Book publishers are searching submissions they receive for fresh, new series ideas, hoping to find the next Harry Potter or Diary of a Wimpy Kid. There are many advantages to writing series fiction.
1. You as the writer get to continue with a character you’ve grown to love and expand his or her experiences and it saves you the drudgery of having to create a new hero or heroine with each new book. That also applies to the cast of characters and the setting.
2. Readers get to spend more time with characters they’ve learned to care about.
3. The publisher is assured of a string of popular, money-making books.
4. You, likewise, may be assured of a string of potentially best selling titles. Publication of a new title in a series adds to the sale of prior ones. Writing has an additional plus in that every couple of years brings a new generation of readers.
There are some difficulties however. If you are an unpublished writer, you’re going to have a hard time convincing editors that you can do the job. Write a good first book and, if it does well, pursue writing a series. Second, if you’re hoping to turn a book you’ve written into a series, make sure you love the characters. Depending on the frequency they’re issued, you can spend a great deal of time plotting, researching, writing and editing. As in your own life, you’ll need to ponder your characters’ futures as you write about their current situations. So not all problems can be solved and relationships made perfect a series novel.
How to Get Started on a Series
The first thing you must do is decide what your series’ theme will be, i.e. the single all purpose idea behind it. For example, Harry Potter’s stories include wizardry, self discovery and good vs. evil all rolled into one. But the basic theme is wizardry. Wimpy Kid’s theme is trying to fit in. It has to be something that fundamentally attracts you. Think about your own life. Is there something you always wanted to do and pursued in different ways? What emotions did you hope to generate in someone else? Love, friendship, jealousy, respect? What did you do to try and bring about those emotions? What are your long term goals out side of writing? If someone asked you if you could have three wishes fulfilled, what would you say?
Once you’ve designed the premise of your series, design the world in which it takes place. It can be imaginative, such as Hogwarts School for Wizards or as simple and uncomplicated as the home and life style of the Wimpy Kid. Does it take place in a major city, in a rural community, on a campus, on an island? Make sure you design the environment completely so that your readers will become embedded in it.
Develop Your Cast of Characters
Don’t develop typical, predictable characters. Reach back into your own life and others, that you have known:
- What made them laugh or be sad?
- What were they afraid of?
- What made them angry?
- How did they show off?
- What calmed them?
- Did they have good or evil intentions?
- Were they jealous of someone?
- What temptations could they not resist, etc.?
Reaching back into the elements of your life allows you to feel those emotions. Whatever you do, don’t come up with stereotypes or mimic a character you saw in a movie, or read in another author’s book. In this age of diversity, stereotypes are very much frowned upon. Surprisingly, nonetheless, character types—geeks, tricksters, bullies, pirates, and others defined by one or two dominant traits—can provide a solid basis in writing fiction.
The difference between a foundational type and a stereotype is simply a matter of degree. A character so typical that there is nothing interesting to discover is a stereotype. You may start with a stereotypical character and search to find more about him—seeing him grow into a more substantial person, more multi-faceted, more fallible, and more human and interesting. Taking small elements and expanding.
Creating High Concept Plots
Think about some of the books you’ve read that immersed you. Why did you like them? They apparently were real enough that you could see the actions occurring in your world. They kept you turning pages and ignoring TV. You need to use as much emotional mix as you can. We love stories that could be real life. As you read more, take notes on the plot, personalities and actions that intrigue you.
An example of a good story is the movie Speed. A self-assured cop needed to find a way to save people stranded on a city bus that would explode if it slowed to less than 55 mph. Why is this high concept? It’s different, it has emotional appeal, it’s visual. An exploding bus is different. A bus ride is universal. Life and death stakes are emotional. The outcome could be horrific.
Keep up your reading on current series that have proven highly successful. They illustrate current trends. Make copious notes. Read your draft out loud and take notes. Every successful author will tell you he reads and edits his work a myriad of times. It’s what needed for writing at any age level.
James Haynes - null
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