Word Witch Wednesday - brewing a book series

Deciding to write a series or a standalone book is tough. It's important to take your story idea and weigh the options. I'm going to assume you've already sat back and figured that out, and you want to write a series.

Book series are popular. Readers love to follow their favorite characters through all sorts of adventures. But there's nothing more disappointing than picking up the new book of one of your favorite series and finding the story fell flat. I've abandoned many series because the story faltered and the characters didn't grow.

Here are five tips to help you build a successful book series:

1) Make certain your story idea has enough juice to last through the whole series. If the plot flops after the second or third book, you're going to lose readers. Each book must have a solid story that can stand on its own and interconnect with the previous books. It helps if you're a plotter to plan the series. As a pantser, even I made certain when I was writing TOTEM, I had a solid story idea for each book before I started. Sure, those ideas were as simple as "they will search for the ____ totem in this book," but each one had a purpose in the overall plot.

2) Keep a story bible. Plotters usually have this started before they begin to write the first chapter. I keep notes as I go along. I mark down the basic plot points in each chapter and record character traits. It is also wise if you go back and read the previous books in the series before starting on the next one.

3) Don't limit your fictional world. You want to have room for growth. There will be rules and borders, of course, but a book series needs space to stretch and expand. Your characters might be trapped in a walled city, but there is a whole unknown world out there for you to continue on in if you want to do so.

4) Characters must grow. Characterization is vital to a series. Readers want the heroes they adore and the villains they loathe, but it wouldn't be realistic if the characters stayed the same throughout each book. Time has passed. A person will not be the same today as they were last year or even last month. Some internal issues we struggle with for years, but there will be little changes in attitude, a bit of wisdom gained, and possibly a fashion makeover.

5) Be able to let go. If the overall story arc comes to an end or if your individual story ideas disappear, know when to call it quits. I hate it when I read a series and it's the same plot over and over. "This love triangle has been going on for twenty books. Have the protagonist choose one already!" Sometimes it's tough to let go of characters and worlds we've come to love, but you'll fall in love again. That's one of the wonderful things about being a writer.

Have you written a book series? Do you plan to? What tips do you have to share?

Wicked Wednesday - playing telephone

Do you remember that children's game? Everyone sat in a circle. The first child whispered something into the next person's ear and the next person whispered it to a third child. As the phrase or word was passed on, it became garbled. Usually the message the last child received was nothing like the original. It was a lot of fun.

Things like that happen in our every day adult lives too. A word is forgotten in a text or a bit of gossip is misunderstood. It's a perfect tool to twist your plot. Send your protagonist to the wrong address or cause an explosive fight because of a mixed up message.

It's also a great way to trick the reader. What did the protagonist's lover really mean by that note? If the protagonist thinks the worst, so will the reader.

Simple children's games are a huge part of our fictional worlds. Games we all played as kids like hide-and-seek. A lot of horror stories have someone hiding from the stalking bad guy. Piggy in the Middle will have characters keeping something valuable away from someone. What about Hot Potato? I don't want the cursed ring, you have it. No, I don't want it! You have it. It gets passed back and forth, round and round. When the time is up, poor bloke that has the cursed ring is cooked.

What children's games do you see adult versions of frequently in stories?

Wicked Wednesday - Critiques (part 4)

This is the final part of my critique series. I'm talking about critiques because we're giving some away to the lucky winners of the MORE THAN JUST A KISS blogfest on September 9 - 15. You can win some awesome ebooks too! You can check out the other posts in this critique series here: part 1, part 2, and part 3.

Once I've gone over the details, I look at the overall story. All the chapters could be fine on their own, but everything needs to fit together like a jigsaw puzzle. A story can have all the technical parts correct with everything in its right place and still fall flat.

Here are some of the things I take into account:
- does the story engage me and hold my interest?
- are all the loose ends tied up neatly at the end?
- am I satisfied with the ending, or does it need something more?
- is the voice consistent throughout the manuscript? If there is more than one POV, does each one have a unique voice?
- does the tension build realistically and reach its height at the climax?
- the plot should have its ups and downs, but are there any places it drags? Or perhaps goes too fast?
- does the conflict(s) add to the plot or are they there simply to entertain?

Remember that critiques are subjective. Everyone is going to feel differently about the various aspects of the story. I've had my critique partners tell me two different things about the same part of a story. In the end, it's up to you to decide what you want to change if you want to at all. The critiques make suggestions. They are not follow-by-the-letter orders. You are the author. You must do what feels right for your story.

How do you wrap up your critiques?

Wicked Wednesday - that plot spot

When writing a story, the plot is generally broken down into three acts. The first act is where the protagonist's world is thrown out of order. A surprise that forces the heroine into action. The second act takes the reader in a new and unexpected direction, building the first act conflict into something much bigger. Everything is lost or will be lost if the heroine doesn't act. The third and final act contains the great climax. The protagonist succeeds and all the loose ends are nicely tied up.

It sounds easy enough... Right? Not at all.

I have one problem that I run into almost every time I write a story. I sweep in, create chaos for my characters, and build it up. I can create twists and turns, and ramp up the romantic tension. Usually close to the end, I know where I want it to go. I see the finish on the horizon. Yet there's that one plot spot right before the heroine hits the final climax. She's teetering on the edge, seemingly everything is lost, but I need to have one more push.

It's not the second act, but not quite the third yet. It's the dark spot in between. A little dip in the rise and fall of tension in the plot. Not a big dip, because I don't want to lose any of the tension I've built.

Most of the time, this is an emotional scene. The protagonist and her love interest share something, or she's having an introspective moment. It's important in preparing her for that big ending. I don't know why it stumps me. I usually have to push myself through it and go on to the climax.

Do you have any problems with that plot spot? How do you get through it?

Wicked Wednesday - paranormal mysteries

Mystery is always somehow woven into a paranormal romance. The protagonist needs to find something out whether it be who this strange man is, shed light on a murky family history, or find out who committed a horrific crime. Sometimes all of those things. Mysteries are trickier in this genre because they usually have a paranormal twist.

Here are a few tips to writing a believable and intriguing paranormal mystery:

1. Plot is key. The reader is playing detective as they're reading. Each plot point must be plausible within the world you've created. The action must be kept going forward too. Don't go off on tangents as it will only confuse and/or bore the reader.

2. Use red herrings. There should be at least one crucial clue in the story, but you don't want the reader to figure it out right away. Red herrings will lead them off in different directions and put their suspicions on other suspects. YET don't let them continue on for too long or become too frustrating.

3. Suspense. Strange footsteps and an unanswered question. Use time constraints and keep the stakes high.

4. The protagonist should be clever enough to keep the reader intrigued, or at least, have very smart friends. *coughsHermioneGrangercoughs* A mystery requires the protagonist to investigate and that requires a certain level of skill and intelligence. The protagonist can't stumble across every answer.

5. The reader must have access to all the clues available to the protagonist and, even though it shouldn't be readily apparent, the answer to the mystery should be there before the end.

Do you have any tips on how to write a good mystery?

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