I’ve been asked more than a few times, how do I write a trilogy? Usually by other authors keen to attempt a trilogy themselves but either lacking the will, the material, or in one case, the courage should they fail halfway through and would have wasted so much time.
I can’t explain the rules, or give you the rights and wrongs of how to write a trilogy but I can tell you what worked for me.
Like a lot of authors I’m a plottor. I like to know where the story is going before I begin. Before I put pen to paper, or fingers to keys, I know the ending. I know the main thread and arc of the journey, and the order of each event and which characters are involved. This also works well when weaving an intricate plot twist.
That doesn’t mean to say that I don’t let my characters take the reins now and again. For instance, in my third book – Ethea – my protagonist asked her partner to marry her. That came out of the blue and took me by surprise. And I spent the next couple of days thinking of the answer. Some events might also change or a thread could subtly alter to encourage foreshadowing but the overall story stays the same.
This is the same method I use to write trilogies. I already know how the third book ends before beginning to write the first. The only difference, apart from the length of a novel, is that each book in the series needs its own arc and ending. Otherwise the reader won’t feel satisfied if the first two books have no conclusion.
But like I said earlier, there’s no right or wrong way. I just know what works for me. And I’m using the same method while writing the 2nd book of my 2nd trilogy. The same can be said for my 3rd trilogy which I plan to write next year. And you’ve guessed it – I already know the ending for the final book in my trilogy of trilogies.
The most important thing is to try. If you don’t, you’ll never know if you can succeed. And if your writing falls short, you can always turn your materiel into a stand alone.
I hoped that helped. And good luck.
Subsequently, Eversong, the 1st book in my trilogy is currently free to download from amazon: mybook.to/Eversong
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Thank you for making your first book free! I’ve got myself a copy. Had to go hunting for it, you didn’t provide a link — speaking of which, are you aware of booklinker.net? It allows you to create a single link that directs folks to your book on their local Amazon store.
For instance, the booklinker link to my own book (it’s the first in a trilogy of one) is here — but don’t buy it yet, because it will be available for free on Towel Day (this coming Monday, 25May2020).
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Thank you Pendantry. I do have a link, I just forgot to put it in – I’m a little rusty with this blog.
I’ll make a note to check your site on Monday for the link to your book.
All the best
Adrian
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