has to say! So please give a warm welcome to NYT Best Selling Author Brenda Drake!
"How to successfully move from the end of book 1 to book 2 in a series."
(Methods, fun, continuing threads...)
by Brenda Drake
Writing a series takes a lot of care and mapping out each book with one central plot that arcs over all the books in the series. When moving from book one to book two in the Library Jumpers series, I had to weave in many things introduced in the first book into the second one. Keeping a story bible filled with details on characters, settings, and the rules of the world you’ve created.World-building is so important in my fantasy book. I have to keep track of how the magic works, what’s the rule of the land in the Mystik realm, the cultures in the havens and covens, and the environment in each one. This also goes into the story bible. Keeping one is very helpful when I forget what a character looks or haven looks like.
Each of my books in the Library Jumpers series has its own arc and threat. At the end, there’s a resolution to that threat, but there isn’t one for the plot arc that arches over all three books. I leave my readers with a “happy for now” feeling at the end of each book. Writers of series need to decide if they’re going to end each book on a cliff hanger or do as I do with mine.
It’s important to keep the voices the same across the books in a series. I’d read a chapter in book one before starting to write book two. To get back into my narrator’s voice. Setting is important in a series. It’s like its own character and should feel the same throughout the series. The details matter and they should be the same in all books of the series. You don’t want everything to stay the same. Introducing new characters and new places will keep the reader interested in the world you’ve created.
A great way to keep track of the characters and settings in your story is to create a Pinterest board. I have one for each of my books. It helps to look back at book one’s board while I’m writing book two. You don’t have to make the board public. I only make mine public after a book releases. You can also do your own story board on poster and keep it by your desk if you don’t like doing things on the computer. Anything, to help you visualize your world will work.
Staying organized and jotting down all the important information about your world will help you transition from one book to another in a series. What tips do you have that help you keep organized while writing?
Brenda Drake is a New York Times bestselling author of Thief of Lies (Library Jumpers #1), Guardian of Secrets (Library Jumpers #2), Touching Fate (Fated Series #1), and Cursing Fate (Fated Series #2). She grew up the youngest of three children, an Air Force brat, and the continual new kid at school. She hosts workshops and contests for writers such as Pitch Wars and Pitch Madness on her blog, and holds Twitter pitch parties on the hashtag, #PitMad. When she’s not writing or hanging out with her family, she haunts libraries, bookstores, and coffee shops, or reads someplace quiet and not at all exotic (much to her disappointment).
Find her: Website | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | Goodreads
Now let's take a peek at her pretties!
Guardian of Secrets (Library Jumpers #2)
by Brenda Drake
Release Date: February 7, 2017
Publisher: Entangled Teen
Sure, jumping through books into the world’s most beautiful libraries to protect humans from mystical creatures is awesome. No one knows that better than Gia Kearns, but she could do without the part where people are always trying to kill her. Oh, and the fact that Pop and her had to move away from her friends and life as she knew it.
And if that isn’t enough, her boyfriend, Arik, is acting strangely. Like, maybe she should be calling him “ex,” since he’s so into another girl. But she doesn’t have time to be mad or even jealous, because someone has to save the world from the upcoming apocalypse, and it looks like that’s going to be Gia.
Maybe. If she survives.
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Description: Gia Kearns would rather fight with boys than kiss them. That is, until Arik, a leather
clad hottie in the Boston Athenaeum, suddenly disappears. While examining the book of world libraries he abandoned, Gia unwittingly speaks the key that sucks her and her friends into a photograph and transports them into a Paris library, where Arik and his Sentinels—magical knights charged with protecting humans from the creatures traveling across the gateway books—rescue them from a demonic hound.
Jumping into some of the world's most beautiful libraries would be a dream come true for Gia, if she weren’t busy resisting her heart or dodging an exiled wizard seeking revenge on both the Mystik and human worlds. Add a French flirt obsessed with Arik and a fling with a young wizard, and Gia must choose between her heart and her head, between Arik's world and her own, before both are destroyed.
clad hottie in the Boston Athenaeum, suddenly disappears. While examining the book of world libraries he abandoned, Gia unwittingly speaks the key that sucks her and her friends into a photograph and transports them into a Paris library, where Arik and his Sentinels—magical knights charged with protecting humans from the creatures traveling across the gateway books—rescue them from a demonic hound.
Jumping into some of the world's most beautiful libraries would be a dream come true for Gia, if she weren’t busy resisting her heart or dodging an exiled wizard seeking revenge on both the Mystik and human worlds. Add a French flirt obsessed with Arik and a fling with a young wizard, and Gia must choose between her heart and her head, between Arik's world and her own, before both are destroyed.
Brenda,
Thank you for stopping by to share such great advice with us. Wishing you all the success in the future!
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Share one thing that struck you about what Brenda shared. Please and thank you!
YA in the Alleyway is my meme to give young adult literature the spotlight it deserves. It also gives YA authors the opportunity to share their signature with the world!
Cheat sheets are must when you're writing a series! It's the only want to avoid having to stop and reread the previous book.
ReplyDeleteSheri, you might want to check out my response to your comment on my blog. Hopefully you find it helpful.
Definitely, cheat sheets are a great way to keep info. you'll need in writing the next book. Thanks, Kelly!
DeleteI did hop over and check out your response. Thanks so much!
DeleteCongratulations, Brenda!
ReplyDeleteI never intended on writing sequels, but I still managed to connect all three books in the series and brought them full circle.
Thanks, Alex, and that's great! It's a wonderful challenge. :)
DeleteThat's great you were able to connect them all even though it wasn't originally planned! You just gave me hope. :)
DeleteSome great advice there. Congrats, Brenda!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Donna!
DeleteCongrats, Brenda. I use Pinterest now. I also use detailed character sheets and a timeline. I had to for my 5 book series since they overlapped and moved forward in time - it was a lot to keep track of.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Diane! Pinterest is the best! I love using it.
DeleteYeah, keeping track can also be time consuming. Before I even began writing my middle grade I interviewed the two main characters. It really helped a ton.
DeleteHi Sheri and Brenda - it must be quite an essential task making sure all the threads match - terrible when something is out of kilter. Congratulations on your books - but thanks for these ideas - cheers Hilary
ReplyDeleteThanks for dropping by, Hilary! Always love to hear from you. Keeping track of all those threads can be daunting, as I'm discovering while writing the second book in my middle grade series. Someone must have hit me on the head, while writing book one because I did create a novel bible. lol I only heard of such a thing after I'd done it. Must be from being mom to four kiddos; got to keep track of everything!
DeleteCongrats to Brenda on her new book. I never thought of using Pinterest to keep track of a series. What a great idea!
ReplyDeleteI like the Pinterest idea, too. I have a board for the series, but I never thought to break it up into each book. I think that would help me.
DeleteCongrats to Brenda, these books sound like fun! And as I'm about to jump into book 2 of my own, any and all advice about writing a series is helpful :)
ReplyDeleteOh, I know! I wrote the first 14,000 of book 2 with zero issue and then.... I became bombarded with some many different roads I could take the four remaining books, I started confusing myself as to where I should start building up to the final book (5). I think it's all about just writing it and worrying about the rest later. I'm finally starting to work on it again. What issues are you finding, Marcy?
DeleteCongratulations on both your books, Brenda! I like your advice about reading chapter one of your first book to get back the voice to begin book two.
ReplyDeleteWhen you write a series, it's very important to make sure the character's voice remains the same. Sometimes that can be a challenge when there's a lot of time between the writing of each book in the series. Good tips!
ReplyDeleteBeing organized is essential for me. I haven't written a series, but am working on a couple of sequels, which showed me how important keeping notes are. Congratulations, Brenda. Thanks for the advice.
ReplyDeleteThis sounds like an amazing book and a really cool series. I just finished writing the second book in my series, called The Talking Library- so I am partial to books with libraries. :)
ReplyDeleteWonderful advice, Brenda. I like the idea of creating Pintrest boards. Definitely important to keep all the magic straight. Best of luck!
~Jess