 Fantasy: December 11, 2012 Issue [#5410] |
  Fantasy
This week: Avoiding Series Burnout Edited by: Satuawany  
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"If it's not keeping you up nights, then what's the point?"
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I've noticed something terrible in a few novel series I've kept up with. It's obvious the writer stopped loving it somewhere along the way. One of these writers admitted to making a mistake in the characters' actions (that affected the way the series went on from there). Another's dealing with guidelines put forth by publishers and a demanding fan base.
[Chy, it would be awesome to have a demanding fan base!]
Maybe.
Those are the two biggies. There are others that contain a book or two that seem forced, but it's not to the ruination of the series. And for some, every book shows the writer's love for the story and characters. So what do they do differently? How can you avoid series-writing burnout?
I got some ideas for you, based on observation, lurking on authors' blogs, and my own experience writing a series.
One thing they do is write short stories that expand their worlds and characters. Not shot-in-the-dark stories with throwaway events, but stories that shape some element of a character's past or delve deeper in an aspect of their world. That doesn't mean they're strictly world-building or characterization exercises. Not at all.
Exploring those things in a short story can renew your interest in the series-spanning plot events, and in the characters. You can lead yourself into discovering details you didn't have before, which breathe life back into a tired series.
If you reach a point in Book Three where your character does something that doesn't seem to fit, try writing a short story to explain it. Exploring it that way can give you a new idea for presenting their actions in the novel, so that they do make sense and you can feel comfortable about going onward.
That's the important thing, making sure what they do makes sense. When it doesn't, it can unravel the whole thing. It's a mistake readers pick up on.
Something else these writers with consistently good series do is work on something different. A couple of them write books between their series books that have nothing to do with that series' plot---whether or not it's set in the same world. Personally, this is my favorite solution to series burnout. I usually work in the same universe, with a few cameos of characters from my series. Not only do I have a couple of novels I'm happy with because of this, but seeing those characters from another viewpoint made me interested in them again.
The thing these writers keep coming back to is this: if the story's not coming in a way that feels right and natural, they don't write it. They may do one of the two things mentioned above to keep themselves moving (and to keep a paycheck coming in, to be sure), but the main thing is if it's not coming, don't force it.
If you signed a contract to put out a certain number of books in your series in a certain amount of time, well, then...sorry 'boutcha. 
You can still find time here and there to write a short story off to the side, to jolt things along. If you're unsure of some twist of the plot, try writing a short sketch of a scene down the line that comes about directly because of that twist. It can be as simple as a dialogue between two characters about the twist, as if they're reflecting on it or one is confessing to the other. Do you like it? Does it make sense? If not, you might want to reconsider that twist. Taking a little time now can save your whole series from disaster.
I'd love to hear from you series writers---what you've experienced, what you've learned by that experience or from others. And if you hit a wall in your series, I hope one of these suggestions works for you.
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Feedback for my previous newsletter, "Fantasy Pets" :
Quick-Quill  writes:
When I think of fantasy animals I think of the original Star Trek and the Tribbles, there were others but that one made the most impression. I wrote a story that included a "dust bunny" as a mention.
I think the Tribbles stuck in the head of just about everyone who saw that episode---and some who've just heard about it. They were like overgrown dust bunnies themselves.
BIG BAD WOLF Feeling Thankful  writes:
Sometimes you have to wonder what goes through the minds of the various creatures.
That you do, reader, that you do.
Titch  writes:
very interesting you put your thoughts across well
Thanks, Titch!
asymmetrical writes:
Good topic! Sometimes when I've thrown animal sidekicks into a story without any real purpose, they've figured it out for themselves. Maybe they mirror something about their owner that would otherwise stay hidden, or reveal something about their surroundings.
I'm including a link to a story I wrote for a contest a couple years ago where the MC is a pet. Don't know if that qualifies.
Yes! Those are my favorites! And thanks for the link; heck yeah, it counts. Works well for this week's NL subject as well, since it stars characters from your series.
Second of Nine  writes:
Hey! I do have a pet in this story--Gretchen, the Dark Snitch--and I particularly liked this newsletter. I raise chickens, and believe it or not, there are chickens the size of your hand that are purely ornamental pets. I'm used to strange looks when people find out I have chickens as pets. lol.
Ornamental chickens! How cool! I've known quite a few people who raise chickens, but only one I remember thought of them as pets. And she had no ornamental chickens; I've never even heard of such, but that sounds awesome.
And thanks for the link! I enjoyed the story and had to share it in my Editor's Picks.
Midnight Dawn writes:
You know... none of my characters have pets either! That is a completely missed opportunity! Now I will be obsessing of this as well. LOL And I must have a "a dragon-tracking snittletaluporus" Loved that! Thanks for the great newsletter!
You're welcome. And thank you for writing in! Glad my friend and I won't be the only ones obsessing.
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