Blogger: Etta Wilson
Location: Books & Such Nashville Office
Weather: Summer Showers
What is a fiction series? The answer to that question is not as apparent as we might at first think. A fiction series can be defined as a succession of related stories that usually focus on a continuing lead character. At least that generally was true until about twenty years ago, and it still holds for many series. Think Father Tim in the Mitford series or Hercule Poirot in the Agatha Christie mysteries.
Like many other aspects of writing, the basis for a series has broadened to include such things as different members of a family, a generation, a social structure, a time period, or a setting. Examples are Lauraine Snelling’s Home to Blessing series and Homer Hickam’s Coalwood series. In the later case, the success of Hickam’s best-selling book, Rocket Boys (1998), germinated the later books for a series; so some series start are on the success of a single title. But series are not to be confused with single titles by established authors even when they write in the same genre and have certain similarities, such as John Grisham’s mysteries. It’s the author’s name that connects the books.
Despite the popularity of fiction series, they usually are published only in paperback, as in the romance and mystery genres, which are the two most saleable formats at present. The publisher– and the author– hope and expect there will be another coming shortly, if not in the same series, then a new one in another series under the same banner.
We may need to be careful about this loosening the definition for a series if we are preparing a proposal. It’s so easy to start out with one good character and one good story but then be distracted by other elements and try to force a series construct. For that reason, the setting alone doesn’t always provide enough glue from one book to the next.
Lots to think about in a tale continued!
I was taken to task one day after a speaking engagement by a librarian who corrected me and told me at least 12 books were necessary to constitute a Series!
Don’t know where that idea came from! I would be taken aback myself.
Thanks for the post, Etta. Since I’m in the middle of writing the Sinclair Sisters of Cripple Creek Series, I’m attracted to all insights on series. As you know, TWO BRIDES TOO MANY is out. TOO RICH FOR A BRIDE is in production and I’m writing Book Three, sandwiched with reading your blog. 🙂 You’re so right–much to consider when writing a continuing tale. For me, it’s the family bonds and the new start out in the wild west that ties the stories together.
Tom Clancy’s techno-thrillers also come to mind, written around Jack Ryan’s life as he progressed from CIA analyist to CIA bigwig to president.
I like a series that goes somewhere and has a logical ending like Narnia or Prydain or, for that matter, Harry Potter. Hmm. Those are all fantasies. Is that sort of series that tells aspects of one longer story a speculative fiction thing?
Gary and Etta, I think that librarian may have been thinking of young adult series. They usually have several books in a series…anywhere from ten, twelve, to twenty maybe? I toyed with writing YA novels for awhile, but abandoned that dream. While visiting bookstores and doing research, I noticed that a lot of YA fiction was published in series that contained several books.
~Cecelia Dowdy~
Christian Fiction Author
LeAnne, I avoid the term “speculative fiction” because it is so incredibly broad as to be unclear in most cases. It can be applied to fantasy, science fiction, etc., etc., and certainly to one book or a series.
Mona, I’m seeing more series based on family bonds rather than one character. These are interesting because they often give different perspectives on a similar event in the same era or in a follow-on generation. Keep writing!