonderful!