Writing A Series

@godlyfantasy12 Ah yes if you haven’t heard of my biggest project it’s a series that consists of thirteen series- I’m halfway through series number four so I think I’ve got a pretty good handle on things, as of now. Most of it is a mess but, y’know…

So if you watch anime, like I do, there are these things called “seasons” and “arcs”. Season one, season two, arc one, arc two…each of them represent what one book is in a series. Each of them should have their own main conflict which they are trying to solve and an overarching storyline that gets resolved at the end, or somewhat resolved. Each one should contribute to the overarching storyline as well.

So, for example, for the plot of one of my webnovels, it looks something like this:

Arc (volume) one: The original time loop. All the characters are newly introduced with their original alignments/powers. Should setup the background for the previous timeloops and the ones to come. Dema is the main villain, Luona and the others try to apprehend him.

Arc two: Second loop, or reset. Everyone’s powers are different. The plot of the first arc should play out, but in a different direction due to the different powers.

Arc 3: Same as the previous ones, except everyone’s alignments are switched. The plot should be radically different now.

Arc 4: The characters’ powers are switched for this loop. Thus leading to difference in plot.

Arc 5: The characters finally realise what they need to do in order to break the loop, and try hard to do so.

Okay, so that might not be very clear, due to the nature of the time loop. Let me try a couple more.

From a random trilogy of mine:

Book One: Avox and Avon have to deal with Rainan’s attack on the Void. Avon goes to hunt him down, whereas Avox stays back and tries to figure out how to defeat him.

Book Two: Rainan’s past and backstory, all of which is leading up to book one.

Book Three: Avox, Avon, and the others work together to defeat Rainan.

Uhhhh that was for a trilogy, here is a basic outline for the first series I wrote which I’m currently revamping:

Book 1: Kindle finds out she’s a special type of Magic User, seeks to find her friends and family, a special island, and some other supplies while fighting with Aria.

Book 2: Request and Fortune are the main villains of this book, as Oliver, Laurence, and the others try to go on tour as cover to find the rest of the magical items they need.

Book 3: These Magic Users are faced with a gang which, coincidentally, one of their members is part of.

Book 4: Kindle has lost her memory and disappeared. Ishmael is the newest villain that is brought up by the one behind it all.

Book 5: Final arc in which the Magic Users try to defeat the main villain.

So essentially, each book should be a book in its own, with a conflict and your typical plot points, and each installment should contribute in some way to the whole story arc. You should be able to write a synopsis for your series itself.

Hope this helps anyone who needs it…

@godlyfantasy12

Girl, I feel you!! I could talk about my WIP for literal hours (if not days)! And yeah, I’ve already spoiled some of it on the plot twists forum… so sorry about that lol

That’s a good idea about printing out character arcs! I may copy you and do that myself! 🙂

@issawriter7

Ooooh, Into the Lamp has a sequel in progress? EEEEK! That’s neat! By the way, I’m so sorry I haven’t gotten back with you about reading it! I’m a suuuuper slow reader sometimes, so it takes me longer than most people. It has nothing to do with the story, though–the story is ah-may-zhing!! Just wanted to throw that out there lol

And yeah, I feel for you on that struggle! I’m sort of going through the same thing right now… That makes total sense!

@godlyfantasy12 Well, this is such a great topic that you’ve done it twice! A few months ago, you started the topic “Writing a Series,” which can be found here: https://kingdompen.org/forums/topic/writing-a-series/

There’s some great series-writing advice on there too!

Anyway, y’all know I’m on book 3 in a six-novel series, so if anyone has any questions, I’d be happy to help!

@godlyfantasy12

Ooh, what a fun topic!

Obviously right now I’m working on two companion novels, The Apostle’s Sister and The Anointed. There’s actually a third book about Paul I want to write someday. I’ve never told anyone about it and this seems like a good place, so here’s the gist:

Since TAS closes at the beginning of Paul’s 2-year first imprisonment in Rome (Acts 28:30), I would like to write a novel exploring his last years following that first imprisonment and Caesar Nero’s uncharacteristic acquittal. After that acquittal, Paul was a free man for about two years until the Great Fire of Rome.

It was Caesar Nero himself who burned Rome in order to build himself a bigger and better palace. He even played the fiddle, gleefully, as the city burned and the ashes settled in suffering. Everyone knew what Nero did. Everyone knew it was he who burned Rome. But once the excitement passed and Nero realized what would happen to him if he were accused, he found a perfect scapegoat in Paul. Both Jews and Gentiles hated Paul, and the Jews had a perfect plan to get him executed for good. They worked with Nero’s wife to bring that about, and Nero pronounced his accusation: Paul had set fire to the city of Rome.

Paul was immediately put back into his familiar chains and forced to return to Rome, where Nero left him in the darkest, dirtiest, gloomiest dungeon. There he was sentenced to spend the remainder of his days until his second trial before the evil emperor. The trial, obviously, was very unfair. Everyone, certainly including Nero himself, knew that Paul was innocent. But Nero had to blame somebody. He ordered Paul be taken back to the dungeon, there to stay until the soldiers slashed off his head.

At a Roman trial a person was allowed to bring along a friend who would plead for their acquittal. Not one of the Christians of Rome came with Paul to stand before Nero. Not even Luke came. All his friends abandoned him, including a young man named Demas. (2 Timothy 4:16)

Demas was converted by Paul during the first Roman imprisonment of two years. He was a very close friend of Paul’s, and for many years served as his faithful companion. (Colossians 4:14, Philemon 24) But in the end, Demas became just like the others and “went to Thessalonica, being in love with this present world.” (2 Timothy 4:10)

I’ve always found Demas fascinating. I feel like he was kind of Paul’s Judas. It’s really easy to hate someone like Demas. I know I certainly did hate him the first time I read about him. How could he abandon Paul as he stood pleading for his life? How could he abandon a man who had been nothing but his friend, who had treated him with nothing but kindness?

But then as I thought about it, I began feeling sorry for Demas instead of hating him. In the end, it was his loss. Paul was executed, yes, but he was executed knowing he belonged to Jesus. Demas went safely back to Thessalonica, but lost his best friend and lost Christ in one fell swoop. I started to wonder how Demas must have felt when he learned of Paul’s fate. Did he feel guilty? If so, I feel sorry for him. I couldn’t imagine the guilt, knowing you rejected someone who did nothing wrong but love you, and let them die without knowing you really did care.

Anyway, I started thinking a lot about Demas and wondering what led him to reject Paul, and how he felt afterwards. Maybe he didn’t leave Paul just out of fear of being imprisoned and executed, too. Maybe he left because he felt unworthy of Paul’s love and friendship. Maybe he felt he was too great of a sinner, and Paul was too good to condescend to be around someone like him. So he ran from his friend’s love.

I would really like to explore this in an entire novel – a novel from Demas’ perspective, telling his side of the story of why he left Paul.

I’m so sorry this response turned out so lengthy, I commend you if you made it here 😂