Pros and cons: writing a series

In about two weeks, I'll mark the release of a book that's not like anything else I've written. That's because it's my very first series novel. I've written a series of three novellas (The Outcasts series), I've written a series of books that are connected only by location and theme (The Fantasies series, all set at the Fantasies chain of resorts), and I've written a long novella in which a minor character from another book gets his HEA (Clay's Challenge), but I've never written what I consider to be a "real" series before.

That will all change on October 30, when The Institute, Book 1: Healer is released by Amber Allure.

What makes this series different?

Well, for one, while each Institute book with feature a different main pair, there will be an overarching storyline. I did this to an extent in the Outcasts series, but I've never tried it with novel-length stories with this many characters. Another difference is that I've concentrated more on building the world and the backstories. I generally don't make much reference to the backstories of nonessential characters in my books, but when I'm planning a series it becomes necessary to flesh out the characters a lot more. The biggest difference, though, is how much planning ahead I'm having to do. I'm generally a pantser, but that just doesn't work when future books depend on what happens in the first one. I'm well into the writing of book 2 now, and I've discovered that I'm going to have to rework the beginning in order to further explain the motivations of not only the main character, but a secondary person as well. D'oh!

As I've fumbled my way through this process, I've found quite a few pros and cons (your mileage may vary, of course!)

Pros of writing a series: Familiarity with the characters and settings, the ability to continue a storyline over multiple books rather than having to wrap it up in one book, readers seem to like them, you can revisit old characters in later books, you can reach the end without really reaching the end, the possibilities seem endless when you start one...

Cons of writing a series: My author ADD wants to jump to other things, the task seems more daunting than writing a single title, a lot of planning is involved, the complex storylines can be a pain to remember, if the series goes to long it runs the risk of annoying readers...

Working on a series has been an interesting experience so far, to say the least. I'm not sure if I'll want to tackle another after I finish the three (or four?) books I'm planning for the Institute series. I guess I'll have to wait and see if the series bug bites me again, or if my natural state of author ADD takes over.

Cassandra Gold
Gay romance with a heart of gold
www.cassandragold.com

Coming October 30 from Amber Allure — The Institute, Book 1: Healer

For years, Dr. Tristan Matheson has hidden his unusual abilities, pretending to be an ordinary doctor. He’s eluded detection—until now. When he’s targeted, Cam, a mysterious shapeshifter, becomes Tristan’s only means of escape.

A member of the Delphic Institute, Cam is capable of taking the shape of anyone he’s ever seen. Retrieving Tristan was supposed to be an ordinary mission, but the feelings the doctor stirs are surprising and unwelcome.

Unfortunately, Tristan and Cam have a bigger problem. A war brewing between groups interested in “recruiting” people with special talents could tear them apart before they ever get together.