Questions tagged [series]

This tag should be used for questions about series of written works, such as series of books, videogame scripts or graphic novels. The questions should detail what aspect of a story is difficult, such as differing lengths or the repetition of information.

This tag should be used for questions about series of written works, such as series of books, videogame scripts and graphic novels. The questions should detail what aspect of a story is difficult, such as differing lengths or the repetition of information.

Make sure that it's visible to the audience:

and make sure that it's understandable why you are thinking that a series has different problems than a stand-alone work.

94 questions
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14 answers

Avoiding spectacle creep

It's common in stories for spectacle to build over time. Each story arc, the stakes get higher, the drama gets more intense, the villains get more dangerous, and so on. For a story with a fixed endpoint, that's fine. So long I know where I'm…
user33474
26
votes
6 answers

What keeps most authors writing after receiving multiple rejections?

Last year, I completed a heavily researched 95,000-word novel about an emerging pandemic that targets primarily children. I am a former scientist and current nurse and wanted to do teaching about what to expect if a serious pandemic emerges. My…
Richard Stanzak
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Can a successful book series let the bad guy win?

I have a five book series and I have plotted them all out. The main bad guy wins in the end. My problem with this is my girlfriend keeps telling me that bad guys winning will make readers upset that they invested in the heroes only for them to die…
icefire
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12 answers

In a series, do the stakes have to be higher than in the book before?

Imagine you have a series of books: Book 1 through Book 6. Do the stakes in book 2 have to be bigger than the stakes in book 1? The same question applies with each book in relation to the one before it. I know you don't have to, but would it be best…
Wyvern123
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How can I contact JK Rowling for permission to publish my sequel for the Harry Potter series?

I recently watched the entire Harry Potter series in December 2021. I really loved the Harry Potter world and all the characters. Even after days, I couldn't stop myself from thinking about it and I'm pretty happy about the innovative idea that…
Sam N
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2 answers

What techniques are used to plot long (multi-novel) story arcs?

As a very visual person, I have always considered plotting a story to be somewhat like knitting or macrame. How do series authors handle multi novel story arcs? Do they just keep throwing out lines and pick them up when they feel the need to pull…
Larry Smithmier
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6 answers

In a series of books, what happens after the coming of age?

I'm writing a novel focusing on a single character POV. For many aspects, it can be considered a coming of age story; along with the usual tropes of the hero's journey, my protagonist gradually learn something of the world she lives in, acquires…
Liquid
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10 answers

Is there a method to estimating the length of a work before writing it?

I am writing my first novel, which I think likely will end up being several volumes. Although I have a lot of experience in poetry and short stories, this is a very different challenge! My question is about estimating the length of a work prior to…
DoctorWhom
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How can I Switch Protagonists Between Books?

Disclaimer: I am not intending on doing this. It is just a question I thought was fascinating and might be useful to other writers. Here's the scenario. You're writing a series of novels. After the first book, you decide to change to a new…
14
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8 answers

1st person story, but the main character will die in the end and some of the story needs to be told after his death. How to solve this problem?

I personally like to read stories told by the the main character, it's more "alive" to me. But the problem is that my character will die and some of the story will need to be told afterwards. Maybe 1 or 2 pages max. How to solve this problem?
Derfder
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3 answers

Can I write a different book before my sequel?

I am just about done writing the first book in a series. I have an idea for the next book in that series (let's call it "book a"), but I also have another idea brewing in my mind which takes place in another universe (let's call it "book b"). I want…
AnnWithNoE
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6 answers

Series: How can I get my reader to not expect any one genre?

Background: I'm planning on writing an extensive series of fantasy books. I plan on writing quite a few of these books, and while they'll all be set on the same planet, I intend them to center on different characters, countries, and cultures, and…
12
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8 answers

How Do I Compress Multiple Novels' Worth of Plot, Characters, and Worldbuilding into One?

I have been working on worldbuilding, plotting out, and writing characters for a science-fantasy series for over 4 years now, and I feel the time has come to take another stab at writing the actual thing after my first draft. The problem is I have…
12
votes
3 answers

Where is the best place to "twist" a series?

I have plans for a fantasy trilogy in which the main characters defeating the threat in each book simply makes way for the new threat of the next book. This way, the main characters can continue to grow and take on more powerful threats as the…
StrixVaria
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How to go about breaking up a looooong YA story?

A while ago, I played around with a short story idea in a genre I don't normally write (Young Adult fiction). The story took on a life of its own, growing quickly to a novella, and now is definitely a novel, trying to stretch itself to a…
HedgeMage
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