For those who aren’t aware, I write series. I write almost exclusively in series. Even when I tried to write just one book, it ended up being a series. So I know a thing or two about writing series at this point. You want to write a series? First question.
What type of series?
There’s two major type of series. Depending on your story, your planning and structure are going to vary wildly based on which you decide to go with.
Finite series
The first type, and the type that I am more comfortable working in, is the finite series. These are identified as books that build to a final conclusion. There’s often a narrative that runs strongly throughout and builds through the books, and it will follow one or many character’s journeys throughout the whole narrative as they change and grow.
Most often I’ve been seeing these as trilogies in traditional publishing, or the 7 book series that’s become really popular with indie.
Infinite series
This is also known as serialized fiction. These are book series that have the potential to go on forever. The characters don’t ultimately do a lot of growing or changing because the series is often intended to be read in any order. The focus isn’t as much on the growth and development of a single plot or character, but on the problem introduced at the start of the book, which will be resolved by the end. It’s a bit like a sitcom, but as novels.
There are exceptions
I am trying to generalize for ease here, but there are absolutely exceptions. The soap opera serialization format, for instance, combines the two in that the series goes on forever by design, but they have a rotating cast to ensure that stakes can be continually raised and time can pass so there is progression.
What’s your intent?
Ultimately, determining what kind of series you’re going to write depends largely on your intent. Do you want to write a lot of different stories with the same group of characters or in the same setting that have some connection? Do you want to write a single epic that can’t be contained in a single book?
For me, that choice is easy. I write stories that I feel are too large to be contained in one book, so I write a finite series. My characters undergo a lot of change and growth throughout that aren’t as conducive to an infinite format. And, most importantly, I like having an ending.
You can change your mind!
If you start with one format, you can absolutely pivot to another! There will be a bit of a bump, and if you’ve got an audience they may have some difficulties with it, but your tactics can absolutely change as you find a narrative format that works best for your stories.
I want to hear from you!
Do you have any questions about writing series? I’m looking to write a whole lot about this and I’d love to answer anything you have been wondering about.