Wednesday, October 5, 2022

All Those Moving Parts

 


by Mindy Obenhaus

I just turned in the proposal for book four in my current series, Hope Crossing, and let me tell you, there were a lot of things I had to keep track of. The hero, the heroine, a K-9 companion, two grandmas, previous/secondary characters, and a partridge in a pear tree. Okay, maybe not that last one, but it is a Christmas book, so you never know.

Yes, there are a lot of moving parts to every story. Those details you need to keep track of so that your heroine doesn’t start out with blond hair and blue eyes and then have brown hair and brown eyes by the end of the story. But when you’re doing a series, it’s not just about those characters. You have to consider all the ones who came before them. And, if the current characters have been in other books prior, you need to stay consistent with not only their physical appearance, but what the reader already knows about them.

Here are a few things you need to mindful of when writing a series –

Backstory – It goes without saying that you need to know the backstory of the person/persons your story is about, but what about secondary characters, particularly those who might have been in a previous book? How are secondary characters connected to the main characters? What’s happened to them since the last time the reader saw them in another book? Have they married or had a baby? None of these need to be lengthy, just snippets so the reader understands the relationship to the main characters and either satisfy the reader’s curiosity if they’ve read the previous books (readers want to know what's happened with those characters they've connected with) or make them curious enough that they want to go back and read about the other characters.

Timing – How much time has passed between the ending of the previous story and the opening of the current story? Not between release dates, but the stories themselves. Does the current book pick up where the last one left off or is it months later? This also plays into the ages of the characters, as well as seasons and changes in the lives of previous characters.


People – Whether they are main characters or secondary characters, keep the physical appearance consistent, unless there’s a specific reason for a change. What role do they play in the main character’s life? What’s their connection? Or, if they’re a secondary character who’s going to have their own story later, what can you hint at? The heroine in the proposal I just sent off has a cameo in my upcoming Christmas book. I was able to create a connection between her and the heroine in my upcoming release that I was then able to use in my current WIP.

Setting –Are there any landmarks, businesses or other places people frequent? Make sure your descriptions of them are consistent, though they can be tweaked based on a character’s perception. How does the landscape change with the seasons? If there’s a flood in one story, don’t have a drought in the next unless there’s been a reasonable passage of time.

Book series are a great way to build readership. If they like one, they’re apt to pick up the next. If they read one out of order, they may decide to start at the beginning so they can fit all the pieces together. However, there are a lot of moving parts that the author has to keep track of. Some use spreadsheets while others use a document or even a notebook. And then there are those who find themselves pulling up previous manuscripts to check their facts (raising hand but contemplating a spreadsheet 😉). Whatever works for best you.

Readers, have you ever read a series that had inconsistencies? Writers, how do you keep facts straight on your stories? Leave a comment for an opportunity to win a signed copy of my latest release, The Cowgirl’s Redemption OR a copy of Her Holiday Lawman a 2-in-1 rerelease with Ruthy’s The Lawman’s Yuletide Baby and my The Deputy’s Holiday Family. US mailing addresses only, please.


Award-winning author Mindy Obenhaus is passionate about touching readers with Biblical truths in an entertaining, and sometimes adventurous, manner. She lives on a ranch in Texas with her husband, two sassy pups, countless cattle, deer and the occasional coyote, mountain lion or snake. When she's not writing, she enjoys spending time with her grandchildren, cooking and watching copious amounts of the Hallmark Channel. Learn more at www.MindyObenhaus.com

15 comments:

  1. Yes, names of characters, eye colors,things that are inconsistent with the time period. Errors happen :)

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  2. Good morning, Mindy. There's going to be book 4 in the Hope Crossing series? Yay! I bought #1, can't wait for #2, now 3 and 4! Yes, I've read inconsistencies in books. I'm a Beta Reader for an author and have caught things like that for her. If it were me, I would have to have a good tracking system to keep things straight. My brain is always full of "stuff." The spreadsheet sounds like the best idea to me. Happy writing!

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    1. Karen, I hear you on have a brain full of stuff. It's bad enough to keep up with our family. Throw in a bunch of characters and eesh!

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  3. Hi, Mindy! Great post! When I was reading all the how to write books in my public library, I condensed all the important information into worksheet form. For each story I write, I start with a workbook that I make that includes character development worksheets, story arc worksheets, timeline worksheets, scene development worksheets and so forth. They are kind of the rough draft that comes before the first draft. And always there to refer to if I forget where I was going. That's how I keep track of all the moving parts.

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    1. What great ideas, Terri. Thanks for sharing them. Are these done on the computer or old fashioned notebook style?

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    2. Both.The worksheets are on the computer, but my process is to use them as prompts to write with pen and paper to find the story, then go back and jot down the main points on the printed worksheets so that they are easily accessible. It's a fairly labor intensive, synergistic process, but it works for me. And since I work out the kinks early on, revisions are mostly a matter of polishing and plussing. Lol! My process may have been influenced by watching too many special features on Pixar's method of story development.

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    3. Terri, if there's one thing I've learned in all my years of writing, it's that no two people have the same process. The key is discovering what works best for you and stick with it. That doesn't mean you won't change, add to or delete things from your process, though, because we are constantly learning and changing.

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  4. Hi Mindy! I really enjoyed The Cowgirl's Redemption and am excited there are 3 more in the series. I've read books with inconsistencies. One had the heroine's daughter's name wrong. That one stuck with me haha. I can see how hard it would be to keep up with all the moving parts. I'm all things computer challenged and prefer paper files to keep things straight but in todays world, a spreadsheet would most likely be the way I should go.

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    1. Pat, I'm so glad you enjoyed The Cowgirl's Redemption. Yes, three more for sure, maybe a couple more after that, but time will tell.
      Oh, no! The heroine's daughter's name? I'm sure that was one of those things slipped through somehow. Sometimes character names get changed and if the computer doesn't change them all like we tell it to, then it's up to an editor's/proofreader's eye and even we humans make mistakes. ;-)

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  5. I try to keep lots of notes. I catch a lot of mistakes in my own writing, so I'm sure there's even more that I'm missing!

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    1. AA, sticky notes are some of the greatest things ever. ;-)

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  6. You able to create a connection between her and the heroine in your upcoming release that is really amazing. Thanks for sharing this blog. Now it's time to avail HALFCASTE CREAM SET for more information.

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  7. I'm an avid reader who enjoys series but I sometimes find myself going back to check about one of the secondary characters who's suddenly become the major character. I admire all of you writers who are able to connect these stories. I'm in the mood for Christmas stories so I would choose Her Holiday Lawman if I was lucky enough to win. Thanks for your great post today.

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    1. Connie, we always enjoy hearing a reader's perspective. And I'm with you on the Christmas stories. Matter of fact, I just finished reading one myself. It's never too early.

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