I always enjoy hosting F.M. (aka Marilyn) Meredith on one of my blogs. She is a consummate professional, incredibly productive, an amazing marketer, and just a darn good person. I am happy to count her among not just my colleagues, but my friends as well. Today is a topic that hits close to home for me!
The Good and Bad of Writing a Series
What I like best about writing a series
is that I get to interact with a set of characters that I’ve come to regard as
friends. I truly want to know what is going to happen to them next—and the only
way to find out is to write the next book.
Knowing your characters is one of the
good about writing a series. With the Rocky Bluff P.D. series, there is a whole
cast of continuing characters. I can choose to focus on someone new when I
write the next book. And because I write about the police officers’ private
lives as well as what happens on the job, I always have threads that I can pick
up and continue.
I like to describe the homes people
live in, and it’s fun finding the kind of houses that will fit the characters
and the situations I’m writing about.
What’s Bad—or difficult—is finding new
crimes to write about, ones I haven’t used before or thinking up a twist with
the crimes that will fit into the larger plot.
And of course, the large plot must be
something I haven’t used before. Questions I ask myself are: Who is going to
get murdered? Why? Who had would want to see this person dead or profit by his
or her death? And did these people have the opportunity? Maybe it isn’t going
to be a murder, but something else. A mystery the detectives must solve, and if
so, how can I make it intriguing enough to keep the reader turning pages?
Maybe the hardest part of writing a
series is making sure if a new reader picks up the latest book in the series
that there is enough information about the characters and a bit of their back
story that the reader knows what’s going on. At the same time, I must be
careful that what I put in won’t be boring to someone who has been a follower
of the series.
I should add that it’s important that I
don’t get bored with the series—if I ever do, that will be the time to stop writing
about the Rocky Bluff Police Department.
F. M. aka Marilyn Meredith
Blurb for Violent Departures:
College student, Veronica Randall,
disappears from her car in her own driveway, everyone in the Rocky Bluff P.D.
is looking for her. Detective Milligan and family move into a house that may be
haunted. Officer Butler is assigned to train a new hire and faces several major
challenges.
To buy: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00URUJAUE
To buy: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00URUJAUE
Bio:
F.M.
Meredith, also known as Marilyn Meredith, is the author of over thirty
published novels. Marilyn is a member of three chapters of Sisters in Crime,
Mystery Writers of America, and on the board of the Public Safety Writers of
America. Besides having family members in law enforcement, she lived in a town
much like Rocky Bluff with many police families as neighbors.
Contest:
Because
it has been popular on my other blog tours, once again I’m offering the chance
for the person who comments on the most blog posts during this tour to have a
character named for him or her in the next Rocky Bluff P.D. mystery.
Or
if that doesn’t appeal, the person may choose one of the earlier books in the
series—either a print book or Kindle copy.
Links:
Webpage: http://fictionforyou.com/
Facebook: https://facebook.com/marilynmeredith
Lorna Collins asked me why ghosts tend to appear in so many of my books. You can find out what I told her tomorrow at http://lornacollins-author.blogspot.com
Once again, Sharon, I thank you so much for hosting me today.
ReplyDeleteIt is always a delight to have you and your wisdom here, Marilyn. Thanks for including me in your blog tour.
ReplyDeleteMarilyn - I have a question for you. How many years have you been writing your two series? I think it has to be some God-given gift to be capable of writing a series, much less two each year.
ReplyDeleteJackie, I began with the RBPD series, but the Tempe Crabtree series was published first-- and probably around 15 years ago. I've written several stand-alones in-between.
ReplyDeleteHi there - Readers love series but also have hurdles to overcome. Personally, I do like series reads because I like to see the changes in the main characters but I hate it when one book ends in a cliffhanger. I like for each book to be a complete read in itself. :)
ReplyDeleteI totally agree with you, Diana. I make sure the crime/murder is solved by the end of the book. I quite reading an author I liked because she did that twice. Really irritating.
DeleteDo you think most series peak after four or five books? Certainly Evanovich's Plum series did, but that's when sales rocketed.
ReplyDeleteI don't know about that, Janet. I'm still reading Sue Grafton who is nearing the end of the alphabet. True, some books I liked better than others, and I'm sure it's that way with my series. Goodness knows, I like some of my books osn better than others.
ReplyDeleteMarilyn, I found what you've said regarding writing a series insightful. I never thought I'd want to do that, as I get bored very quickly. I thought having to write several stories in the same locale would not keep my interest inspired enough to actually write something new each time. However, the ideas you presented in your post made me think about the Series Writing in a whole different way...so maybe, someday in the future...who knows?
ReplyDeleteHi, Sunny it wasn't something I planned to do, but I'm certainl committed at this point.
Delete,
When I read a series, I try to read the first one first. But I like it when a writer makes it so that's not necessary. Sounds like a great series.
ReplyDeleteLiz A. from Laws of Gravity
Thanks for stopping by, Liz. I know many like to read the first in the series--that one, Final Respects, will be free on Kindle starting May 1.
DeleteNice article, enjoyed reading about the pros and cons of writing series. Thanks. Wishing you loads of sales.
ReplyDeleteHi, Joan, I'm sure there are other things series' writers could add, but those are my feelings. Thank you for the good wishes.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Marilyn, for sharing your knowledge as I'm on book two (though it's a trilogy), and enjoy hearing and learning from writers with experience of writing a series.
ReplyDeleteI'm so glad you stopped by, Teagan. What a wonderful name. Best of luck with your trilogy.
ReplyDelete