Writing a Trilogy and a Giveaway

by Stephanie Morrill

Today I'm honored to have Sarah Holman back with us to celebrate the release of her third book, The Destiny of a Galaxy. Here's a little bit of info about Sarah, in case you've missed her previous posts:

Sarah Holman, a homeschool graduate, lives in central Texas.  When not pursuing her passion of writing, she can be found taking long walks, reading, sewing or spending time with her family. You can find out more about her at her blog www.destinyofone.blogspot.com.

Writing a Trilogy: Things I learned

by Sarah Holman

Taking on the challenge of writing a trilogy has certainly been an adventure for me.  When I started writing The Destiny Trilogy in 2007, I didn’t realize the joys and the challenges I would face.  Some things are made easier by trilogies, such as the passage of large amounts of time.  Other things are made harder, like leaving the readers wanting to read the next book without ending on such a cliff-hanger that they hate you.  Here are some hints and tips that I have discovered while writing my trilogy, and I hope you find them useful.

Things change from your original plan.

I wrote all three of my books before I started editing them.  I was glad, because I found I needed to change some things in the first, especially to align facts with the other books.  Most books will deviate some from your plan; in a trilogy the trick is to make sure that all the facts match.

Endings are hard, but not impossible.

When writing a trilogy, or any book series for that matter, you want to leave your readers wanting more.  However, I have found it is better not to leave it at too much of a cliff-hanger.  It tends to make the readers angry.  So where is the balance?  This is where it is key to have relatable characters in my mind.  If your readers love your characters, nothing will keep them away from your next book. So, relay on the strength of your characters to keep your readers coming back.

Building characters over three books is a joy. 

By far, my favorite part of writing a trilogy was being able to develop my characters.  Each book allowed me to delve a little deeper into each character and share something new about them.  Maria, who struggles with what she is going to do with her life in the first book, finds herself having trouble accepting it in the second book.  Quint, who we see only the surface of in the first book is a deep character by the third book.  Unwrapping characters slowly is as fun as opening presents on Christmas!

Passage of large amounts of time are not a problem.

Between books two and three, three years pass.  In a stand-alone book, it is hard to make ‘and three years later’ work well.  However, in my trilogy, I was able to make the transition seamlessly because it happened between books. If you write a trilogy and you need a large about of time to pass, try making sure that time happens between books.

You have to make sure you don’t resolve problems too quickly.

Although your characters can resolve some things, one of the unique challenges of writing a series of books is that you don’t want all problems solved by the end of the first book. Make sure not only that the story goes on, but the hero or heroine’s problems and struggles go on as well.

Now, listen up for the most important thing to remember when writing a trilogy.  Have fun! Enjoy the story.  Keep writing, don’t stop.  This is your story, so let it pour out of you. Enjoying writing your story, and don’t worry about what others will think is vital.  You will do great; trust me.  Now, go pick up that pen and get writing.

Sarah has very generously offered to give away A COMPLETE SET of her series to one lucky commenter. (Due to the realities of pricey international shipping, this giveaway is only open to those who are U.S. residents.)

I've never used Rafflecopter before, but I've seen it on some of y'all's blogs, so I thought I'd give it a whirl. I like how it takes my counting abilities (or lack-there-of) out of the equation.

a Rafflecopter giveaway