I just finished reading an historical fiction book set in Nova Scotia during WW2. I really enjoyed it, but not once while reading it did it occur to me that it was part of a series. It wasn’t until I reviewed it on Goodreads that I realised it was the second book of the series. The title of another book she wrote was printed on the cover, but nothing indicated that other book was in fact the first of the series.
There was no series name or number on the book
cover, so I started searching to see if there were written or unwritten "rules" on how to set up a series. I didn't find any rules, which I thought wasn't a bad thing since it meant I was breaking any elusive rules, but I discovered that series were classified by types.
These are the three most popular types of series: Dynamic, Static, or Anthology Series.
Dynamic Series:
A dynamic series follows the same characters as the main story carries out through the series. The characters grow as the series progress. The series should be seen as one whole story, not distinct installments in the characters’ life. These individual books are not standalones and need to be read in order for the story to make sense.
Static Series:
A static series follows the same characters, but these characters don’t develop in any major ways over time. Each book features a different story, and these individual books are standalone and can usually be read in any order.
Anthology Series:
An anthology series do not follow the same characters for every book of the series. The series are tied by a world, a setting, or character relationship. These individual books are standalone, and while some series can be read in any order, other series may need to be read order to avoid spoilers.
While I was writing my first novel Salvaged, I wasn’t thinking about series. My goal was to finish it, then not get lost in the overwhelming and scary world of synopsis, query letters, and publishers. It wasn’t until I finished my second novel Unraveled that the word “series” struck me. By then, I had found a publisher and Salvaged was tiptoeing into the published world, so I had started looking farther into my publishing goals. The truth is, I became very attached to the characters in Unraveled. Since I wasn’t ready to let them go, I turned the book into a series.
So far, I have written twelve novels. Eleven are published and the twelfth "The Red Quilt" is scheduled for release this coming December. Out of the dozen, only two are not part of a series. The other ten novels are part of four different series...but what kind of series?
In my Duty Bound Series, the
main character in each new book is a minor character from the previous book,
but few other characters from the previous book make it in the next one. Each
book takes place a few years after the previous one, the recurring characters
evolve, but it introduces new plots and new characters. There are some dynamic
& static elements in them, the books are standalones, but reading them out
of order gives spoilers about the previous books. So, to my great
surprise, it looks like an anthology series. I'm not sure why, but I would never have associated the term 'anthology' to my series until now.
My Heart & Endurance Series is a bit different. The first two books start with different characters and intrigue, but at one point in the second book, characters from the first book begin filtering through. The main characters in the first two books become minor characters in the third book whose storyline revolves around two new main characters. Each book takes place a year or two after the previous one, the recurring characters evolve, but there is a minor loose end that isn’t resolved until the third book. As much as I would have liked to tie that loose end in the first book, it realistically takes years for justice to render a verdict, so while that verdict didn’t come as a surprise, it only became official in the last book. While these three books can be read as standalone, they should be read in order to avoid spoliers. Again, this series looks like an anthology series, even though there are
My Unraveling the Past Series is definitely an anthology series. Brand-new characters in every book. Different settings. Different years. Different means of time-travel. Standalone stories. No continuity. The theme of the stories is what ties them together. In each book, the main character travels back in time and tries to right the wrongs of the past. In retrospect, I shouldn’t have numbered that series.
My Fifteen Shades Series will probably resemble my Duty Bound Series in the sense that one of the minor characters in the first book will become the main character in the second book. More about the first new book of that series The Red Quilt next month. I'm finishing my edits, but I received its book cover. It’s gorgeous! I can’t wait to share it with everyone.
Happy Reading & Stay Safe
JS
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I never thought of series in that particular way, but as an author, I want my readers to get the full experience. While in my Curse of the Lost Isle (Celtic Legends) series, each main character has one or more books, each novel is still a standalone. It's even more so in my sci-fi romance series. Each novel features different characters in the same setting... like the planet Azura, or the Byzantium Space Station. As I'm brainstorming my next series, I want to follow the same pattern. Especially when there is a romantic element, I feature a new couple in each book. But I make it clear that if you want to read all the books in the right order, there is one. I also think shorter series with spin-off series set in the same world work for me. I also have been known to use a secondary character in a novel as the main character in the next. Happy Reading.
ReplyDeleteI do a lot of series. Some are trilogies but I never tried to categorize what kind of series they are. I just write the stories. Most of the time they are series tied to a particular place. One shows the characters growing from book to book with new characters added. Moon Rising my ltest series is one of a religion and the changes that occur over the years. The books come as I see them.
ReplyDeleteI like the way you defined the different series. It seems the trend at the moment is for series although as a reader I really prefer single title stories. As a writer, I write individual stories although I did do one series that started as a trilogy and ended up being 4 books because I fell in love with the characters. I think it's like Janet said, the books come as they come. Thanks for the insight.
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