Let’s face it, we’ve all had the experience of tuning in to the new season of a long-running TV series, only to come away disappointed. As much as we’ve loved the show and the characters over the years, there comes a point where it starts to feel stale, like the writers have run out of ideas.
Odds are, we’ve felt the same way about certain book series, too. On the other hand, we all read plenty of book series where every new release – from the tenth to the thirtieth – feels as fresh and exciting as the first novel that began it all.
What’s the difference?
I’ve never believed that series novels fail because of their plots. If a series feels stale, it’s probably because the characters have stopped growing. Dropping the same characters down in a new story – without giving them a chance to change and evolve – is likely to leave readers bored. Honestly, it probably means the writer’s bored, too! That’s typically when an author starts entertaining fantasies of killing off their beloved hero and giving themselves a chance to move on to something new.
Whoa now, hold off on that emotional death scene! Let’s talk about ways to keep each new series book as compelling as the first time your characters stepped on stage.
1. Give Your Characters a Stake in the Plot
It’s common to start with the plot when developing the next book in a series – but I always suggest going the opposite way. First ask yourself what’s going on in the lives of your characters. What issues are they dealing with – personally, professionally, emotionally? What challenges do they need to overcome? What problems in their past are likely to cause problems in their future?
Then think about a plot that’s likely to stab them in the heart – forcing them to deal with those issues as the story unfolds.
For example, when I was developing my eleventh Jonathan Stride novel THE ZERO NIGHT, I reflected on Stride’s wife, Serena, who grew up in an abusive household with a mother from whom she’s estranged. It occurred to me that whenever Serena’s mother died, she’d be struggling with a lot of unresolved issues. So, in developing the plot, I not only used the death of Serena’s mother, but I also wrapped Serena up in a cold case mystery involving a complex mother-daughter relationship. In that way, the plot itself played a key role in Serena dealing with her own love/hate feelings toward her mother.
So the emotional development of the characters doesn’t simply have to run side by side with the story itself. The two can work together.
2. Shake Things Up
One tried-and-true method to keep a series fresh is to shake up the characters. Add someone new. Or – mystery writers love this – kill someone off.
But be careful. Sometimes in the process of freshening up the series, you risk alienating your readers. That’s particularly true when you send a well-liked character to an untimely death. I understand the dramatic reasons for doing so – it forces your hero to look at life in a whole new way – but it also casts a shadow over the series for the reader. They’re less likely to go back and read your books again because of the emotional anticipation of losing someone they care about.
Does that mean you shouldn’t do it? Not at all – but death is just one way to shake things up. Marriage, birth, death, divorce, family, friends, new lovers, old lovers, those are all things that send our own lives twisting in new directions. That’s true of your characters, too.
Of course, no matter what you do, expect some blowback. You want your characters to be real people, and real people don’t always do the right thing. If your readers get angry when your hero makes a mistake (and wow, they’ll let you know!), take it as a compliment. They feel strongly enough about the people in your book to get as pissed off at them as they would at their own friends and family!
3. Go Back to the Future
One big challenge in every series is making each book fresh enough to give new readers a full, rich understanding of the characters – but not overwhelming existing readers with a lot of familiar backstory about characters they already know.
Sometimes the richest resource for managing that delicate balancing act is in your character’s past. Having untold stories from the past come back to haunt your hero gives you lots of creative advantages. It helps new series readers understand your hero and who he or she really is – and it also makes them want to go back and discover earlier books in the series to watch that character grow.
Meanwhile, existing readers always enjoy learning something new about the backgrounds of characters they love. You’re giving them fresh stories, not just recycling old facts from their biography.
This may mean bringing elements of the hero’s past into a modern-day story. Or, in some cases, you may decide to set an entire novel in a different part of the hero’s life. That not only gives a jolt of energy to the series, but it allows the readers to experience the characters at a completely new time of life. It also generates a whole new backstory that may return with a twist in later novels.
4. Share the Stage
Series books usually tell readers right on the cover what they’re getting. “A Jonathan Stride Novel.” “A Harry Bosch Novel.” “A Temperance Brennan Novel.” No surprise – the hero is the star of the show.
But the hero typically isn’t the only recurring character. Your supporting cast often plays just as important a role in the series as the hero does, and readers often love them as much (or even more) than your lead character. So in a long-running series, don’t be afraid to let your minor characters shine or even take the primary role in a particular narrative.
It doesn’t mean that your hero has to take a vacation. But I’ve had Stride novels where Stride really played more of a supporting role. Instead, Maggie Bei or Serena Dial stepped up to be the lead detective in that particular plot. Letting your other characters share the stage makes them richer and more three-dimensional for the reader – and it allows you to introduce new themes based on that character’s background. All of that keeps the series fresh.
Of course, it’s trickier when you’re writing in first person. The voice of, say, Nelson DeMille’s John Corey is front and center in every book, and a Corey book wouldn’t be a Corey book without his joking tone. But DeMille also gives his other characters a chance to show up Corey from time to time and dominate various scenes – and that makes his hero even more engaging.
5. Take a Break
Sometimes it’s not about the series. Sometimes it’s about you, the author. One way to keep a series fresh is by taking a break from time to time – giving your hero a rest and taking on different creative projects. Maybe it’s a stand-alone. Maybe it’s a whole new series. When you eventually get back to your original series, you’re likely do so with a new energy and enthusiasm to meet the characters again.
You’ll also generate pent-up excitement among your readers. When they haven’t seen your hero in a couple of years, they’re even more anxious to get the book in their hands and see what new mysteries are unfolding. After all, distance makes the heart grow fonder.
But don’t forget what I call the “hit by a bus” factor. When you take a break from a series, there’s always the possibility that life may get in the way – and you may never have the chance to get back to the series again. What I love to see is authors who end each series novel – the first, the last, or anywhere in between – with a kind of emotional closure. It doesn’t mean tying up all the loose threads for the characters (that’s not how life works). But the book should offer a sense of completeness and satisfaction.
That way, no matter what the future holds, readers will be able to experience the series as a full creative experience, even if the book does what every great series book should do: leave them wanting more.
