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mbarkerWriting Excuses 12.43: Serialized Storytelling
From http://www.writingexcuses.com/2017/10/22/12-43-serialized-storytelling/
Key Points: Character progression in the long run, or don't bore the reader with arcs? First, beware of breaking relationships or character to make an arc. Try changing character focus to get an interesting character arc in each story. Separate your iconic heroes, who don't have character development, from your epic heroes, who do. Romance often has one character who is the star of the first book, then later books take characters from the side cast of the first book and give them a romance. To keep it fresh, give them different issues, different love triangles and problems, and often, an overarching background struggle. Use the set of characters as a framework or structure for the series. Another approach is to keep the same character or characters, but have different challenges for them to react to in each book. Different sets of characters, who is working together on what, also can keep it fresh. Avoiding power creep? Different problems. Also, consider a design space that provides consistent problems, character growth, powers, etc. across the series. Not "save it for the sequel" but "here is the set of cool things for the series, which ones am I going to do in detail in this book?" Beware the perfect romance. Yes, characters can resolve issues and be strong, but they should still need the relationship and each other.
( Cliffhangers and other cereal dangers? )
[Howard] You need me to do homework, Brandon?
[Brandon] I need you to do homework.
[Howard] okay. I've talked about beat charts before. Where you write down the iconic moments, the character arcs, whatever for your story. Build a beat charts for a series. Identify iconic heroic moments in which the hero does something awesome. Put each one down on an index card. Identify character arcs. Learns to love. Has a descent into madness. Put those down on cards. Identify what the reveals are. Then take this stack of cards, and spread them out into multiple stories. Order yourself a series in which everything gets to happen, but it doesn't all happen at once.
[Brandon] Excellent. This has been Writing Excuses. You're out of excuses. Now go write.
From http://www.writingexcuses.com/2017/10/22/12-43-serialized-storytelling/
Key Points: Character progression in the long run, or don't bore the reader with arcs? First, beware of breaking relationships or character to make an arc. Try changing character focus to get an interesting character arc in each story. Separate your iconic heroes, who don't have character development, from your epic heroes, who do. Romance often has one character who is the star of the first book, then later books take characters from the side cast of the first book and give them a romance. To keep it fresh, give them different issues, different love triangles and problems, and often, an overarching background struggle. Use the set of characters as a framework or structure for the series. Another approach is to keep the same character or characters, but have different challenges for them to react to in each book. Different sets of characters, who is working together on what, also can keep it fresh. Avoiding power creep? Different problems. Also, consider a design space that provides consistent problems, character growth, powers, etc. across the series. Not "save it for the sequel" but "here is the set of cool things for the series, which ones am I going to do in detail in this book?" Beware the perfect romance. Yes, characters can resolve issues and be strong, but they should still need the relationship and each other.
( Cliffhangers and other cereal dangers? )
[Howard] You need me to do homework, Brandon?
[Brandon] I need you to do homework.
[Howard] okay. I've talked about beat charts before. Where you write down the iconic moments, the character arcs, whatever for your story. Build a beat charts for a series. Identify iconic heroic moments in which the hero does something awesome. Put each one down on an index card. Identify character arcs. Learns to love. Has a descent into madness. Put those down on cards. Identify what the reveals are. Then take this stack of cards, and spread them out into multiple stories. Order yourself a series in which everything gets to happen, but it doesn't all happen at once.
[Brandon] Excellent. This has been Writing Excuses. You're out of excuses. Now go write.
