Writing a Novel Series

Writing your first novel and sending it to a publisher can be a daunting task. I always say that finishing your first book and sending it off to a publisher is like sending your child into the world on their own for the first time. You are scared to let go, but want to see him or her succeed. Writing a series of novels with the same characters is a concept many writers take on. There are important steps to remember when you are taking on such a task.

First, you need to pay attention to the novel series you enjoy. Most people, who read for pleasure, do not pay much attention to why he or she enjoys the series books. You will have to go back through these novels and do a break down. The elements you will need to look for in the series of books are character, setting, plot structure, conflict, and suspense. These different elements will help you to understand what needs to done in order for you to write a series of books. Once you have broken down the books, you can apply your own unique style to writing your series.

Secondly, the elements that have a stronger importance are characters and settings. When you are creating a series, you must have your characters and setting completely developed before coming up with the plot and the rest of the elements required for writing a book. Part of your plot is character driven. When you take the time to develop your characters first, it will help you in structuring the series. The impact that setting and characters have on each other will add a sense of realism and depth to your series. When you are writing a series, there may be more ideas and details that come to you. This is a normal process. As you write, you can update your setting and characters.

Thirdly, you must remember that each book has a purpose. When you are writing a series of books, the plot or main story should reach across the entire series of books. You have to think about the end of the series first, and then work you way backwards. Each book can encompass the different events leading up to the end of the series. Each book must have its own mini plot. The first book will set up the main characters and the setting surrounding them. The middle books in the series will allow you to further develop the characters in the book and build tension and conflicts. You can use cliffhangers to entice a person to pick up the next book in the series. The final book of the series will resolve the main conflict and tie up all the loose ends left over from the previous books in the series.

Fourthly, when you are developing your series, you must remember to use multiple conflicts. This will build a strong pacing and suspense throughout your series. Your core set of characters should have a main conflict and a secondary conflict that need to be resolved. You can then switch off between the two as the series develops. When one of the conflicts reaches a critical moment, then you should switch over to the other 

conflict. This will cause the reader to want to continue to read your series.

Lastly, you must develop a habit of working on your series of novels daily. If you are able to complete one novel per year, then you are in good standing. Doing this will practice will not be able to begin overnight. You will need to figure a few things out first. Making adjustments in your current schedule and figuring out what time of day is best for you to write are the main things that need to be developed. While you are going about the rest of your day, you should be observing your surroundings and brainstorming ideas to further your story along. If you are thinking that writing a novel or a series of novels is a massive project, you can break it down into smaller projects. First, focus on the preparation of the one chapter or scene at a time. Then once you are comfortable with that, you can move on to the next one. Given some time, the process of writing a novel will turn into a habit and you will do it without thinking about the steps involved.

Non-Fiction Vs. Fiction Writing

          There are similarities and differences in non-fiction and fiction writing. Both types of writing call for flow. The book needs to read like it is meant to be together. A non-fiction book needs to flow like a fiction story will. There needs to be consistency within the language used. The structures of fiction and non-fiction books vary. The structure of a non-fiction book can be matched with an outline. Outlines make non-fiction books easier to write. Fiction books will not follow an outline. Research varies between fiction and non-fiction. Research is a big part of non-fiction writing.  When you are writing on a specific subject, you have to do extensive amounts of research. You want to be sure all your facts are correct on the subject matter you have chosen to write about. Always choose a subject you are passionate about when you are writing non-fiction books. With fiction books, there may be some research needed. You may want to right about a place or a time period. If this is the case, then you will need to research the area and the time period to ensure your accounts are correct. Most of the time, a fiction story is just something that comes from your own imagination. There are those who can write entire books without doing any or a minimal amount of research because it is all in their minds.

          When it comes to writing non-fiction material, there is one rule of thumb. Always write about what you know. If you stick to writing about things you know something about and are able to research what you do not know about, then you will be able to see success in books. When it comes to fiction writing, your imagination is the only tool you really need.  Well, that and enough paper and writing utensils, whether it is a pen or a computer.  Words of advice--always back up your files, this is extremely important, especially if you are only using a computer to write your manuscripts. You need to invest in a jump drive, the larger the capacity the better. 

 

           Some writers, like me, hand write manuscripts before typing. This allows us to edit as we are typing. You can choose to do it this way or type up the entire thing, walk away from the story, then go back a few days later with fresh eyes to read through it and make changes. Then you can submit the manuscript to a publishing company, but be sure to read the guidelines first. Some companies only ask for the first three chapters. They use this to determine if they are going to publish your manuscript. It will take some time for them to get back to you. Do not get discouraged when you do not hear back right away.

Writing a Book

Writing a book can be hard. There may be times when a story begins to form in your head and you put it down on paper. Then, suddenly, there is nothing. This may happen a few times. You will begin a book or story and then get stuck. Often times, you will have to walk away from it and put it aside for a few months. Sometimes, those stories will be put away for years, forgotten about. You may find yourself with several stories only partly written. This happens to the best authors. For instance, Stephen King had begun Under the Dome in 1976 and just finished the over 1,000 page book in early 2009. He stopped writing it for quite some time because he did not know where he wanted to take it.

Do not let the unfinished stories stop you from writing. You will get back to them. There may be some that never get turned into books. Some stories are not meant to be books. These stories are meant to be short stories. If you can finish these stories quickly, then you can compile a book of short stories. If you decide to create a book of short stories, then you have to be sure they are all the same genre. A short story book can be anywhere from four to ten stories depending on the length of the stories. You can also release these stories as singles, thanks to the invention of the different e-readers. Releasing these stories as singles can get a reader interested in your full length books. Never be discouraged, no matter what happens. If you are meant to be a writer, you will be one. Write no matter what happens. Write your thoughts, poetry, and stories, anything that comes to mind. It will help you hone your skills. Ask for opinions on your stories, this will help you to continue on, but do not get discouraged if someone gives you criticism. Some of your harshest critics will be family and friends. Continue to write; knowing that one day you will sell a book or story to the masses.

The books in the picture are mine. It took me some time to write them all, but they have all been published. Rhyme Tyme: A Book of  Poetry was written over many years. It is a collection of the poetry I had been writing since I was a teenager. It was self-published in 2008. Dancing the Night Away is a short story. It was written in a couple of days and I had turned it into a publishing company, but that company went under. So, I took it and self-published it in 2010. You can get it in paperback or for your kindle. It is a romantic story about two people who meet in a night club. Bulk Cooking: Everything You Need to Know is a cook book. It took me 5 months to complete it. It has 101 recipes in it and tells you how to go about freezer cooking. You can cook for your family for an entire month in one day and never have to worry about what is going on the dinner table every night. Employee Body Language Revealed: How to Predict Behavior in the Workplace by Reading and Understanding Body Language is a tell all book about how to read the body language of your co-workers and managers. This book is great for the person just beginning a new career to a person who is established in his or her career, but wants to get one step further. It took almost a year to complete this book. 

Books take time. Finding a publisher takes time. You have to do your research and decided whether you will need to hire a literary agent or not. Literary agents are expensive and can take a lot of time to get back to you. If you want to have your books published by a larger named company, such as Simon and Schuster, then you are going to need a literary agent. The alternatives are finding a smaller publishing company or self- publishing your book. There are many different companies who self-publish and at different rates. There are even those who will allow you to self-publish without a fee, but these services also come without an editor. If you are going to go this route, then you must remember to get an editor to look at your book before you self-publish.

Being a Writer

Being a writer can be hard. It takes up a lot of your time. Your family and friends may not understand, but your creativity must be expressed through your writing. When you have a story floating around in your head, it needs to be written down. This can take some time. Writing a story will monopolize your time. Family and friends become neglected. They will often become angry with you. You have to talk to them about what is going on and keep them updated on your progress. You can even offer to let them read it as you go along. They can offer their opinion on the story you are writing. This will make them feel like they are a part of the process, lessening the neglect feel.

                Writing an entire book takes up a lot more time than a short story. A short story can be done in as little as a day to as long as a week. A book can and will take anywhere from three months to two or more years. Writing a book is like taking a cross country trip in a car. It is slow and takes many twist and turns along the winding roads. Sometimes, you can go at a faster rate of speed on the interstates, but the back roads allow you to explore more of the countryside at a slower pace. It may take longer, but all the fun things can be seen on the side roads. You have to let you mind veer off in all sorts of directions to get the perfect story or book.