TECH: Starting a Series

[mbarker.livejournal.com]

Original posting 27 April 2009

Writer's Digest, September 2005, pages 51 and 52, have an article by April Henry
with the title, "A Series of Details." The point of the article is that especially for mystery writers, a first book often spawns a series, or at least a sequel. And mystery writers who have done this have some suggestions about things to think about when writing your first book so that the series isn't so hard to do. Building in the potential for a series, instead of stumbling and causing yourself problems. Okay? Here are the suggestions.

1. Pick a strong main character. Some authors prefer a character with a similar background, or at least one that they know a lot about. It makes the research easier. Others create a character from scratch, with the setting and occupation designed to make it easy to bring in characters and events. Other authors plan on a series, with protagonists who move around and are really the only thread holding the series together.
2. A job. The main character's occupation -- how do they make a living -- is something that's important for life and for your series. Sometimes they simply inherit enough money. Other times the job pushes them into encounters. Reporters, policeman, taxicab driver -- they are guaranteed to be poking into things. Sometimes the job is simply distinctive -- an industry or field that is interesting because most of us don't know much about it. Flower arranging, dog training, whatever you'd like to explore. Sometimes there is a bit of difficulty bringing in the mystery genre corpses, but it's generally possible. Or, your character may change jobs.
3. Series regulars. Coworkers, cronies, relatives -- they suggest balancing kooky and conflict with some support and warmth. Be careful about details of the characters' lives -- you may want to keep the character file, with eye color, height, relatives, and all that stuff to help you keep the continuity. Love life? And you may want to have a loyal sidekick who's really good at research, or has other redeeming qualities (remember Kato -- from the Pink Panther movies?).
4. Time and place. Is your series set in real time, in a real place? Are the characters aging normally?

An interesting piece of advice is to leave openings for series potential. You don't need to nail down every detail in the first book. Leave some open ends and threads -- it will let you add things later, and it's more interesting for the readers, too.

Exercise? Take a look at a work in progress, and consider how you would answer the editor who says, "I loved it. Can you make a trilogy out of it?"

Write?