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How much do you plan your series?

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?
 

Russ

Istar
On the pure fantasy side, I am writing a tetralogy and have it planned pretty much through to the end, in pretty good detail, although book two could use some more beefing up if I am going to be honest with myself.

In my thriller with fantasy elements series I am looking at, I don't have a definite endpoint, but I do have the first four novels pretty well plotted with some ideas for later books.

The tricky part about writing a series or trilogy etc, without some good plotting done in advance is that if you have published the first book or two, it is then impossible to go back and put in seeds that lay the foundations for later books. There are a couple ways around this, you can write most of the series before you publish book one (not my favourite choice) or you can just put in a number of interesting things in the first book or two without knowing if you will pick up on them later, but they can be fuel for those later developments if you need them. If not, no harm done.
 

Svrtnsse

Staff
Article Team
I'm currently working on a series spanning twenty short novellas. My original intent was to write a big massive novel, but as time went by it became clear to me that doing it that way would be too big an undertaking for me. I decided instead to split the novel into a series of shorter stories and write them instead. I'm still telling the same story, only as a series of novellas and not as one big novel.

I had a pretty good idea of what I wanted the novel to be about. I'd started outlining it three times already before changing it into a series, so I had the basics down. Using the previous outline I identified a number of events that were interesting enough that they could be told as stories of their own.
The next step was to write a brief outline of the various different stories. In doing so I ended up splitting some of them further, which is how I went from twelve stories to twenty.

Once I'd done that I wrote a slightly more detailed outline for each story, and then I did the same thing again, adding more detail with each iteration. I now have a number of fairly well outlined stories that connect together into a longer narrative. I've shared quite a bit of the outline online on my website, and much of the outline can be found through the link in my signature.
 
On the pure fantasy side, I am writing a tetralogy and have it planned pretty much through to the end, in pretty good detail, although book two could use some more beefing up if I am going to be honest with myself.

In my thriller with fantasy elements series I am looking at, I don't have a definite endpoint, but I do have the first four novels pretty well plotted with some ideas for later books.

The tricky part about writing a series or trilogy etc, without some good plotting done in advance is that if you have published the first book or two, it is then impossible to go back and put in seeds that lay the foundations for later books. There are a couple ways around this, you can write most of the series before you publish book one (not my favourite choice) or you can just put in a number of interesting things in the first book or two without knowing if you will pick up on them later, but they can be fuel for those later developments if you need them. If not, no harm done.

All great points! That's my biggest fear with a series- writing myself into a corner where later I have a great idea, but I haven't laid the groundwork to explore it. I like your idea of having multiple interesting things you could potentially tease out as the series goes on. I also don't like the idea of waiting until your entire series is completed before trying to get your work out there- it makes sense, but I want to get my work out into the world!

I have read series where it feels like the author decided to take a totally new direction or to explore something that is not set up in the earlier books at all...I can't think of examples off the top of my head, but as a reader there have been some times where I've felt it's really obvious that they decided to do something they hadn't thought of previously and are trying to fudge the setup of it a little bit. Like, oh yeah, there was also this other thing back then, didn't we tell you? And as a reader I'm sitting there going, "Uh-huh." It takes me out of the story when I notice something like that. So I definitely want to avoid getting into a situation like that, although I'm sure it's possible that other authors pull off that kind of thing with so much finesse that I don't even notice it.

I'm currently working on a series spanning twenty short novellas. My original intent was to write a big massive novel, but as time went by it became clear to me that doing it that way would be too big an undertaking for me. I decided instead to split the novel into a series of shorter stories and write them instead. I'm still telling the same story, only as a series of novellas and not as one big novel.

I had a pretty good idea of what I wanted the novel to be about. I'd started outlining it three times already before changing it into a series, so I had the basics down. Using the previous outline I identified a number of events that were interesting enough that they could be told as stories of their own.
The next step was to write a brief outline of the various different stories. In doing so I ended up splitting some of them further, which is how I went from twelve stories to twenty.

Once I'd done that I wrote a slightly more detailed outline for each story, and then I did the same thing again, adding more detail with each iteration. I now have a number of fairly well outlined stories that connect together into a longer narrative. I've shared quite a bit of the outline online on my website, and much of the outline can be found through the link in my signature.

What a great idea to break your long story into novellas! And having done so much planning for the story previously seems like it definitely set you up well to know what you're doing with the separate novellas. Actually that's something that might work for me, thinking through my series as though it's just one huge book. I might have to try that!

I like the idea of having a few big/interesting events that you know will happen in each part of your story, so that that forms the arc of your series that you can plan around. I think I want to have that as my main planning strategy, but at the same time I want to leave room for exploring, especially since I feel that's how I write best. Hopefully I'll be able to strike a good balance!

Thanks both for your thoughts, much appreciated!
 

Heliotrope

Staff
Article Team
I "planned" a big epic series a few years back. That was about as far as I got. lol.

I am a planner though, so while my current project is not a series in a linear sense (like, each book is a continuation of the same story) it is a series in a Percy Jackson, Indiana Jones, same character new problem sort of way. As I write one I make notes as I get ideas for another. Each story is based on the hunt for a different lost treasure, so if I get a crazy good (I think) idea that doesn't work for The Noche Triste treasure in Mexico, but might work for the Tzar's Jewelled Eggs in Russia, then I have note books for each book to keep all the ideas straight.
 
I "planned" a big epic series a few years back. That was about as far as I got. lol.

I am a planner though, so while my current project is not a series in a linear sense (like, each book is a continuation of the same story) it is a series in a Percy Jackson, Indiana Jones, same character new problem sort of way. As I write one I make notes as I get ideas for another. Each story is based on the hunt for a different lost treasure, so if I get a crazy good (I think) idea that doesn't work for The Noche Triste treasure in Mexico, but might work for the Tzar's Jewelled Eggs in Russia, then I have note books for each book to keep all the ideas straight.

Oh wow! Are you planning to get back to your epic series at some point?

I feel like I've been writing in a similar way in some sense, although I'm less of a planner...as I write I get ideas, both for things within the same book (things that I can add in/change before where I am in the story, or things for later) and for the later books, and I write down my notes of all of those ideas. I want to retain that ability to add and change as I go- for example, the ability to discover something really cool while writing book 2 that I want to have in book 3- but at the same time I want to know enough about where I'm going to make sure that I lay all the groundwork for the things I want to happen later. So, it feels like a bit of a tricky balance to strike! But I think I can do it, maybe by outlining all the books at least in a broad sense, and then being flexible as I write like I usually am with a single book.
 

A. E. Lowan

Forum Mom
Leadership
Extensively. Our OneNote files are huge and terrifying to behold, with roughly 500 named series characters to date. The Books of Binding series is a multi-generational family saga in an urban fantasy setting and we are always working up and down the timeline, ironing out continuity errors, ensuring proper cause and effect with plot arcs, and making sure we don't have duplicated names.
 

Chessie2

Staff
Article Team
I don't. The ideas for the sequels come to me as I'm writing the previous book. But I'm not really a planner as a person anyway. Organized, yes. Planner, no.
 
Extensively. Our OneNote files are huge and terrifying to behold, with roughly 500 named series characters to date. The Books of Binding series is a multi-generational family saga in an urban fantasy setting and we are always working up and down the timeline, ironing out continuity errors, ensuring proper cause and effect with plot arcs, and making sure we don't have duplicated names.

That is incredible! So it sounds like you are in a continuous cycle of planning and writing, planning and writing...is that right? How many books in your series so far?

I don't. The ideas for the sequels come to me as I'm writing the previous book. But I'm not really a planner as a person anyway. Organized, yes. Planner, no.

This response made me really happy :D So, it can be done! Non-planners can write a series and survive! This gives me hope :)

I love how the responses to this are all over the place!
 

Russ

Istar
This response made me really happy :D So, it can be done! Non-planners can write a series and survive! This gives me hope :)

I love how the responses to this are all over the place!

Not only can they survive, they can thrive and come to dominate an industry.

Lee Child writes thrillers that sell unbelievable numbers. Forbes magazine suggests his "brand" has more value than Stephen King's. He has written one series (the Jack Reacher books) of more than 20 books now and he is the most outrageous pantser I know. His approach makes my head spin and sick to my stomach when I even think about writing that way...but it is kinda working for him.
 

LWFlouisa

Troubadour
I wrote some books in the Uploaded Fairy saga either by outline or pantsing, but each book had to be its own writing method for sake of consistency.
 

Vvashjr

Minstrel
I have a basic idea of the ending, and a basic structure of how to arrive there. But I tend to let my characters and plot develop organically as I progress. Especially my characters who might deviate from what I initially had planned for them cos it either just doesnt make sense or the interaction with the other characters or plot clashes.
 

A. E. Lowan

Forum Mom
Leadership
That is incredible! So it sounds like you are in a continuous cycle of planning and writing, planning and writing...is that right? How many books in your series so far?

Yes, that is absolutely correct. Thank heavens there are three of us! lol So far we have one out, Faerie Rising, with Ties of Blood and Bone: The Second Book of Binding due to be released this spring. As for planning, right now we have 8 books outlined and another 12 in the concept phase, with a second, follow-up series in early planning stages.
 
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?

I'm a discovery writer. I do plan to write a series, and I'm laying the foundations for it now. Worldbuilding, characters.

Some scenes in late books are very clear to me. Large sections I have no idea about. I plan to worldbuild thoroughly, but I also plan to let the story lead. All i care to have at the beginning is a general direction, general idea of each book.
 

Sheilawisz

Queen of Titania
Moderator
I am quite different from most people that I have known in this community.

In my experience, stories feel like friends that suddenly appear and start talking to me. It's like you were sitting on a bench in a park somewhere, and then some unknown person shows up and you start a conversation. The stranger soon becomes a friend, and you quickly learn more and more about the feelings and background of this person.

To see it in another way: Stories are some kind of spiritual or living creature, they come to me and I tell them.

It's all a very natural process, like breathing. Do I plan a story? Not really, it's all with me. When I was much less experienced in this I would sometimes write a few handwritten notes about characters and events, and that was all. What I do is to let the story flow through my narrative, I allow it to happen naturally and many times the story and the characters surprise me a lot with things that I had not seen at first.

I do not claim that this is some form of Magic, but that's what it feels like.

When I started working on my first Fantasy trilogy, at first I did not know what was happening. However, soon the story pulled me into a wonderful adventure and I just could not stop. I knew that it would be three novels, and three novels it became! Later, a different story that at first I expected to be composed of seven novellas stopped at just five and it felt great like that.

That was many years ago. Today, when I Click with a story I know that it's going to be a new adventure of exploration and enjoyment. I see and feel it, and even then the stories often surprise me with very unexpected things at least sometimes. Other times, everything happens exactly as I saw or imagined it to start with.

It sounds weird to many people, but I have met many others that experience the same as me.
 

ThinkerX

Myth Weaver
Series...I have been working on two of those for a long time. I have concepts for a couple others that go way back.

Neither of the current series began that way.

The first, 'Labyrinth,' was originally intended as a stand alone short story or novelette, 15,000 words or so tops. But, I kept adding things, trying to justify this or that, more than could fit in a single tale. So 'Labyrinth' burst its bounds. It is currently two books, one 62,000 words, the other about 90,000, with hazy ideas for a third.

The second is the 'Empire' series. This tale began with a realization on my part: decades ago, I spent a lot of time worldbuilding, detailing multiple nations on the primary planet. But, when it came to actual stories, all the ones I'd envisioned took place either at the borders of the primary nation....or beyond them. I decided to remedy that. In my mind, the 'nation preparing for war' thing had been overdone. The notion of a nation *recovering* from a devastating conflict, even one fought far from the story area, seemed much more interesting. Social upheaval. Fortunes being made and lost. Odd political movements. Intrigue. Initially, I had ideas for four stories, with four principle characters, each tale leading into the next, each set in different circumstances. The original idea had these four characters as employees of a powerful merchant, which is still sort true, though the merchant is also an imperial agent. The seeds for two of the tales came from 'Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay' modules (one online and very obscure), both modified beyond recognition. Another came from a couple books I'd read heavy on both characters and court intrigue. The last began with a question: what would realistically prompt a normal person to join a genocidal cult? When I started writing, I realized the fourth book was the wrong place to end the tale, and came up with two more, both inspired by Lovecraft (well, Lovecraft and Chambers).

That said, yes, I did a lot of worldbuilding back in the day. Alas, only about half of it is useful. I wrote more recently (as in the past couple years) - histories, descriptions of countries and magic, even a couple genealogies. But most of that remains woefully incomplete and seldom consulted. On this site, I participated in various story challenges, using the prompts to flesh out this or that event.
 
Not only can they survive, they can thrive and come to dominate an industry.

Lee Child writes thrillers that sell unbelievable numbers. Forbes magazine suggests his "brand" has more value than Stephen King's. He has written one series (the Jack Reacher books) of more than 20 books now and he is the most outrageous pantser I know. His approach makes my head spin and sick to my stomach when I even think about writing that way...but it is kinda working for him.

That's very encouraging Russ! I love the phrase "outrageous pantser" :D Speaking of Stephen King, I wonder what his process is...I have his book On Writing but have not had a chance to read it yet.

I wrote some books in the Uploaded Fairy saga either by outline or pantsing, but each book had to be its own writing method for sake of consistency.

I see...did you discuss with other authors in the series at all?

I have a basic idea of the ending, and a basic structure of how to arrive there. But I tend to let my characters and plot develop organically as I progress. Especially my characters who might deviate from what I initially had planned for them cos it either just doesnt make sense or the interaction with the other characters or plot clashes.

I write very similarly on an individual story basis, so I'm so glad to hear this works for you for a series as well!

Yes, that is absolutely correct. Thank heavens there are three of us! lol So far we have one out, Faerie Rising, with Ties of Blood and Bone: The Second Book of Binding due to be released this spring. As for planning, right now we have 8 books outlined and another 12 in the concept phase, with a second, follow-up series in early planning stages.

My head is spinning thinking about so many books! That is incredible. I found the first book on Amazon and want to read it!

I'm a discovery writer. I do plan to write a series, and I'm laying the foundations for it now. Worldbuilding, characters.

Some scenes in late books are very clear to me. Large sections I have no idea about. I plan to worldbuild thoroughly, but I also plan to let the story lead. All i care to have at the beginning is a general direction, general idea of each book.
I grow stories rather than plan them.

I also feel my stories develop through a more organic process...though I'm more prone to starting with a bit more (flexible) structure on the plot side and letting the world develop through the writing. But I feel very similarly in terms of having certain late scenes in mind, and other swathes where my plan as of right now is to see what happens.
 
I am quite different from most people that I have known in this community.

In my experience, stories feel like friends that suddenly appear and start talking to me. It's like you were sitting on a bench in a park somewhere, and then some unknown person shows up and you start a conversation. The stranger soon becomes a friend, and you quickly learn more and more about the feelings and background of this person.

To see it in another way: Stories are some kind of spiritual or living creature, they come to me and I tell them.

It's all a very natural process, like breathing. Do I plan a story? Not really, it's all with me. When I was much less experienced in this I would sometimes write a few handwritten notes about characters and events, and that was all. What I do is to let the story flow through my narrative, I allow it to happen naturally and many times the story and the characters surprise me a lot with things that I had not seen at first.

I do not claim that this is some form of Magic, but that's what it feels like.

When I started working on my first Fantasy trilogy, at first I did not know what was happening. However, soon the story pulled me into a wonderful adventure and I just could not stop. I knew that it would be three novels, and three novels it became! Later, a different story that at first I expected to be composed of seven novellas stopped at just five and it felt great like that.

That was many years ago. Today, when I Click with a story I know that it's going to be a new adventure of exploration and enjoyment. I see and feel it, and even then the stories often surprise me with very unexpected things at least sometimes. Other times, everything happens exactly as I saw or imagined it to start with.

It sounds weird to many people, but I have met many others that experience the same as me.

This actually doesn't sound weird to me at all- I experience writing very similarly. I think for me it's kind of an iterative process...the seed of the story is very much like a stranger that comes to me seemingly out of the blue (I love this analogy you use!). This can come in the form of an idea for a story itself (a woman goes on a trip to discover X...), or in the form of a character, or in the form of an imagined world. This part of the process absolutely feels like magic to me...it's something I don't feel I have any control over, but just comes to me. Once the stranger is there, I have to do some work to befriend it. At first this could be imagined as a casual conversation with the stranger maybe...just giving myself quiet time to talk to the stranger, learns what its loves and interests and goals are. So like any relationship, I have to put the time and attention into it for it to grow. At a certain point, I start jotting down notes on paper, so I can remember everything I learn about the stranger. And at a certain point after that, I have to start writing. Once the writing gets rolling, the magic element comes back into it more strongly. I have to put the work in to get there, but at a certain point I am rewarded with the story and the characters emerging as their own distinct lives and voices. Then, I have to go back and do more work to fill in gaps that the magic didn't entirely cover. So it's kind of like magic and work, magic and work, around and around.

I love the way you describe your writing Sheila! And I'm glad to know that magic has continued for you through multiple series.
 
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