In terms of reading, I am a bit different. When it comes to writing, I want to focus on one story or novel idea then move on to something different. Trying to do a series of books for one novel idea is stressful and boring to me.
If I condense it all into a single semi-long novel, then I can feel pleased with myself. I don’t even want to do a duology or trilogy. Just one book then I move onto another book.
Even Red Reign was supposed to have five or nine or ten books, I’m like nah, not interested anymore/don’t wanna. Project Succession was the same way, though three books. I don’t want to give it three, five, nine, or ten books. That is too stressful and time-consuming. I will get bored if I have written that many books for one idea, love or not.
Plotting an entire series stresses me out too. I would rather do a single outline for a single story then move on with my life.
I envy people who have the patience to do a novel series with many books. Terry Pratchett does that with Discworld, but I would rather do that just on a much smaller scale like a collection of some short stories or something within Alagossia. The only way I’d do that with novels is based on my mood and/or the idea itself.
I just wanted to share something that I am discovering little by little about myself. Sometimes, I don’t want to write something with five or more books. I just want to share one story in a single book.
Thoughts and feelings? Do you feel the same or different? Are you working on a standalone or novel series now?
I find most SFF series frustrating because it makes me wait books to see the characters do anything that actually matters. The big world-changing, awesome events are usually towards the end of a series. Till then I’m made to slog through the characters growing up, gaining power, manoeuvring etc. which I really don’t care for. I find it annoying. Not to mention the cliffhangers and lack of conclusions.
I’m aiming to write my fantasy novel as a single tome. But the more I’m writing and developing it, the bigger the scope is becoming and the more it’s shaping up to be multiple books. I’ll have to seriously plan it out.
Sir Pratchett technically wrote standalones. They just happen to fit into the same universe. You could do the same.
That is true. Unless, I really enjoy the story, but even then I just want to move on with something else.We don’t get enough standalones in SFF. It is sad because you can tell epic stories in a single book so long as it is engaging and to the point enough.
Wait, isn’t the Discworld series just different standalones in the same setting?
My problem is that I only intend to write one stand alone book, but then I can’t make my fingers shut up and they just keep typing until I realize it’s way too long and I need another book to finish what I started. I thought Synthetic: Genesis was going to be it, but now I know I’ll need Synthetic: Exodus too. I think that’s all I will really need, but because I know myself, and that I tend to write twice as much as I think I’ll need, I’ve allowed for Synthetic: Revelations to be the third book when I inevitably end up needing it. I hope I won’t need more than a solid trilogy but… We will see.
I feel the same way too. I prefer reading and writing standalones, but I really need to start making money with my writing. Everything I’m hearing is that self-published writers tend to do better with a popular series than with a popular standalone. People might be willing to check out one viral book they hear about on TikTok, but they’re not coming back for anything else you write if the next standalone doesn’t go viral too. But one successful book in a series will often sell readers on the next one without much promotion because they want to know how the series ends.
So I gave myself an out. I created this world based on very fluid Earth history, so the next book can be the same characters in a steampunk wild west or in ancient China or pretty much anywhere. Nothing will seem out of place since every time period in real life is possible in this fictional world. Likewise, I can create totally alien worlds there too and put everyone under the sea or on the moon…whatever. ¯\_(ﭢ)_/¯
LOL! That is interesting! So, you would rather like a standalone, but your fingers get hyperfocused to the point there is a need for another book-- a series.
Yup, I think traditional publishers actually prefer standalones to series fiction, but realistically there’s just no way I’m ever going to get a literary agent or a big five publisher. So self-publishing it is! (♯^.^ღ)
I might sound like a hypocrite when I say this but I believe I can only pull off doing a novel series, if I don’t edit and revise the first book. I move on to the second book when I finish treating it like the first book, do not edit and revise!
If I edit and revise, that takes me out of the story and bore me! Does that mean I will edit and revise the whole series, once it’s done? Probably not, just come back to it months or years from now if I do.
I wouldn’t call that hypocrisy, and it’s not unexpected. Every pantser I know has that same attitude that once they know how the story ends, they lose interest in it and don’t want to read it ever again.
But to me the very best books are the ones we read over and over even though we know the ending by heart, because we still get something new from it every time we read it. The goal is to write a book that always has something new to say. If your book bores you, it’s going to bore everyone else too. Maybe it needs more layers. More subplots…? ¯\_(ﭢ)_/¯
It depends solely if I am writing strictly as a hobby or planning to publish at all in the future.
Right now, I am just writing. I hate editing and revising and I just want to keep writing without any hindrances because I need to dump the ideas down in story format.
It’s not boredom, it’s just that I dislike/hate editing and revising–which will make me bored.
If you are just writing as a hobby and don’t intend to publish then there’s nothing wrong with that. There’s no reason to edit and revise unless you enjoy it too, because you are only writing for the enjoyment. If it’s not fun there’s no point in doing it if you are only doing it to have fun.
I honestly hate editing and revising. I think what messed me up was that I had to stop, take a break, then edit and revise Project Succession after letting it simmer for a bit. I think I would’ve been better off if I just went on to the second book regardless if nothing made sense. That is what zero drafts and first drafts are for, to not make sense and only dump your thoughts into story format.
At the time I wanted to publish, but mentally I was never there yet and stressed out! Now, I just want to write and care less about publishing–if something changes then I’ll have a few novels under my belt.
LHSB was supposed to be one book and it’s a duology now. Alive At Dawn was going to be one book and then it got a sequel. I usually don’t intend on writing a series. Between Roses was supposed to be a standalone, and then I got this idea of having complementary novels and make it like a standalone collection.
BUT I prefer to read standalones because I like that a single book with intricate plot and wonderful characters can be like a nice little package.
But, for middle grade books, I don’t mind a series. In fact, I welcome them.
