http://www.writers-online.co.uk APRIL 2020^15Secret 1: Plan your book
series from the start
Create a story arc for each book before you
even start writing the first. Note down key
points of action, the milestones affecting your
main character, changes in their behaviour,
new characters to introduce, and significant
dates to keep the chronology clear for your
readers. Research the background facts and add
new information for each story. Helen Hart,
Publishing Director at SilverWood Books, says,
“Planning your book is the best way to get
started on the writing. A stack of post-it notes
or idea postcards can help you organise the flow.
And if you find yourself adding too many action
scenes in, you’ve probably got the beginnings of
a series.”
Secret 2: Get people to fall
in love with your characters
Whether you choose to write in the first or third
person, always develop a deep understanding
of your protagonist, building layers of their
personality into each story. Readers need to
identify with the main character, and each book
in a series offers opportunities to help the reader
get more attached and keep them interested.
Historical novelist Lucienne Boyce’s series
follows Dan Foster, Bow Street Runner and
amateur pugilist. She says, “It’s important that
the main character is appealing and interesting.
Even an ‘anti-hero’ must hold some fascination.
After all, you’re asking the reader to spend a lot
of time with them.”
Secret 3: Create new
developments to keep the
writing flowing
When creating a single, central character,
work on developing their personality through
the series. Everything that happens changes
them slightly, so think
about events and how
they affect your main
protagonist’s behaviour.
Series author Wendy
Percival uses family
history to bring new
developments into
each of her Esme
Quentin mysteries, which feature a genealogy-
researching investigator.Secret 4: Engage your
fans with a strong theme
Having a strong theme to underpin your
series means you’ll never be short of content
to share with interested readers. Family
history is key for Wendy Percival’s series,
and she’s also written a standalone novella, A
Legacy of Guilt, to introduce readers into the
world of Esme Quentin. Wendy also shares a
weekly blog with her fans, updating them on
her latest research into her own family history.Secret 5: Decide on the
style of your endings
Do you love the suspense of a cliffhanger?Or do you want your books to be truly
standalone and tie up the loose ends in each
story to satisfy the curiosity of your readers?
Kate Mosse’s historical fiction famously
carries an ending to each story – yet also
a cliffhanger with some new information.
However, this approach can frustrate
readers, especially if the next book is not
out for a while.
Picking up a thread from another story
is a great way to link your books, attracting
readers to pick up the next one. This was
done to great effect by Mary Wesley, who
had common characters from The Camomile
Lawn appearing in many of her other novels.
It’s a personal choice which style of ending
you want to use, but once you’ve picked,
it’s a good idea to be consistent in the next
book. Many readers appreciate familiarity.ADVERTORIAL
Five secrets to a
successful fiction series
We think these five things
hold the key to keeping your
readers interested in more
than one novel
Some would say there’s no magical formula to creating series fiction. If your novels are planned to stand
alone, you have to give enough information to satisfy the reader without any background. However, you
can’t drop any spoilers that would ruin a reader’s experience if they go back and read the others in the
series. So, creating a successful series requires skill and careful thought.Planning your next novel?
We’d love to hear from you! SilverWood Books offers a complete ‘done for
you’ self-publishing service that ensures you have a professionally-produced,
retail-quality book you can confidently market to your target readership. Our
friendly expert publishing team will support you throughout – from copy-editing,
proofreading and book cover design, through to trade distribution, sales, and
hand-formatted ebook editions.
Discuss your next book with Helen
or Enya at SilverWood Books:
E: [email protected] | T: 0117
910 5829 | silverwoodbooks.co.uk