So you want to Write a Series, part III

I’ve left my most cumbersome advice for last, and not because it's April Fools'. It seems appropriate considering that’s what a series is… cumbersome. It can be unwieldy and demanding and yes, fun. These are characters that become people to you. They are real and you’ve named every one of them. And they are so important because they made you a writer. Now here’s the tricky part. You have to learn to ignore them.

<GASP>

Yes, she’s a greedy b*^$# and sometimes she needs to know she’s not the center of the universe. You have other projects (hopefully) and while I was writing my series, tons of ideas for new books, uncomplicated STANDALONE books <sigh> would come to me. I’d write them down and put them in my ideas notebook then get back to the behemoth.

But there were days, sometimes weeks, where I was stuck. It was usually in the editing phase when I needed to connect one scene to another or had to make the difficult decision to cut whole sections. Sometimes the characters were just silent, and I didn’t know how to move forward. So I’d go back to my ideas notebook and start fleshing out one of my completely unrelated stories.

This was hard because I like working on something until it’s done—I’m linear like that (thank you Orb Prophets). But around book 3 I realized there was an end in sight, and I had to have something to write when the series was done. I started purposely ignoring my series in order to further another project. It also helped me deal with the nagging voice in my head that wondered how some of my favorite indie writers release multiple books a year. I don’t think I’m at that level yet, but I have three projects at various states in the writing process that will make it possible for me to release at least one a year. And that’s fine for me.

So the difficult advice to learn this time is, one day your series will end. Have a plan for that day.

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A Mage's Path release tomorrow!

The last book in my Enchanted Path series comes out tomorrow and I was interviewed by one of my favorite blogger, Ari Meghlen. Enjoy and while you're at it check out her amazing blog.

https://arimeghlen.co.uk/2024/11/29/interview-with-author-i-l-cruz-2/

A Mage's Path release

It’s been a long time coming. No one tells you that when you start a series it’s going to be a part of your life for years. Mine has been with me over a decade, through many iterations—it started off as Mother Goose Mysteries—and somehow became this safe place I went to as a writer. I know all the characters, though full confession, I sometimes forget the names of my tertiary characters or the color of someone’s eyes. I’ve visited the locations both in my waking and nighttime dreams. And I’ve woken up from a deep sleep having to write a line of dialogue I knew was missing. I don’t regret those nights. I do regret the nights I refused to wake up and write it down and then forgot everything except the fact that I’d had an incredible idea and let it slip away.

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A series is WORK, but it’s also rewarding.

Now I’m closing the door on all that comfort. I’ve finished the last book in this series and I’m eager to move on to the next project (already in the works). While I can’t definitively say I’ll never revisit the world I created in the Enchanted Isles, it’s time to get excited (and uneasy) with a different story.

But before I do, with much ado, here’s the last book in the Enchanted Path series. A Mage’s Path is the realm-hopping conclusion of Inez’s story full of excitement, magic, romance, loss and discovery. I know all writer’s say it, but it doesn’t make it any less true:

I hope you enjoy reading as much as I enjoyed writing it (hopefully more because there were some days…)!

Coming November 30th to ebook and paperback!