As a reader would this annoy you?

[Miskatonic]

If a writer is in the middle of a series of books, continuing the same story-line, and he/she decides to side track by doing a background story of a popular character that takes place before the beginning of the main story, would this annoy you? Would you rather the series finish before books focusing on stories not directly related to the series' main story were published?

Also let's say the story comes to a point where two different groups are split off in different directions to perform tasks specific to the same goal (think LOTR); would you rather have one book go back and fourth between the two scenarios or have completely separate books that deal with each individually?

 

[Guy]

Like most things, it's all in the execution. In the first situation, I'd find it bothersome if it had little or nothing to do with driving the story or if it went on too long and got too far off on a tangent. With the second situation, I'd probably prefer it being in one book.

 

[Steerpike]

Sounds like GRRM and Jordan. Wouldn't bother me necessarily, because I tend not to buy books that span one story over a series until the series is done

 

[Miskatonic]

I wouldn't mind reading spin-off books that deal with the characters I really like if it gives me a greater appreciation of their experiences and how it made them the person they are now.

 

[Miskatonic]

Sounds like GRRM and Jordan. Wouldn't bother me necessarily, because I tend not to buy books that span one story over a series until the series is done

I need to read GRRM already. I have the first Wheel of Time book that I need to read as well.

 

[Fluffypoodel]

SM Sterling did something like this in his Emberverse stories. Personally I thought it was aggravating because I simply didn't care what the secondary characters were doing. I wanted to know how the main story ended and I had to wait three books for it. If I hadn't been listening to them on audio book I probably would have stopped reading them. I will say that it depends on the story and quality of the writing though

 

[Miskatonic]

I probably wouldn't be interested in secondary characters either. You can give them plenty of time to shine in the series, especially if they are around all the time.

Maybe a spin-off series that focuses on the MC's adventures before the time period the series started at. Finish the series and then go to that, or do it side by side if people like the MC enough. Especially if the MC has lived for x number of centuries.

 

[Androxine Vortex]

I don't think i would bother reading it until the main story was over with. Imagine watching the star wars films and right before Luke was to face Darth vader another film was released that told all about han and chewie. I would be more interested in having resolution for the main story and i think it would feel like a distraction.

 

[Gurkhal]

I wouldn't have a problem with it and love de-tours and worldbuilding by fantasy authors. The thing that I could have an issue with is if the author tried to introduce retcons by the new novels as that would be a turn-off for me.

 

[Mythopoet]

It's an author's job to make the stories they write interesting. If your detour is interesting then it wouldn't bother me. If it's not, I just won't read it. That said, naturally some people will find it interesting and some won't. There are no easy answers.

 

[spectre]

It's kind of a useful means of character building. A lot of stories use flashbacks or traumas as a method for showing character flaw or motivation. I agree with guy it's in your execution. And sometimes a story tells a tale but some of the real power of the story is in a single characters' story like (and I only read one book) Sanderson's main character in Mystborn series.

 

[Miskatonic]

It's an author's job to make the stories they write interesting. If your detour is interesting then it wouldn't bother me. If it's not, I just won't read it. That said, naturally some people will find it interesting and some won't. There are no easy answers.

Of course there are no easy answers, that's why we're throwing ideas around and engaging in conversation.