Have you ever finished your story and then realized you missed your characters? That's what happened to me when I finished the first book in my paranormal mystery series, Sullivan's Secret (which is on Kindle promotion for .99 March 1-8) I realized that I could take it further, flesh out my characters, and develop a series. It sounded easy enough, but there are many determining factors that go into creating a series. I'm going to share some of them with you in this two-part post.

Stand-Alone Series - In a stand-alone series, each book is a story with the usual beginning, middle, and and end. It may continue for many books as characters grow and pursue long-term goals, but a reader who picks up the third book in the series will enjoy that book all by itself. Though it may refer to previous adventures, which may inspire a reader to rush out and buy those previous books, the book can stand on its own.

Slice of Bologna - Some series are written as a single, large story - broken down into several books. An example would be The Lord of the Rings. Unfortunately, if readers begin with book two, they will quite possibly flounder because early events impact the current story. First-time readers will have no introduction to the story world or its characters. This could be a benefit for the author because a reader will have to buy all three books to finish the story. But what happens if book one is out of stock? Readers probably won't buy books two and three if they can't begin with book one.

How to End the Story in a Series - You need to be able to entice your readers to continue with reading your series. They need to care about your characters. Are the characters real? Do they have ongoing concerns that are greater than one particular story? When readers get lost in the story, they're eager for more.

You'll need to figure out how to end the first book. The main conflict needs to be resolved, even if larger issues continue. But if you're writing a "slice of bologna" series, you'll only have one ending, which will come at the end of the final book in the series.

In my first book, Sullivan's Secret, my main character, Marie Bartek, discovers that her psychic abilities from an early age have returned. Marie has a great interest in the paranormal so she and her best-friend, Gale Winters, decided to organize a ghost investigation team, Sullivan's Island Paranormal Society, SIPS, to help those in need. During this process, a murder takes place on Sullivan's Island. Marie learns to channel her powers. When they find out that the spirits are trying to warn her of an evil presence on the island, Marie and her friends set out to bring a vicious serial killer to justice.

The book ends with a murder being solved, but the series continues with Marie's abilities growing, a new romance develops, the SIPS team continues to help those dealing with paranormal issues, all the while solving crimes. The immediate internal and external conflicts are resolved in the first book. Each story has an ending, but the series continues with a new adventure, characters grow in their own personal struggle, and conflicts change throughout each book, which entices readers to continue reading the series.  Create a Roadmap for Your Series - If you feel like your book can become the first in a series, then it may be a good idea to sketch out a series plot before you begin. If you reach book three and realize you have the perfect plot event, but you killed off a certain minor character in book two.

The Coming and Going of Series Characters - You may be wondering if every character in your series should be part of every book. In my series, the SIPS team plays a huge part in every book and indeed need to be in every book, but others come and go depending on their role and the conflict. My main character, Marie, is the center of the action, but the team is still part of what drives the stories forward.

If You Should Choose the Single-Character Series - If you choose this method, you may or may not need to plot out the entire series ahead of time. If you're planning a strong overarching story, it's a good idea to rough out that series-long story at the beginning. If you're writing a mystery series where each book is a new adventure involving your character, an overarching plan is not necessary. The main character will carry readers from one book to the next.

​Stay tuned for next week's Part 2 - To Write a Series or Not Write a Series. Remember...Keep on Writing! [image error] Marie Bartek & the SIPS Team Series (5 Book Series)