Craft Chat Keeping It All Straight While Writing a Series

[Carol Rose]

I was asked about keeping things straight while writing a long series, so I did a blog post on it for our Naughty Quills blog. It posted today. Hope it helps.

How Do You Keep It All Straight?

 

[James Marinero]

Some good tips there. I've just started learning - the hard way. I thinks it's called continuity in the film business, but as threre will only be four books in this series I don'e envisage too much of a problem - except of course that my brain is ageing and my characters do seem to evolove over time. Then again, look at the Bond franchise!

 

[Quillwitch]

That´s great! Thanks!

 

[Paul Whybrow]

This is a problem that's exercising me greatly as I write the third novel in a series. I found things particularly awkward with the second manuscript, as the story was a prequel to the first novel. I'd already introduced my characters, so a lot of shuffling of information went on.

There's still more adjustment to do, and though I have quite detailed notes about my protagonist I need to pin down the timing of events better. I recall an interview with Lawrence Block, the crime novelist, where he admitted that he was sometimes lax about getting details accurate when describing the life of his private eye over a long series. He was sure that readers would spot the errors and tell him, using them as unpaid editorial assistants!

It all feels a bit like one of those slide puzzles, as I skip between manuscripts, including my WIP, making tiny alterations.

 

[James Marinero]

This is a problem that's exercising me greatly as I write the third novel in a series. I found things particularly awkward with the second manuscript, as the story was a prequel to the first novel. I'd already introduced my characters, so a lot of shuffling of information went on.

There's still more adjustment to do, and though I have quite detailed notes about my protagonist I need to pin down the timing of events better. I recall an interview with Lawrence Block, the crime novelist, where he admitted that he was sometimes lax about getting details accurate when describing the life of his private eye over a long series. He was sure that readers would spot the errors and tell him, using them as unpaid editorial assistants!

It all feels a bit like one of those slide puzzles, as I skip between manuscripts, including my WIP, making tiny alterations.

Good post and a super GIF!

 

[AgentPete]

Hello @Carol Rose,

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