The Fairy Tale Feminista
Answering life’s questions one fairy tale at a time.
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.
So you want to write a Series, part II
If you’re back for more on writing a series, clearly my initial advice didn’t scare you away—i.e. don’t write a series. But we already covered that, so let’s move on.
A series, by definition, has more than three books. A case can be made for saying anything over two books is a series, but trilogies have become so commonplace that I think over three makes more sense. Now, this is going to sound harsh because your stories are like your children. You love them. You nurture them. You give them time and space to grow. Eventually you send them out into the world little by little—those are beta readers—then with more trepidation—that’s your editor. Finally you send them out into the world and hope you’ve done enough to make them ready for it. And you know what? You’re going to have a favorite.
So you want to Write a Series, part I
When I first started my writing life, I was told to start a blog to attract followers to my books. I did so, reluctantly and one of the reasons was I felt I had nothing to offer in the way of expertise. Don’t get me wrong, I know a lot about a lot of things, and I say that without an ounce of conceit. I’m naturally curious and when I want to know about a thing, I research it and study. And yet, I didn’t know what to say to people I didn’t know, who didn’t know me and hadn’t asked me for any advice. That was almost 13 years ago.
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