Structuring a Book Series
There are a number of resource books on the subject of structuring a book series; I've read a few. However, today I'd like to share my insights, gained primarily from reading lots of book series.
After creating your cast of characters, developing your plot, & building your world you'll need to ask yourself what kind of a series do I want?
There are a few approaches an author can use to craft a book series:
1- Would you like a group of independent stories with the same main character and world? (Think The Nancy Drew Books.) In this type of book series, there is no need for an overarching plot since each story has its own components; the books are connected to one another merely by the main character and her individual adventures. (It's imperative that you create a unique protagonist.) This is an Anthology Series.
2- If you're a fan of the Marvel Comic Books, you might want to create a super strong world, where each book has a new and unique protagonist. However, the world must be extraordinary, since you'll be introducing a new main character in each book. Another example would be if you've designed a magical forest or a fanciful farm as your world you could use a different animal in each of your books. Think the Beatrix Potter Books. These would also be considered Anthology Series.
3- If you've spent a lot of time world building and have a large cast of characters, you might want to explore your world with a different character from your original cast in each book. In this approach, the story works best when there is an overarching plot throughout the series since the cast of characters are connected to one another - and the world is also a character. (Think The Chronicles of Narnia.)
4- Lastly, if you want an imaginative world, a unique protagonist with a colorful cast of characters (including their interpersonal dynamics), and an epic saga over multiple books, then you'll need to plot and plan before writing your first novel! (Think The Harry Potter Books or The Lord of the Rings Books.) This type of series requires in-depth character development, in-depth world building, and in-depth plot development.
The upper middle grade book series I've crafted most closely resembles the fourth approach. While I do have the same extraordinary protagonist in each book I've outlined, the world building is not nearly as complex as The Harry Potter Books or The Lord of the Rings Books. However, each book in my fantasy series takes place in a different country, so a lot of research was needed, as well as some traveling.
Here are a few tips I've found important in a complex book series:
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Create a strong antagonist and/or hierarchy of antagonists.
Your protagonist is only as compelling as the challenges she overcomes. By having a network of antagonists, she can conquer one at the conclusion of each book without reaching the final victory. However, the antagonists need just as much character development as your primary and secondary characters. (Several blog posts could be written about antagonists!)
Create a series outline at the outset of your storyteller's journey.
That way you can "plant plot seeds" that you can have come into fruition later in the series. Also, this is the time to create a finale for each book, while making it just one piece of the larger plot puzzle and finale of the entire series.
Create a three-act story structure not only for each book, but also for the entire series.
One way to think about your book series is to embrace it as a super novel. The entire series needs everything each individual novel needs; each novel will serve a different purpose in the structure of the series. Your final novel should be a culmination of everything the protagonist has learned and overcome. It should be the most exciting and the most satisfying for the reader.
Each book should have a finale; it should be able to be read as a standalone novel.
I don't know about you, but one thing I despise is when an author uses a cliffhanger, rather than a finale, to finish a novel in her series. This is not the way to hook a reader into reading the next book! However, after your finale there should also be a seed of the next book planted.
Be patient.
This might be the most important tip of all. Writing a book series is a marathon, not a sprint. I began outlining my Livvi Biddle Books back in 2011. In the years that have followed, my protagonist has changed, the plot has changed, her world has changed, and most remarkably of all...I've changed. Only this year do I finally believe the first book is ready for publication. (Even though I queried agents for years!) Giving yourself time is like allowing good wine to age; it becomes better with time. So too, do you, if you keep writing. So, be patient!
All the best of luck with structuring your book series!
