March 30 – The final Saturday panel, Keeping a Series Alive, included panelists Janice MacDonald (moderator), Anne Cleeland, Mary Jane Maffini, Jeffrey Siger, and Marty Wingate. The panel answered questions about knowing whether they had a series on their hands, reading their books in order, how to age their characters, rereading their previous books before beginning the next book, fighting for their series,working with editors, and writing more than one series. Any errors are strictly on me, due to faulty notetaking and/or memory.
Janice
- Did not plan to write a series until she realized she liked the character
- Editor and writer have to be a good match
- Husband (professional editor) edits her books
- Readers understand the mystery “formula”
Anne
- Was trying to write historical romance but had first three books done in a mystery series
- Does have spoilers so reader will enjoy the series more if they have read the earlier books (she writes a complicated story)
- One question you must answer is whether you cater to the new reader or to the old familiar reader, can be quite a dilemma
- A series is a continuing story, so characters have to age some
- She is a seat-of-the-pants writer
- Doesn’t talk about age or race or anything similar
- Checks her notebook full of loose ends, likes to pick up the next loose end and include it in the next novel
- Last six books are self-published
- Her characters are two detectives who get married, there is no character arc
- Threw together a lot of tropes
- Writes for herself (self-publisher), but she still likes it
- Started writing a new series when the series she was working on didn’t sell that well
- Likes a complicated story, readers are smart
Mary Jane
- Was a librarian first, knew that mysteries were 95 percent series
- When you plan and write a series, will spend more time with your character than your significant other
- Can begin with any book but better to begin with first book, never reveals whodunit in earlier books,
- People have to age, they become more interesting
- When writing the next book, she just jumps in
- Have to do homework, though, because readers will let you know
- Publishers changed hands and sometimes you’re not sure what the new publisher is going to do
- Has only had two editors, both really liked the characters but maybe didn’t know the characters as well as she does
- Would be horrible to have an editor who didn’t care about the characters
- Will wrap up a series when she no longer cares or knows what happens to characters, but she’s not there yet
- Thought one series wouldn’t sell, but it did, but by then she was writing a second series
- Writes about justice and setting the world right
- Likes to read women amateur sleuths, they reassure us
Jeffrey
- First book was meant to be a standalone, but popularity launched a series
- Can read books in any order, but better to begin with the first book
- Tries to have everything a reader needs in any series book
- You try to tell a story through the characters, characters progress and grow but he has had to slow down the aging process
- Before he goes on tour, reads the book again
- Writes a book without a contract, if editor (published by Poisoned Pen Press) likes it the book gets published, so far it has worked out
- Has no reason to wrap up series, still lots to explore
- Protagonist is a Greek, which works for his series
- His motivation is money, fame, and chocolate
- Writes mysteries because mystery is the basic way to restore order to a fractured society
Marty
- Knew she had a series because she had three books finished by the time she got her first book deal
- Likes to read a series with a story arc for the characters as well as a story arc for each book
- Tries to write so you can pick up any book in the series
- Makes sure there are no spoilers for the murder
- Doesn’t want to confuse the readers, makes sure a new reader is not confused and an old reader is not bored
- Realizes time is passing but within that character’s world
- References different seasons to handle aging but doesn’t put a year into any story
- She writes three series, so must remind herself of certain things
- Makes sure she is looking at the last manuscript version she turned in
- It’s nice to like your characters
- First two books are digital only, sometimes difficult for a new publisher to pick something up mid-series
- Has fabulous editors
- The editor who will get the best out of me will read it, go on and on about how good it is, but here are just a few things you might want to work on
- Still has plenty of ideas so no plans to wrap up
- Sometimes an agent will ask if you would be interested in writing a new series