 | 20 Oct 08 |
Have you ever watched a television show for a while, then caught the pilot episode in a rerun? Usually, the characters look younger, they almost always dress a little differently, talk a little differently, have a different attitude. You might see original characters who have since been replaced with newer ones who fit in better with the show’s expanding awareness of itself. Later season episodes are more likely to have plots that focus less on the external and more on the internal, because both the writers and the actors have a better understanding of who the characters actually are. Sometimes the changes are dramatic, with overhauls that affect the show’s dynamic in a way that either brings in more viewers or turns them away.
Last week, I worked on the copy edits for the first book in my upcoming urban fantasy series. The first three books are presently scheduled to release consecutively and so I had to write them consecutively. I figured it would be great for continuity. Plot-wise, I found that to be true. It was much easier to carry a three-book story arc when the three books were written together. Character-wise, though, reading through the first book’s copy edits was like watching a pilot episode.
In the fantasy genre, there have been only a few consecutive release series (Keri Arthur’s Riley Jensen series and Naomi Novik’s Temeraire series come to mind) featuring the continuing story of one or two main protagonists. (In the romance genre, there are far more consecutive release series, but they usually feature a new couple in each book.) I’ve never written a story of this scope before, so I wasn’t prepared for what I’m calling the “pilot episode” effect: re-reading EVE OF DARKNESS and seeing that the characters were really in their infant stages and not yet comfortable in their own skins. Part of that is the way I set up the series. I didn’t want to start with the heroine already established in her surreal life. I wanted to start from the very beginning. I wanted to take the journey she takes, from a “normal” woman to one who is dropped into hot water, then told she has to learn where the edges are and how to swim to them.
The rest of the pilot episode effect comes from the simple mechanics of storytelling. The more story you tell, the more you learn about the characters living within that story. At least I’ve found that to be true in this case, and I expect that will be true with another series of mine that launches next year — a romance between one couple that will span three books. Every obstacle the characters face and overcome reveals more about them, enabling me to see facets that weren’t explored originally, because the facet didn’t exist until the conflict appeared. I find that absolutely fascinating.
So how about you? If you’re a writer, do you ever think about revisiting former characters in a substantial way? Many readers say they love connected books because they enjoy seeing characters make cameos and giving you a glimpse of their continuing lives. Do you feel that way as a reader, too?
© 2008 – 2009 Sylvia Day. All rights reserved.
Sylvia Day is the national bestselling, award-winning author of seventeen novels. A wife and mother of two, she is a former Russian linguist for the U.S. Army Military Intelligence. In addition to her novels, she’s written numerous novellas and short stories for both print and electronic-original release. Sylvia’s work has been called “wonderful and passionate” by WNBC.com and “wickedly entertaining” by Booklist. Her stories have been translated into Russian, Japanese, Portuguese, German, Czech, and Thai. She’s been honored with the Romantic Times Reviewers' Choice Award, the EPPIE award, the National Readers' Choice Award, and multiple finalist nominations for Romance Writers of America’s prestigious RITA® Award of Excellence.
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I love series books because I love the characters. (Basic assumption, of course, is that I love them enough in the first book to want to follow them along). My shelves and e-reader are packed with series books.
As a writer, I’ve done both connected books and a true sequel, where the h/h from the first book continued as h/h of the next.
by Terry Odell October 20th, 2008 at 6:53 amI loved the analogy of the pilot episode, SJ – I recently caught an early Seinfeld (still sidesplittingly funny) and noticed a few things about the characters that were so *off* from the people they ultimately evolved into. It was like the germ of who they would become was there, but it hadn’t really blossomed yet.
I just finished writing a book that will feature a character first introduced 6 books ago in the Bullet Catcher series, and who has been in every single book so far. (Dan Gallagher, HUNT HER DOWN, summer 2009.) In the early stages of the book, I had to go back and read all his scenes in earlier books to be sure I wasn’t changing him *too* much, because it’s quite different to go from “cameo” to “hero.”
For me, it’s very easy to pop a secondary character on the page and make them burst to life with one or two great lines/actions, but it can be really daunting to keep them consistent when they have to carry the whole book.
Great topic!
by Roxanne St. Claire October 20th, 2008 at 7:56 amFinding a beloved character in an ajoining book or series of books, is like a hometown weekend where you get to reconnect with friends and family you love. Come up to speed and find out if you still have that fit, that connection. A writer creates, developes, and writes the characters that we fall in love with; coming up to speed on them in the future is like a gift from the writers. Although once or twice it has been the death knell of a love affair with a writer who fails both character and reader.
Still I prefer the chance to remain in love with those characters and find out what happened in their futures.
by Cele October 20th, 2008 at 8:52 amYep. I would like to have written the stories of my heroine’s brothers in THE SEX ON THE BEACH BOOK CLUB, and the story of the hero’s friend.
As a reader, I really enjoy connected book series!
As a writer, Rocki hit it on the head–secondary characters can be quirky and fun in that role, but fleshing them out into a leading role can be overwhelming!
by Jen Apodaca October 20th, 2008 at 9:24 amLove the analogy, Syl–perfect description. While writing this third book in the series, I had to go back and double-check some information in the first book (one of those “did that make it into the book or was that cut for later?” questions). I felt this sort of beloved bemusement at the characters and how they thought about their lives, because their lives were about to get so much more difficult and complex, and there was this innocence there that I loved. It’s funny to see how they’ve changed and why, and it’s one of those things that makes it so much fun to be writing a series.
Thanks for reminding me of this, it made me smile.
by toni mcgee causey October 20th, 2008 at 10:46 amI recently saw an old episode of “Will and Grace” and almost didn’t recognize Karen. She didn’t have that whining, nasally voice. I guess she was a very secondary character initially and her role was developed as the show went on.
I love connected series and seeing early characters reappear in later books, even if just for a bit so we can see what’s happened.
Going from “cameo to hero” is a great concept to remember.
by Marilyn AKA Playground Monitor October 20th, 2008 at 10:48 amAs a reader I love series. I’m always so sad to say good bye to characters at the end of a book, so if they make a cameo in the next book I can be satisfied that they are still happy.
by Amanda October 20th, 2008 at 11:44 amSyl, you’re so right. I do a Colby Agency series for Harlequin Intrigue and book #31 came out this past July. It amazes me when I look back at the first book and how different the staple characters are. I do think readers love revisiting beloved characters. I know your urban fastasy trilogy will rock!!!!! My characters evolved over eight years, I can definitely see that the task would be far more daunting in some ways for close releases such as a trilogy.
by Debra Webb October 20th, 2008 at 12:33 pmI really enjoy a series. I love getting to know the characters and do sometimes wish I could go back and add in or write them a little different, so what I have done in the Blood Sword Legacy series is to keep my supporting characters vague so that when they get their story I can breath full life into them. in my current wip MASTER OF CRAVING I have two main characters from MASTER OF TORMENT who keep trying to steal the limelight!
by Karin Tabke October 20th, 2008 at 2:44 pmI’m sorry I’m lagging!! Busy day so far.
Terry — You’re so right about connecting with the character in the first book.
Rocki — I LOVE that title – HUNT HER DOWN!!
Cele — I love seeing characters again. There’s a book that overall I didn’t like, but there was a cameo from a beloved hero that I loved reading.
Jen — I hope you get to write those stories someday!!
Toni – “Innocence” is a great word for it, and I totally agree about the fun of writing a series. Tagging along with certain characters for the long haul is a very different experience and one I’m enjoying immensely!
Marilyn — I really thought that was Megan Mullally’s voice until I saw her in a movie and heard her speak normally. *g*
Amanda — I know that feeling. There are some books that I could have read forever, I loved the characters so much.
Debra – I envy you the 8 years you’ve spent with your characters and admire the skill required to grow them over that length of time! Thank you for the vote of confidence for my new series. I’ve got my *fingers crossed* readers find a connection with the characters, because I really love working with them.
by S.J. Day October 20th, 2008 at 3:32 pmGood question. Actually my first two books share characters. In book 2 the Hero and heroine make a cameo appearance. They are married and have a baby, like an epilogue for book one.
by Mary Marvella October 20th, 2008 at 5:38 pmThe hero of book 2 makes an appearance in book one.
I’m hoping when DEAD PEOPLE sells that I’ll use the heroine’s best friend, a ghost killed in the 1950s, as the hero of the next book. But I’m not writing the book until the first is sold.
I enjoy connected books. I read Karin Tabke’s hot cop books and really like the sense of brotherhood. The same with her hot knight books! I like historical romances, and a lot of the writers have connected books. Maybe most of them. They do it because it works.
by Edie October 20th, 2008 at 6:11 pmHey Syl,
I’ve had characters that begged for their own stories, and I have yet to give in for that. I WANT to though. I have one character that I swear is going to get a book. Even if I have to publish it myself.
by Natalie October 20th, 2008 at 6:13 pmSeries are great. So often I read a book and fall in love with one of the characters and wish like everything that there would be a follow-up story to let me meet the character again. And, in cases where I do, it is like meeting up again with a friend.
by GladysMP October 21st, 2008 at 8:37 amKarin – limelight stealers can be such fun!
Mary — I love to see continuations such as you describe; the mini-epilogues in later books that keep readers connected to the characters they’ve grown to love.
Edie – a ghost hero! I love it already.
I have been prompted to make a series out of one-off books at the editor’s behest. Those are difficult to do.
Natalie — I’ve had characters like that. I’ve also had characters whose stories I want to write and they insist they’re not ready for their own book.
Stubborn.
Gladys — I know exactly what you mean!! That’s story magic! Those books/characters become my keepers because I can’t bear to part with them.
by S.J. Day October 21st, 2008 at 10:39 am