From Standalone Novel to Series
Turning that single book into several
Book series are rather popular these days. For new writers, though, they can seem like a mountain to climb. As with any mountain, you just have to take things a step at a time.
Step 1 – Writing
Write the first novel. I can hear you now saying, “Duh! Obviously.” Amazing how often the obvious escapes people, though. If you already have that novel written, think about how to do a sequel. They usually have the following characteristics:
· Main characters that continue from one novel to the next
· Reference to events in previous novels in the series
· Hints about events to come in future novels in the series
Step 2 – Tweaking
If you haven’t yet published your first novel, you have the opportunity to tweak things to indicate to the reader that more is to come. It could be as simple as adding an epilogue. It could also involve some event occurring in the novel that doesn’t quite get resolved. Or a new character could show up at the end with a hint that he or she will be part of the next novel as antagonist or protagonist.
Step 3 – More Writing
Build up the second novel. Again obvious. Frankly, I think you should dive right into the second book right after finishing drafting the first. In fact, go on to the third, fourth, fifth, and so on. You have the characters and previous events in mind and can therefore more easily build up from them. I did, starting with what was supposed to be a romance novel titled Hammil Valley Rose. The story grew beyond a simple Hallmark or Lifetime Movie Channel romance to something with deep philosophical ideas. I wanted to continue these ideas as well as build on the narrative. Even before finishing the first draft, I began making notes for the next book. The series, not yet published, now adds up to over 3.2 million words. I am also working on a sequel to The Wiccan Tales and From the Files of Fontaine Investigations just because I like the characters and want to build on the events.
Why Bother?
That’s totally up to you. But consider this: why say goodbye to characters that you have gotten to know well? Put them through their paces in another novel and possibly even more.
As for readers, they tend to like to see those characters’ stories going on.
Best wishes to you in the New Year, the Year of the Writers (non-AI, that is)!
My six books (so far):
I ask a small favor: if you’ve bought and/or read any of these, please post a review here or elsewhere online.
Where to Buy:
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop | BookBub | Books-A-Million | Everand | Apple Books | Kobo | Smashwords | Thalia (German) ebook & print | Angus & Robertson | Mondadori (Italian) | Vivlio (French/English) | Fable | Thriftbooks
Audible Links
Wind Down the Chimney and Other Eerie Tales
The Stardust Alliance and More
The Greeting Card Girl’s Christmas
From the Files of Fontaine Investigations
And a series can be great from a marketing point of view as well, as you've got more to work with and present, and characters readers can get very familiar with and follow through multiple adventures, or worlds they can get fully lost in as the mythology grows... 😎
I'm going through this right now as I write a sequel to what I thought may be a stand alone novel :)