Being an author is like living in both heaven and hell. There are always pros and cons, no in between. Everything must be balanced in order to produce a well-written output. To be a remarkable author, one needs to step up their games and watch out for the advantages and disadvantages of every move that he or she makes. An author’s journey to writing a successful trilogy or series is similar to a person walking in a field full of landmines, there are things that will caught you off guard and make you struggle. The most essential method authors must do is to harness their talent in writing and utilize it in order to create and give life to stories with immeasurable greatness.
Trilogy is the term used to define a set of three stories that are linked to one another. In literature, it somehow refers to three books in which the following two are the continuation of the first one. Thus, each one is a piece of another that will make a perfect whole. There are various trilogy books that are being patronized by readers of different ages, such as the Divergent Trilogy by Veronica Roth, The Infernal Devices by Cassandra Clare, Matched by Ally Condie, and more. A series, on the other hand, is a collection of books having similar particular attributes — storyline and characters for example, arranged chronologically from book number one and so on. Some of the most popular series in literature includes Harry Potter by J.K Rowling, The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis, Goosebumps by R.L. Stine, A Series of Unfortunate Events by Lemony Snicket, etc.
There are also numerous trilogies and series that are currently on-progress, such as the Eloise of Westhaven series by Jean Archambault-White, A Song of Ice and Fire by George R. R. Martin, Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs, and more. Writing this type of books is not easy because there are a lot of things to consider. If you are one of the many authors that are currently working on the next book for your series or trilogy, then you might want to check out this article. Below are some essential tips that are helpful for authors of trilogy or series books.
Come Up with Fresher Ideas
The thing with books with the same characteristics is that it is perceived to have only one theme and that is the biggest misconception for series and trilogies. It is not mandatory to have the same message and motif as the first book does because each books have different plots. That said, you as an author must think of something new to mix to the next story, which is the continuation of the first one. Look for new ideas that will better the story and bring the books to the spotlight. Do not be stagnant, be proactive instead. You may browse the internet, study your competitor’s works, evaluate the trends, conduct a run through on your previous books, etc. That said, you can offer something new to the readers and hook them more.
Maintain Relevancy
Although the plot for the following books of your series differ from each other, that does not mean that the storyline must go astray. If your trilogy or series is all about a person going on a quest, then each plot of the novels should be in line with one another. It should be all about the character’s journey and the struggles that he encounters along the way in order to finish the adventure. Relevance is definitely significant. There are a lot of cases where the first books displayed greatness, but the following ones did not give justice and dismayed the readers. Thus, in order to have a successful series or trilogy, the plot of each book must be connected and are into one goal. Yes, there are elements that needs to be tweaked or differed but the bottom line is: relevancy must be kept.
Add and/or Subtract
Do not settle for less, if you think there is an element that is lacking or a part that is too much immediately edit them. Readers are smart, meticulous, and observant. That is why you need to be mindful of your writings. Make time to proofread your manuscript by chapter or in one go. Take away those events that do not help progress the plot or add something that will make the story better. It is the best way to produce a successful and compelling story. Also, put your feet on the reader’s shoes so that you can point out what are the elements that are needed to be and not to be mixed. It is like doing the math but your variables are your words. Thus, to solve the problem, you should create a good formula and comprehensible solution.
Oliver’s Twist 