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How to Write a Book Series for Beginners (Do I Have to Outline?)
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- čas přidán 12. 07. 2020
- This episode is about writing a dynamic book series, not a static book series - aka, duologies, trilogies, etc. Spoiler alert: I don't recommend OUTLINING a series...but I do recommend PLANNING. What's the difference? That's what this video is all about!
Stuff I use as a full time writer/author (that you may have spotted in this video!) (affiliate links are afoot):
WRITING/WORK STUFF
Alphasmart Neo2. Highly highly recommend. amzn.to/3cStKui
Adjustable laptop desk. I LOVE this thing. Typing with my arms at an angle has drastically reduced elbow/wrist pain. amzn.to/2OYh0tX
Clever Fox planner. I’ve used a few planners and this is my fav. Lots of space for mind-mapping and brainstorming, daily to-do lists, space for goal setting. amzn.to/3vNmk3Z
Best writing pens, hands down. I use them every time I revise a book. amzn.to/311nRoP
Acer monitor. I kind of hate the word gamechanger but this really was that kind of purchase. amzn.to/3vH71Kh
Brother laser printer. I won’t lie, this thing is a behemoth. But I’ve had it since 2017 and I think I’ve had maybe one paper jam? It works great, it’s super consistent, A++ for printing manuscripts. amzn.to/3tzIvZE
Macbook Air. Doesn’t really need my recommendation. amzn.to/2OUCaJx
COFFEE STUFF
Ninja coffee maker. I freaking love this thing! It has a “speciality” setting that’ll make...not espresso, but pretty dang close. There’s a milk frother attached if you want to get fancy with your drink. amzn.to/31533Nu
Cold brew pitcher. I have two of these on constant rotation in the fridge. Don’t judge me. amzn.to/3cSKVM9
Zulay milk frother. (Yes, I take my coffee seriously.) amzn.to/3r7DDJu
VIDEO MAKING STUFF
Canon G7X Mark iii camera. amzn.to/3r9BfCb
Savage studio lights. I mostly use these for ‘talking head’ videos. amzn.to/3r7G6Un
Ubeesize 10” ring light. That’s the little guy sitting on my desk. I mostly use it for vlogging. amzn.to/31hqpzD
JJC mini tripod. amzn.to/3feXxjJ
Rode clip mic. amzn.to/2OSaLb2
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Are you writing a series?? Tell me all about it! 😀
Can this process of writing freely work the same way as for a graphic novel/manga series?
I'm writing a trilogy, and while I got the medium-to-major points in the first book outlined, and the beginning and endings of books 2 and 3 planned out, I don't have any idea how it'll truly go. I spent about 5-6 months just doing all the world-building, and fleshing out characters, and I got to a point where I thought to myself exactly what you mentioned, that I was just too afraid to start it. So one night I got fed up and was just so sick of doing all these outlining that I just started writing. And then I wrote some more. The prose is complete garbage, but it still felt so good to be free of the outlining gruel.
I'm now about 25k into my "zero draft", and I find that it's so much easier to think of this draft as my outline. I get the story down on paper, and as things develop, ideas on how to glue each scene together for the next several chapters pop into my head. I also end up discovering things that won't work, and need to be changed even though I've already written them, but I just make a note of it and move on. The draft is a patchwork now, and it'll only make sense to me, so I figure that my first draft is simply to make it make sense from beginning to end. Hopefully writing this first book will get ideas rolling for the second and third book as well.
Love your videos btw! I'm going through all of them.
Oh wow, I'm so impressed that you recognized that and called yourself out! It's so true, actually starting the draft is so, so intimidating, our writerbrains will do anything to procrastinate while tricking us into thinking we're still being productive.
Congrats on hitting 25k!! I LOVE the idea of a zero draft; I'm thinking about trying it out on my next project. It's so great that you don't let yourself go back and change things, but just keep plowing through - I never finished my very first book because I couldn't resist going back over and over again.
Keep going!! And keep me posted on your progress. Oh and thanks so much for watching! 😄
@@MichelleSchustermanAuthor it definitely didn't start out being a zero draft. I had never even heard of the term until I saw your video last week, but it makes total sense that it's a zero draft since it's unreadable at this point. The reason I think I've been able to move on instead of the constant rewrite is probably because I want to get to the good parts.
I've got a video request: I'd love to hear a published author such as yourself talk about the journey from your very first novel attempt that got completed, to your first published book, with a focus on your prose improvement. One of the biggest fear I have is that my prose will be horrid because when I'm writing the zero draft, the prose is awful. I've read/watched videos about all these rules like keep to an active voice, delete adverbs, etc., and those do help tremendously, but I see so many people being able to write near-polished prose on a first attempt, and it's demoralizing at times.
That is a fabulous suggestion - thank you so much!! I'm adding it to my queue. I remember on that very first book I tried to write, when I finally tore myself away from the outline and opened a doc to type the first draft...I froze. For SO long. 😂 And I completely hated every sentence I wrote.
It can be so discouraging to see those writers who manage to whip out stunning prose - but remember, every writer has their strengths and weaknesses! For some, revising is hell, while others love it so much more than drafting (and are so much better at it).
Thank you again for the suggestion!!
I just wanted to let you know that I greatly appreciate this video. Even 3 years later it makes an impact still and I hope someday my book series Lands in your lap and you fall in love with it. For now I shall continue on feeling less paralyzed about writing my book since the block I've been dealing with was self made.
I wish I had found this video sooner. I have a series I'm planning where I got so stuck on my initial idea for book 1 that I prevented myself from seeing what the story really needed. Taking off my "it has to be this way" glasses gave me a sudden revelation of what my story really needed. All of a sudden it seems obvious what needs to happen in book 1, but had I stayed stuck in how I originally had pictured the premise, I would've stayed stuck forever. I'm now hoping to start outlining book 1 soon with my newfound confidence and perspective!
Oh man, thanks so much for this, Michelle!!! Had my series planned in advance & yes, you are right about stifling your creativity because you feel obligated to stick the outline (after spending countless hours in it lolz). Now, Im gonna be more loosey-goosey & see where it takes me... Cant wait for more on this!!!
You're so welcome, Sio, and thank you for watching!! I totally get it - I really do love outlining, but the more rigid you make it, the tougher you make life on yourself, haha. (Also, excited to hear you're working on a series!!!)
Oh heck, thank goodness. I definitely do not have books 2 and 3 outlined. 😂 this is a relief. Great video!
ha!!! Glad to provide some relief, Chelsea! 😂
Ohhh a long video! I love those, thank you so much for your wonderful input. I’m always blown away how easily and quickly you deliver information I felt I was muddling through. The time and effort you spend in editing and creating these videos is much appreciated!!! Thank you!!!
I will admit, I have a fear of series. I’m writing my fifth book and the one I feel most confident in. For my past trials in writing, I’ve always just left them hanging and never planned out past the first book and a vague idea of an ultimate ending before just moving on to the next completely different book. I am a planner though, I enjoy going full in-depth on the first novel, pouring hours into notebooks and details for the world and people.
Having Finished my fifth book, Begin Again, I feel anxious to write more on it. Possibly my anxiety but I do not want to put even more time and effort into a story if I cannot sell it and feel like I was wasting my time when I could have been trying other books ideas. I do not mean that to be harsh or like I am judging other Authors who can just stick with a series, merely my own nervousness which prevents me from hanging onto to something before feeling I need to move on. That saying “never put all your eggs in one basket” haunts me, haha.
I am so looking forward to a synopsis video! Your video on Query letters was amazing so I can only imagine this one will be equally as informative and great!! Thank you again for you time and effort.
"Never put all your eggs in one basket" -- Ha!!! I never thought about it that way but I definitely get what you mean. And hey, plenty of authors (most authors!!) only write standalones...it doesn't mean you're afraid or don't have faith in your work. Personally, I kept trying to write series but my 'book ones' read like giant epilogues, and then my agent gently suggested I try a standalone just to write a complete story. Maybe the best advice I ever got because it forced me to start actually closing those character arcs!
Thanks so much for watching, Jojo!! 😃
How'd I miss this video? Haha, love your tips, Michelle!
So glad they helped, Nikki!
I'm working on a middle-grade static series. Thanks for this video!
That's so cool, Estes!! Let me know if you have any specific static series questions -- I'll make note for that video. :)
@@MichelleSchustermanAuthor yes, how do you avoid reintroducing your characters but allow readers to pick up at any part of the series? Nancy Drew and Babysitters Club seem to solve the problem by using stereotypes or shallow characterization, but there must be another way.
@@MichelleSchustermanAuthorI am planning a murder mystery series based on “the 12 days of Christmas” where each line from the song is a book that seems standalone but throughout the series a mysterious person invites each detective to a house where they all meet in the 13th book and solve a group murder together. Problem is I am having a lot of trouble connecting the original 12 books as I feel that it would be too much murder to happen in one location in such a short span of time. Do you have any ideas?
I've been beating myself up for wanting to deviate from an outline. This was very helpful. Thank you!
Ugh, this is exactly what I needed today! Thank you thank you thank you
You're so welcome, Ayla! Thanks for watching!
Loved this video and needed it so much!
So glad you like it! Thank you for watching, Rachel!
I’m planning a series and it’s been a challenge writing the prologue.
Oh, so that's what it's called, a dynamic series.
Yup! :)
This gave me a lot to think about as I have an idea for a series that follows different main characters through law school with each book covering a semester. Now I haven't planned too much outside of that other than the overarching court case that involves a few of the main MC's so I was sitting here like hmmmm maybe I'm not doing as bad as I thought. After listening to you talk about the emotional arc part of the equation, I was like hmmmm I did get the way I wanted the books to be written from my love on ensemble children's books that did similar things. I never considered that being my inspiration as much as a guideline.
LOL I say all that to say this: great video (as always) and you definitely have my wheels turning.
Oh wow, this sounds like such a cool project! I love a court case providing the larger arc - I can see that really helping to raise the stakes at the end of each book. (I'm a sucker for twisty turny legal thrillers!) Is this your Nano project? Because I cannot wait to hear more about it!
@@MichelleSchustermanAuthor lol yes maam. Its what I'm going to use your outline videos to help me with and Preptober fun. Lol so let's just say I'm going to want to pick your brain some lol
hellll yes!! I am SO excited about this! Seriously, hit me up anytime :)
@@MichelleSchustermanAuthor email sent. I apologize now for all the words lol
@@ShayWithThaHobbies YES! I will respond asap!!! :D
I outlined the first book, I outlined hard, but book 2 has an outline that kinda growths with the draft? Like I have a plan sure, but it's an open ended plan. Book 3 is just a thought in my head. I have a big series ending, sure I do, but things can change moving towards that end.
Please help me with a multiple POV synopsis please!
That sounds a lot like how I've written series! 🙂
Oh, that is a GREAT question/topic! So I've already filmed next week's synopsis video but honestly, I think this deserves it's own video. I'll add it to my queue!! Thank you, Dal!
@@MichelleSchustermanAuthor not many people talk about dual or multiple POV outlines, synopsis, drafts... it's very single POV focused around here. And I'm working on a sci-fi trilogy that's pretty much a dual POV with the occasional minor third pov here and there. I wish I could talk about it, but what if I'm doing it all wrong? I don't want to give advice that is wrong so first I need to learn. Thank you Michelle.
You're right, it's not discussed very often. I don't think there's necessarily one right way to do it - it would depend on the story. I could see a sort of omniscient synopsis working, for example. Or, if one POV is really sort of the center of the story, the synopsis would focus mostly on them and how the other POV's journeys fit into that.
One suggestion is to check out the synopses of big multi-POV books on Wikipedia. Those articles often have "Plot Synopses" sections of varying lengths - it always helps me to see how books I've read are summarized!
Iam writting books about natural medicine, I already have 7 books sofar .
In my mind, my current WIP is a trilogy, but I am also trying to wrap this first book up in a satisfying way so that if it doesn't get wings and take off as a series it can still be something. As far as outlining books two and three, all I know is the ending of book three. >,
Honestly, that sounds pretty ideal! It's always good to have an idea of how the story will ultimately end. You'll figure out the rest along the way. :)
@@MichelleSchustermanAuthor I'm hoping so!
unrelated comment: how long do you each day? Also, are you a full-time writer? (Sounds like you’re successful enough of an author to be one!) it would actually be cool to do a video on what it’s like to be an author to answer these questions. A lot of authortubers do this, which is cool, but I feel like it’s more fun/different when it’s a published/experienced writer 🤗
Okay is one of your superpowers mind reading, Hannah?? Not kidding: I actually decided over the weekend to start mixing it up and doing "writer life" vlogs! I've kind of gotten addicted to other writers' vlogs and it looks like so much fun to film/edit. 😃
I do write full time - a combination of my own books and ghostwriting, and then the occasional workshop or school visit (although not so much this year, obviously!). I've become more of a morning person so I do most of my drafting and/or outlining in the morning, and save stuff like copyedits or other tasks for the afternoons.
I was actually thinking my vlog might specifically be about me attempting to rewrite a book for the third time in seven years so you could all watch me fail spectacularly 😂
@Michelle Schusterman hahah funny you say that, I am totally a mind-reader. It comes with the creepy things obsession. jk jk...
that would be awesome! I love watching writing vlogs. I think yours would get good views, too, because people are always more interested when it's an expert. So I can't be the only one interested in how a typical writing day goes for you. Bonus points if you feature the dog! :-)
Aw hooray, I'm really glad you like the idea!! I was kind of going back and forth on it. And ha, Rosa would definitely feature heavily - my writing gets interrupted pretty frequently thanks to her. 😆
You should vlog too! I totally picture you living in a cabin in the woods, burning incense and browsing for scary stuff online lol
@@MichelleSchustermanAuthor haha my dog likes to randomly bark sometimes while I'm in the middle of filming! I understand the feeling.
LOL maybe not a cabin, but the rest of it you pretty much got spot on. I may do it someday. I think it'll be easier when I have a real camera, right now I just use my phone.
Wow, the quality you get from your phone is really good! I never would have guessed.
When I write a series I kinda fall into it. For my first series I knew I wanted it to be a series, but I pantsed the entire thing (except for the final chapters of the 7th book which needed a general idea of where I was going) but it was supposed to be maybe 3-4 books. Not 7.
Just like my current series, it was supposed to be a stand alone....only there was so much to say, so much to do, that it couldn't be contained in one book. So far it's 3, and that's just on paper, but with near 400 pages on what was supposed to be the last book, it may end up being 4 books or one really long end book.
That's the problem with the way I write a series, the fact that I don't plan a series. If I have to stop writing in book one and make book 2 because the binder I'm using is fit to burst. I do, though, end book 1/2/etc in a natural and (hopefully) non-infuriating way, but I never plan for x amount of books I get out of a story. I just write them and am constantly shocked by the way they pile up. 😅
I don't know if this is good or bad, but it works for me because things flow naturally rather than me being "okay so what do I do for book 2?" Because, technically "book 2" and all subsequent books are really just numbered for order and sanity when in reality they feel like one massive book because I never stopped and thought about that "book 2" issue. (In a sense I guess that drives away any fear or making a crappy sequel.)
On a semi similar note, I find outlining a story as you go (rather than the whole thing) gets my story written way faster and clearer than just plain pantsing.
That 7 book series I started forever ago and ended last year? That took so long because I wasn't just driving by my headlights in the dark like a normal pantser, I was driving in a heavy, unlifting fog that was terrifying me with the thought of "you're going the wrong way. This can't be where you're supposed to go!" In the end, though? I got there. I made it, I used my "map" for the last leg of the journey, but I did it and I survived.
What it taught me? Map it out, but only a little bit ahead of where you are just so you know where you're going, but don't map the whole thing because you want to leave room for spontaneity. 😁
That's so fascinating, K! I love the headlights analogy. It's incredible that you completed a 7 book series, and the fact that you did in that sort of 'fog' makes it even more impressive!! I totally agree - mapping out a little bit at a time seems like an ideal way to go.
For me at least, the other problem with plotting a series out too much is that it makes the task seem all the more daunting. I mean, writing a single novel is an endeavor. Writing a series is just massive. If I think about it too hard at the beginning, about how far I have to go...it just feels crushing, you know?
@@MichelleSchustermanAuthor that's why I just write and don't concern myself with the size. Wrapping everything up neatly is allowed its amount of dread, though.😅
To me I think of it this way, I have a story to tell not a series to write. If one book becomes 2 or more, great. If it stays as one and everything I want in it is there and works and has a satisfying ending, then that's all that matters, because my characters have done their bit, had their say, and their story has been told so that the hopefully won't be forgotten. (Because oddly enough my characters want to be remembered and realised as something real???)
Anyway, thank you again for another great video, and I hope you have a good day.😁
That is such a great way of looking at it!! 🙂
@@kanashiiookami6537 Ohhh I love that line "My characters what to be remembered and realized" wow thats beautiful! Can I ask, do they haunt you? I mean in the sense that they feel so real to you at all times? Do you feel as if you are like the god watching a world unfold or a side character scribe transcribing the events as the occur? Maybe that might not make sense, I apologize if my question comes off strange.
@@PickaGodandPray they feel like a found family (because half the time we don't like our blood family), or friends. I'm constantly thinking of them and enjoying my time with them (when writing) and in answer to your question, I feel not like their god or transcriber but as the silent friend walking along beside them and sharing in the moments. Maybe more like ghost beside them, because I can't help them get out of scrapes, they have to do that on their own. So in a way I haunt them. 😉