RavenOfSummer
Scribe
I'm curious for those who write novel series, to what extent do you plan out your series, and/or how do you go about planning? For example, if you anticipate writing, say, a four-book series, do you plan and outline all four books before you begin writing? Or do you just have a basic idea of where you want to go and, after writing the first book, decide how to go about things for the second book, and so on? Or do you have a firm grasp on the first couple of books, but allow more freedom to see how things go with those and then decide how you want the later books in the series to go? I guess my question is really a version of the plotter vs pantser question, but more complicated because it involves multiple books.
As a "plantser" I generally do a fair amount of writing by discovery, although I have the main plot points of my story thought out before writing. My current WIP I plan to be the first in a series, and since I'm nearing the end of my first draft I've been thinking ahead to the second book, since I want to be sure I set up the things I want for going forward into book 2. At this point I know the main plot points for the series arc overall, and the specifics of the second book have become more solid in my head. I think I want to have a solid outline of the second book before I dive into getting to the 2nd draft of my first book, just so I can make sure I'm setting up everything I want to use for future books. The third and fourth books are more general ideas in my head right now.
Just curious how others handle this? What has been your experience, what works for you and what doesn't?
As a "plantser" I generally do a fair amount of writing by discovery, although I have the main plot points of my story thought out before writing. My current WIP I plan to be the first in a series, and since I'm nearing the end of my first draft I've been thinking ahead to the second book, since I want to be sure I set up the things I want for going forward into book 2. At this point I know the main plot points for the series arc overall, and the specifics of the second book have become more solid in my head. I think I want to have a solid outline of the second book before I dive into getting to the 2nd draft of my first book, just so I can make sure I'm setting up everything I want to use for future books. The third and fourth books are more general ideas in my head right now.
Just curious how others handle this? What has been your experience, what works for you and what doesn't?