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by Ellen Butler
I rarely write about
my writing life, as a relative newbie to novel writing, I tend to leave writing
advice up to those who have more experience. However, today I’ve decided to
impart a morsel of new found knowledge.
Ever since signing on
with my agent I’d been saying, “I wish I could think of a series.” Series are
hot, hot, hot right now. A popular series (e.g. Harry Potter) will make you the
richest woman in the world. Ongoing series focused around a main character
(e.g. Stephanie Plum) will provide a living prosperous enough it allows you to
hire staff to manage your correspondence, website, and tour schedule. A trendy
series (e.g. Hunger Games, Divergent) will get your book made into a movie.
I wracked my brain
for a series for almost two years, but the only tales I’d been able to create
were single title stories, until now. How did this come about? Unplanned and not,
in a normal manner. Unlike JK Rowling, who apparently planned seven Harry
Potter books from the very beginning, my series idea came to me entirely out of
the blue. After completing Heart of
Design, I said to myself, “Self, I’m not ready to say good-bye to these
characters.” Since I’d created the satisfying, “Happily Ever After” ending to
the manuscript there was little I could think to do with my two main characters,
Ian and Sophie. However, I’d created peripheral characters that I enjoyed and
who made me laugh. Upon sending the initial novel for review, I mentioned that
I was “thinking” (basically waffling, wavering, and dithering) over the
possibility of creating a trilogy from this first novel and we’d talk more
about it after she read the book. Some nail-biting weeks later my agent gave
book one a thumbs-up, and became excited when I explained my nebulous idea to
expand one into three. Three women, three romance stories, and presto-o a
trilogy arrived – out of what I originally considered to be a stand-alone
novel.
I don’t necessarily
recommend you start out your series in the same way. My writing process would
have been much smoother had I originally planned to write a trilogy. For
instance, there are certain places where I’d written myself into a corner for
the third novel because of what I’d written in the first. Eventually, I penned
my way out of the issue satisfactorily, but you know I knocked my head against
the wall a few times for not having the foresight to write it differently
before the first book was published.
When it comes to
series writing, probably the most important piece of advice I can give you is
to create a timeline and character list. I generated a chart, and every new character
which I introduce; I list out their physical attributes, relationships to other
characters, job, and importance level within the story. This chart became my
bible moving from one book to the next. For instance, two small characters in
the first book became central characters in the third, and the character list
saved me hours searching through the manuscript to find out simple details like
hair, eye color, or the type of car the people drove. Both the timeline and
character chart will help you maintain consistency throughout the series; this
is especially true if you’re creating a character that could have dozens of
sequels, like Patterson’s Alex Cross.
Now that all of my
smart, strong and sometimes sassy ladies’ stories have been told I’m ready to
let them rest and move onto my next endeavor. For the past two years, I’ve been
researching a WWII novel and it’s itching to get out of my brain onto paper.
No, it’s not a series, it’s a single title. However, series enthusiasts don’t
fret, kernels of a future trilogy are popping around in my subconscious, and
having learned my lessons from the first, I will attack it differently and will
hopefully avoid future head banging.
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Biography:
Ellen Butler received
her bachelor’s in Political Science and Master’s in Public Administration and
Policy from Virginia Tech. A mother of two, she currently lives in the Virginia
suburbs of Washington, DC. After spending years working for a medical association
writing dry but illuminating policy papers, articles and promotional materials,
Butler made the leap to novel writing to release her creative side. Her most
recent publications include the Love,
California Style trilogy.
Stalk Ellen at:
@EButlerBooks
~Love, California Style Series ~
Heart
of Design (Book 1)
His
thumb gently stroked the soft flesh. I swallowed. “I would say you’re making a
valiant effort to get me into your bed.”
“Maybe.”
His eyes smoldered. “Is it working?”
Can Interior Designer Sophie Hartland
ignore her traitorous libido and hold her sexy Irish client, Ian O’Connor, at
arm’s length until the renovations are finished? Or will she cave in to his
pull on her heartstrings, and end up doing the knicky-knacky on the new velvet
sofa?
Planning for Love (Book 2)
So, my latest computer date was supposed to be a successful
marketer. He instead decided to visit an Ashram last week, and while there,
apparently found the meaning of life through yoga and wacky tobacky.
After walking in on her boyfriend in flagrante dilecto, Poppy Reagan
decides to take her dating life as seriously as she does her party planning
business. As she works her way
through a string of hilariously bad dates, she wonders if her soulmate actually
lives in California. Her foolish
emotional spirit secretly yearns for the handsome Ohio doctor she met last
year. Can Adam
convince this California girl to test the relationship waters in the mid-West?
Amazon: http://tiny.cc/bp42sx
Art of Affection (Book 3) – Arriving August 24, 2015
“By the way, those were some sexy thigh highs you were
wearing.” He winked.
Mortification burned
through me as the door shut with a thump.
Can Holly
let go of her abusive past and put her trust in the enigmatic cop who arrested
her husband?
