Round two of my thoughts on series. As I mentioned in the last "Series" post, I really wanted to veer into the topic of keeping the continuation of the story without overloading the reader with large info dumps.
This aspect has really been the hardest for me to overcome. When it comes down to it, the previous books in your series become back story to the current book. I personally have problems with back story and try to keep it at a minimum. But you can't do that in a series. All the back story is important and the reader has to be "caught up" on what's happened.
I mean, come on, there's no break in the characters "lives", yet there's months between the release of each book. That means that my characters don't need caught up, but the reader does.
In my first drafts, I'm usually too scarce with back story. Through my first couple revisions I have to figure out where to remind the reader what's happened, why the character is reacting or feeling a certain way, why a decision was made or not made, or why someone likes or dislikes someone else. All this without allowing the previous story to take over the current book's storyline.
It can be tedious to say the least.
What I usually find is that the first couple of chapters end up with heavy info drops...I'm not going to say info dumps, because I think there's a difference between drops and dumps. Don't ask me how, I just do...
...Where was I? Oh yes...
At least heavy from my perspective. Now, like with book 2, my beta readers felt the information was fine and actually asked for more in some parts, as my background info didn't match the pace of all the active characters. Because, face it, in a series book 2 and on has all the characters already actively engaged. There's no time to slowly introduce them and bring them "into the fold" so to speak.
It makes this doubly hard when book 1 has different main characters than in book 2 and so on, because you have to get this information across from people who were secondary to the situation in the previous book.
But, I think in the end I relied on my beta readers and the end result came out fantastic. I just had to stretch my comfort zone in my writing style a bit.
That's what we writers want, right? Right??
I did learn that a series with a single set, or group, of characters is not for me. This new series I'm working on has the same world, but each book is a different agent on a different case, and at different periods of time (backward or forward). So, I have enough leeway on where I take the story depending on the science I learn each time. Plus, I don't need to rely on the characters or back story of previous books.
All in all, I think I found the right framework that fits my writing style, and I enjoyed the challenging journey into series writing. The Telomere Trilogy was a fantastic adventure, and I'm oh so found of those group of characters. I know they'll do well on their continued fictional journey away from my laptop.
What obstacles have you all faced in series writing? How did you overcome the dreaded info drops (no dumps...no, not that)?
Showing posts with label Series. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Series. Show all posts
Sunday, April 1, 2012
Saturday, March 17, 2012
Keeping the Tech in Sync
I'm rounding the last bend on my Telomere Trilogy. I know some people don't consider a trilogy a series, but I do. A finite series. There are just too many similarities, comparables, pitfalls, whatnot.
Now, before we get started it's confession time. Welcome to AR's Confession Corner. Ready?
"Hello, my name is AR and...I'm an adulterous writer. Disloyal, two-timing, faithless, fickle. Yes, all those things and more."
This is probably why I don't write contemporary or Earth-based SF. The world is what the world is and crowds my creativity.
I didn't completely know this until halfway through book 2. Here I was, outline finished, base of the story kicked off, and me wanting to explore new SF concepts that'd been catching my attention.
Let's flashback to, oh, almost a year ago. Went something like this:
AR rubs her hands together in anticipative glee, puts her fingers on the keyboard...
Noah tisks. "No, no, my writer. That doesn't fit the world you've built for me and my crew."
"But, but--Captain! It's so exciting! Popular science published this article, MIT completed this new study...and, and--"
"Ah, ah. I repeat, doesn't fit. My world has a conceptual boundary."
*ugh* "OK. FINE!"
What is a SF geek to do? Well, in a series (at least this kind of series), the developed world supersedes. I've had to tuck away all those fantastical ideas and live in the predefined world -- one I was uber excited about at the time might I add -- to complete Noah's story as envisioned.
Oddly enough, once I clarified those borders I got juiced about it again. And even though I understand now that it would take another unique story like Noah's for me to restrict myself to one "world" and one set of characters for several books, I'm glad I tackled this writing challenge. I do have another series, technically, but I've created it where I can change out 80 to 90 percent of the tech at will. The only constant will be the agent's "gift".
So, because it's top of mind, I'm going to keep in the same theme and the next post will be another requirement of series, continuing the story already in progress without overloading the reader.
Now, before we get started it's confession time. Welcome to AR's Confession Corner. Ready?
"Hello, my name is AR and...I'm an adulterous writer. Disloyal, two-timing, faithless, fickle. Yes, all those things and more."
This is probably why I don't write contemporary or Earth-based SF. The world is what the world is and crowds my creativity.
I didn't completely know this until halfway through book 2. Here I was, outline finished, base of the story kicked off, and me wanting to explore new SF concepts that'd been catching my attention.
Let's flashback to, oh, almost a year ago. Went something like this:
AR rubs her hands together in anticipative glee, puts her fingers on the keyboard...
Noah tisks. "No, no, my writer. That doesn't fit the world you've built for me and my crew."
"But, but--Captain! It's so exciting! Popular science published this article, MIT completed this new study...and, and--"
"Ah, ah. I repeat, doesn't fit. My world has a conceptual boundary."
*ugh* "OK. FINE!"
What is a SF geek to do? Well, in a series (at least this kind of series), the developed world supersedes. I've had to tuck away all those fantastical ideas and live in the predefined world -- one I was uber excited about at the time might I add -- to complete Noah's story as envisioned.
Oddly enough, once I clarified those borders I got juiced about it again. And even though I understand now that it would take another unique story like Noah's for me to restrict myself to one "world" and one set of characters for several books, I'm glad I tackled this writing challenge. I do have another series, technically, but I've created it where I can change out 80 to 90 percent of the tech at will. The only constant will be the agent's "gift".
So, because it's top of mind, I'm going to keep in the same theme and the next post will be another requirement of series, continuing the story already in progress without overloading the reader.
Friday, October 1, 2010
Developing a Series: Closing Post
I want to again thank Jennifer Hartz and Tami Dee for such wonderful articles about both their approach to writing series and their latest releases. I hope you all enjoyed the week's theme too.
There are a couple great things I pulled out from their experiences I think I would like to try with my own writing.
There are a couple great things I pulled out from their experiences I think I would like to try with my own writing.
- Find the time to daydream: Sometimes as writers we focus so much on the need to write, we forget to just let our minds wander. Jenn really illustrated -- through her use of time during her commute -- that just mind-wandering for a little bit can really help you work out your story. And Tami Dee sits down at her computer and just goes with it. So, I'm going to try and not focus so much on my technical tools and just try letting myself brainstorm freely.
- Plot the whole idea: I know a lot of people are not Plotters. I respect that and admire the freedom. As you can see from Tami's success it's not a requirement. However, I do think -- at least for me -- that for a story that crosses over books, plotting is a very important key to success. It doesn't have to be detailed, but at least a simple outline. Along with the plotting, using Tami's idea of a spreadsheet is a great way to track all the details. We're not talking 80K...it'll be 240K or more.
- Allow the seed to grow...don't stifle it with your original idea: Things won't always lead the way we thought when starting out. Don't go all willy nilly in every direction at a whim...but really think about the direction if it's just not working. Both Jenn and Tami showcased this aspect from their own experience writing their series.
- Be diligent: Take whatever time you can to write...even if it's only a few minutes.
- Make each book in the series strong enough to stand alone: Tami Dee really illustrated the point well, when she spoke about giving the reader enough finality to not feel open-ended between books, but still enough suspense to have them wanting to read the next.
I'm so happy I decided to try this exercise on the blog. In the process of completing the first book in my trilogy and starting the second, I realized some things I'm doing well, some things I need to correct before it's too far in, and those things that'll make it easier overall and going forward.
Good writing all!
Monday, September 27, 2010
Developing a Series: Jennifer Hartz Guest Blogs
Hi all! Today I'm excited to welcome my first guest blogger, Jennifer Hartz. As you all know, this week I've dedicated my blog to the development and writing of a series. Jenn is a fantasy writer and has a new series out, "Future Savior Book One: Conception". I'm happy to have her here. Please read on to see how she started writing and her approach to developing a series. She also has a treat at the end...a excerpt and her beautiful cover! No joke, the cover is amazing!! (Yes, double exclamations. Stop me if you can. Hee hee!)
While having a conversation with one of my students, I said something that would make my already busy life a heck of lot busier! We were discussing The Twilight Saga. As you know, most teenage girls love Twilight, I really enjoyed the books too, but we talking about how we were slightly disappointed with the forth book in the series. I eventually said, "I certainly can't judge Stephanie Myers because I haven't written a book let alone a bestselling mega smash series." This got me to thinking. I have always wanted to write a novel – it has been a lifelong dream – why not give it a shot. That day, while driving home from work, I started thinking about all of the books, movies, and TV shows I loved. I pulled out elements from all of these things that really captured my attention and slowly they morphed into my own fantasy realm.
For three months my daydreams continued as I drove back and forth from work. I have an hour and a half commute – three hours a day in the car – so my fantasy story really grew, and grew quickly. The story lines became more and more intricate and the personalities of my characters really started to take on lives of their own. Finally, summer rolled around and my fingers finally met the keys. Writing was the easy part since I had such a structured skeleton to work with. In the two and a half months of summer break I was able to write the entire 78,000 word novel that is now Future Savior Book One: Conception. I have the other four novels of the series completely mapped out in my head.
So what tips and tricks can I provide on how I plan to develop and write the remainder of my series? Well, I'm a big time "Plotter"… BIG TIME! There are two types of writers out there, Plotters and Pansters. Plotters are people like me who have to know exactly where the story is going. They plot and plan the entire novel – or in my case the entire five book series – before they ever touch a computer. Then there are pansters. These people have a basic idea of what kind of book they want to write and they sit down and write "by the seat of their pants". I guess the question you have to ask yourself is, "which kind of writer am I? Plotter or a Panster?
If you’re a plotter, like me, the best advice I can give is to complete your thought. As you start to dream up your story and you follow a plot line, follow it as far as it goes. Does it work? Does it make sense? Is it interesting? Do all of the loose ends tie up? If not, you've got to go back and take your story down a different line. As a dreamed in my car for three months, this is exactly what I did. My original daydreams about Future Savior were just awful ideas! The plot lines were weak and the characters were garbage. There were some sprinklings of good things even in those early days… those things are still in Future Savior today, but the rest was trashed and I followed my story down a different line until I got it right. Now, with the completed plan in my head, I couldn't be happier with the intricate story I've developed, the awesome fantasy world called Meric that I've created, and the characters I've grown to love.
So how do I plan on moving ahead with the rest of the series? I need to be diligent. I have a very busy life. I know that many people do, but my days are insane! Like I said, I'm in the car for three hours every day so right off the bat my hours are seriously severed. I teach, coach sports, volunteer at my church and, most importantly, I have a husband and a two year old son. So when I do find a few free moments I need to spend them writing. Not only do I have the Future Savior Series to complete, but I'm really excited about a new YA series that my brain has conjured up.
Here are some links where you can find out more about me and Future Savior:
Jenn Hartz' website – http://jenniferhartz.com/
Twitter link – http://twitter.com/JenniferLHartz
Facebook link – http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#!/profile.php?id=100000624983529
Buy Links
Desert Breeze Publishing – http://stores.desertbreezepublishing.com/-strse-107/Jennifer-Hartz-Future-Savior/Detail.bok
Amazon – http://www.amazon.com/Future-Savior-Book-One-ebook/dp/B0041HXOUG/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&m=AG56TWVU5XWC2&s=digital-text&qid=1283335858&sr=8-2
Barnes & Noble - http://search.barnesandnoble.com/books/e/9781936000586/?itm=1&USRI=jennifer+hartz
Find some other buy links here – http://jenniferhartz.com/shopping
Please enjoy the following tiny snippet from Future Savior Book One: Conception, the exciting Epic Inspirational Fantasy by Jennifer Hartz.
"What about you? Are you married? Girlfriend?" I smiled at him with the pretense of easy conversation, but really I was terrified to learn the answer. What if he was married?
"No," he replied, "As a Watcher, my life revolves around the people I protect."
While having a conversation with one of my students, I said something that would make my already busy life a heck of lot busier! We were discussing The Twilight Saga. As you know, most teenage girls love Twilight, I really enjoyed the books too, but we talking about how we were slightly disappointed with the forth book in the series. I eventually said, "I certainly can't judge Stephanie Myers because I haven't written a book let alone a bestselling mega smash series." This got me to thinking. I have always wanted to write a novel – it has been a lifelong dream – why not give it a shot. That day, while driving home from work, I started thinking about all of the books, movies, and TV shows I loved. I pulled out elements from all of these things that really captured my attention and slowly they morphed into my own fantasy realm.For three months my daydreams continued as I drove back and forth from work. I have an hour and a half commute – three hours a day in the car – so my fantasy story really grew, and grew quickly. The story lines became more and more intricate and the personalities of my characters really started to take on lives of their own. Finally, summer rolled around and my fingers finally met the keys. Writing was the easy part since I had such a structured skeleton to work with. In the two and a half months of summer break I was able to write the entire 78,000 word novel that is now Future Savior Book One: Conception. I have the other four novels of the series completely mapped out in my head.
So what tips and tricks can I provide on how I plan to develop and write the remainder of my series? Well, I'm a big time "Plotter"… BIG TIME! There are two types of writers out there, Plotters and Pansters. Plotters are people like me who have to know exactly where the story is going. They plot and plan the entire novel – or in my case the entire five book series – before they ever touch a computer. Then there are pansters. These people have a basic idea of what kind of book they want to write and they sit down and write "by the seat of their pants". I guess the question you have to ask yourself is, "which kind of writer am I? Plotter or a Panster?
If you’re a plotter, like me, the best advice I can give is to complete your thought. As you start to dream up your story and you follow a plot line, follow it as far as it goes. Does it work? Does it make sense? Is it interesting? Do all of the loose ends tie up? If not, you've got to go back and take your story down a different line. As a dreamed in my car for three months, this is exactly what I did. My original daydreams about Future Savior were just awful ideas! The plot lines were weak and the characters were garbage. There were some sprinklings of good things even in those early days… those things are still in Future Savior today, but the rest was trashed and I followed my story down a different line until I got it right. Now, with the completed plan in my head, I couldn't be happier with the intricate story I've developed, the awesome fantasy world called Meric that I've created, and the characters I've grown to love.
So how do I plan on moving ahead with the rest of the series? I need to be diligent. I have a very busy life. I know that many people do, but my days are insane! Like I said, I'm in the car for three hours every day so right off the bat my hours are seriously severed. I teach, coach sports, volunteer at my church and, most importantly, I have a husband and a two year old son. So when I do find a few free moments I need to spend them writing. Not only do I have the Future Savior Series to complete, but I'm really excited about a new YA series that my brain has conjured up.
Here are some links where you can find out more about me and Future Savior:
Jenn Hartz' website – http://jenniferhartz.com/
Twitter link – http://twitter.com/JenniferLHartz
Facebook link – http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#!/profile.php?id=100000624983529
Buy Links
Desert Breeze Publishing – http://stores.desertbreezepublishing.com/-strse-107/Jennifer-Hartz-Future-Savior/Detail.bok
Amazon – http://www.amazon.com/Future-Savior-Book-One-ebook/dp/B0041HXOUG/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&m=AG56TWVU5XWC2&s=digital-text&qid=1283335858&sr=8-2
Barnes & Noble - http://search.barnesandnoble.com/books/e/9781936000586/?itm=1&USRI=jennifer+hartz
Find some other buy links here – http://jenniferhartz.com/shopping
Please enjoy the following tiny snippet from Future Savior Book One: Conception, the exciting Epic Inspirational Fantasy by Jennifer Hartz."What about you? Are you married? Girlfriend?" I smiled at him with the pretense of easy conversation, but really I was terrified to learn the answer. What if he was married?
"No," he replied, "As a Watcher, my life revolves around the people I protect."
"I'm sorry. You've sacrificed so much just for me."
"Don't be sorry. This was the life I chose when I agreed to work for your father. I could have stayed a soldier in Commander Glontor's army, but now my work is exceptional. I get to protect the Savior of Meric." He gazed into my eyes for a long moment, squeezing my hand again.
I studied him even after he looked away. He was such a remarkable man, and yet there was still so much about him that I didn't know. What I did know had me completely enthralled. I was amazed that he would give up his entire life to look after me.
"Don't be sorry. This was the life I chose when I agreed to work for your father. I could have stayed a soldier in Commander Glontor's army, but now my work is exceptional. I get to protect the Savior of Meric." He gazed into my eyes for a long moment, squeezing my hand again.
I studied him even after he looked away. He was such a remarkable man, and yet there was still so much about him that I didn't know. What I did know had me completely enthralled. I was amazed that he would give up his entire life to look after me.
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