While my critique partners and beta readers have been reviewing Lord Langdon’s Kiss, I’ve been working on another project: reuniting my “Three Disgraces” Regency series in an ebook bundle.
Comment on this post for the chance to win one of 5 copies on either Kindle or Nook. (Apple and Kobo are still in the works.)
The Three Disgraces includes reissues of The Incorrigible Lady Catherine, The Redwyck Charm, and Saving Lord Verwood. Although many Regency ladies were educated by governesses at hom, my three heroines met at one of those select schools for girls we sometimes read about. Although they’re very different in terms of birth, interests and temperament, none of them quite fit in for various reasons. And so they developed a warm friendship while defending themselves against the catty set at the school.
I had so much fun writing this trilogy. I didn’t really plot ahead, other than coming up with the issues each heroine would have to deal with and what sort of hero would challenge her the most. Somehow it all came together. I’ve mostly written standalone books, but I have to admit it’s also a lot of fun to spend some time with characters you loved in a previous book, and help beloved secondary characters get their own stories.
Now I’m contemplating another series. This one involves more characters over a longer period of time, so I’m thinking I should maybe plan a little. Luckily, I have a writers’ retreat coming up which will be a perfect time to brainstorm.
Do you enjoy series? Why or why not? And for my fellow authors, how much planning do you do up front for your series? Any tips and tricks?
Elena
www.elenagreene.com
I love series b/c I’m a glutton for more, more, more 🙂 thanks for sharing!
That’s some strong encouragement to start another series. Thanks!
I love series, because good books are (nearly) always too short.
Too true! I often feel this way about novellas; I’d like to stay with the characters a bit longer.
yes, if they’re standalone
I think it’s best to read the Three Disgraces in order, but I tried to make them stand on their own too. I’ll keep that in mind as I head into the next series.
I love a series because you get to know a set of characters, events and places and each book allows you to revisit them all like revisiting old friends. And I love to see how secondary characters I liked develop in later books in the series.
I agree. My only quibble is that I don’t have a lot of reading time and I like to read a variety of authors, which makes it hard to keep up with series. But that is not the series’ fault!
I like series because a lot of times you get to see the characters from previous books reappear; it’s like seeing an old friend.
Yes, that’s what is lovely about it–seeing the stories go on.
Glad to see your Three Disgraces “reunited”, Elena! I wish I had some tips or advice about planning series to offer you, but like you, I am just finding my way into my first one, too. As I am mostly a “pantser”, I do find it’s helpful just knowing the current wip will be part of a series. As the ideas come, I am earmarking certain things for further development in the later books, and keeping an eye on the characters who appear, also considering their later potential. It -should- be easier than my past (and present) tendency to suddenly have stories to write about previous characters I had never planned to go back to. I wish you all the best success with yours!
I’m glad you’ve gone back to give those characters stories, as in An Unlikely Hero!
Series are great! Especially when they have related characters with different story lines. I am reading a series right now, that is getting a bit dull, but with about 20 books with the same main characters, the repetitive background info is getting a bit redundant. However, I’ll been a big Madeline L’Engle fan from my Jr. High days – check out how she does series!
I know what you mean about background info. Same issue with the Earth’s Children series by Jean Auel. It is the challenge in doing series. Maybe one has to make a decision at some point whether the books will be standalone (in which some of that background is necessary) or not. In the series I’m contemplating I hope to make them standalone without having to drag in too much repetitive background information.
I am a big fan of series.And i love they stick together against the catty girls.
I think a lot of us can relate to falling foul of the cliques, etc… I like writing about characters who don’t quite fit in but learn to enjoy who they are.
This looks like a really great series..the kind that keeps you on the edge of your seat until the next one comes out!
The nice thing about this series is it’s all there now in one set. 🙂
The sign of a truly successful book, in my opinion, is my yearning to follow the characters for “just a little bit longer” to see what their future s are like. That’s why I love series and bundles. Each book builds on the knowledge of characters and history from the last book. Write On!!!!
Thanks for the encouraging words, Anne. I hope this new group of characters will engage readers, too!