“The end of book one is the most crucial place in the entire series; it’s the catalyst for everything else to begin.”
When I wrote my first novel, I Loved You Yesterday, I had no intention of doing anything more. It was a standalone story, and I was okay with that. But then my publisher pointed out that it could be more—and the wheels in my mind started spinning. Fast-forward four years and I Loved You Yesterday turned into book one in the Trading Heartbeats trilogy.
Had I known this book was just the beginning of a much larger story, I think I would have done a few things differently. I learned from that process and now know what mistakes to avoid and how to plan more effectively.
This year, I’m releasing my second book series—the Clumsy Little Hearts trilogy (book one, Trusting Love, is already out). Writing this series was much easier because I knew what to expect, how to space out information, but still tell individual stories. And I picked up a few tricks along the way that I’d like to share with you here.
If you’re thinking about writing a book series, check out these top 10 quick tips to make the process smoother:
1 – The hook in book one: when your reader flips to the final page in book one, that’s your make-or-break moment. I’m not suggesting that you leave the story on a cliffhanger (you can if you want to), but there needs to be a character arc or simmering plot that’s not quite tied up into a bow. This is the tease that will leave your reader wanting more. The end of book one is the most crucial place in the entire series; it’s the catalyst for everything else to begin.
2 – Pick an overarching conflict: obviously,each book in your series will continue the story. You may weave in new characters and sub-plots along the way, but from the first page to the very last, there must be one overarching theme or source of conflict that’s steadfast. Think about Harry Potter. From the moment Harry steps foot into Hogwarts, He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named becomes the antagonist and source of conflict. Through the Deathly Hallows, Harry’s goal never changes and spans seven books (and eight movies).
3 – World build effectively: it’s your goal as the author to create a world readers will long to return to. It doesn’t have to be as grand and imaginative as Narnia. But the world you create for your characters needs to be compelling enough in its own right. Be detailed in your writing and consider how the setting moves your story forward.
4 – Be a plotter, not a pantser: I know I just lost one or two readers with this tip! It’s an age-old battle in the literary world. Some writers like to plot out their stories in advance and others prefer to fly by the seat of their pants and develop the story as it goes along. I’ve taken both paths; both have pros and cons. But when your story will span several stories, it’s best to plot out the sequences of events in advance.
5 – Reveal backstories slowly: If you’re writing a series, chances are you will have a set of core main characters. In each individual book, focus on what the characters want. This is your main plot. But overarchingly, the collective series should identify why your characters want it. It’s all about the character arc and building backstories slowly. Tease the information out from book to book.
6 – Make secondary characters count: You must add new characters throughout. If you don’t, your readers may get bored. Introduce secondary characters along the way to keep the story fresh. Just be sure that who you introduce adds to the story. Think about the Lord of the Rings (*the films, not the books). We meet the main characters in the Fellowship of the Ring: Frodo, Sam, Merry, Pippin, Gandalf, etc. But when The Two Towers begins, we’re introduced to King Theoden, Eowyn, and Eomer—these characters are secondary, but move the story along. Without them, the epic stalls in Rohan.
7 – Crucial character arcs: This is one of the most challenging components of writing a book series. For every character, you need to consider two arcs. The first is simply how they grow and progress in a single story. The second is quite larger. You need to consider how they change over the entire course of the narrative. When writing a series, plot out in advance what your main character wants and how they’ll get it in a single book; be mindful of why they want it (that’s the larger arc).
8 – Central events: An event must define each book in a series and make it memorable and distinct in the larger story. An obvious example is Harry Potter (again). Each book focuses on a school year for Harry, Hermione, and Ron at Hogwarts. Each year, they battle Lord Voldemort, slowly gaining momentum and furthering the story until Harry (spoiler alert!) defeats him in the end. Every book has a central theme though. From the sorcerer’s stone to the deathly hallows, the stories stand on their own, but contribute to the larger narrative.
9 – Avoid the messy middle: How many books have you read, or TV shows have you watched where the middle just falls flat? When I think about this question, my mind jumps to Showtime’s Dexter. This show had it all: a complex main character with internal and external conflicts, building tension, a compelling setting—all of it. And then viewers reached the climax of the show at the end of season four. Talk about the messy middle. Viewers jumped ship after the series tanked, only to return in season seven for the (disappointing) finale. Don’t be like Dexter. Keep the center of the story just as compelling from the start to the finish.
10 – Tie the bow: The more books included in a series, the harder this step is. But you have to do it well or risk readers feeling unsatisfied. Do you remember that tiny question you introduced in book one? You better return to it before the end and be sure it’s addressed completely. Do you remember that secondary character you introduced in book two? What happened to them? If you cannot appropriately tie up your series into a bow, you haven’t done your job to the best of your ability. If you’ve ever watched the TV show Lost, don’t be the author who introduces the random polar bear.
Writing a book series is not for the faint of heart, but if you follow these tips and structure out your holistic narrative in advance, you have a strong chance of finding success! Happy writing!
*Tolkien never envisioned the Lord of the Rings to be a trilogy. He wrote the epic as a single story. When New Line Cinema expressed interest in bringing the story to life, Peter Jackson agreed to the project and broke the collective narrative into a trilogy.
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