It’s almost conference time. This year I’m on a ProTrack panel, Tactics and Techniques for Keeping a Series Fresh. Since I have nine books in one series and two in another (counting two novellas, I guess it’s closer to four) this is a subject I have given a great deal of thought.
When I wrote the first Anna Strong novel, The Becoming, I was not sure how far the series would go or if I would be contracted to write another after the initial three. But I was thrilled to be offered first a contract for four and five and then six and seven, then eight and nine. I think it’s very smart for writers to have a series arc in mind when they start. I didn’t. My writing partner, Samantha Sommersby, and I have planned ahead for the Fallen Series, though. We have plots for books three, four, five and six.
With the Anna books, the recurring theme was Anna trying to balance her life as a vampire with her human side—trying to maintain ties to her human loved ones. Each book had an overarching story line that involved not only a mystery, but the internal struggle facing Anna. Another theme was recognizing that the villains in my stories were not always the vampires or werewolves or witches, but humans who often commit greater atrocities against each other than any mythical creature.
In the Fallen Siren series, the battle is against the Goddess Demeter who cursed Emma to mortal life as punishment for losing her daughter Persephone to Hades. There is a very real mystery to solve as Emma is an agent in the FBI’s Kidnapping and Missing Persons Unit. But the internal struggle for redemption is always foremost in Emma’s mind.
The most important key to keeping a series fresh is the growth of the protagonist. Characters that continue to evolve and change, sometimes in ways you don’t anticipate, is the great joy of writing a series.
I hope you’re planning to attend conference this year. Whether you’re a beginner or seasoned veteran, Colorado Gold has a lot to offer. Classes to improve craft, tips for marketing, self-and-indie publishing, agent and editor confabs…not to mention socializing in the bar and chatting up old friends while making new. We are lucky to have a vibrant writing community here in Denver. Take advantage of it!