The Power of a Good Trilogy
My earliest novels, which, incidentally, didn't make it to print, became a trilogy almost as an afterthought; by choosing to follow several generations of a large family, I was about a third of the way into my tale when it dawned on me that I had far too much material for one book. So, I wrote the main character's story over three. Giving myself c. 300 000 words was liberating, and allowed me to really develop my themes.
To my mind, penning a trilogy requires a different mindset to writing stand alone novels – although not by much. Issues I need to resolve upfront always include –
- Will the overall story lend itself to being told in three parts – are there natural breaks in the action and/or places where it could leap forward without detracting from the overall plot? In my first two trilogies – Woodicombe House and On the Home Front – the action followed a simple linear timeline. By contrast, in The Sister's War, each book started with the same incident, each story told from a different point of view. In places, the stories meet and interconnect, the characters experiencing a common event from their own perspective. For that series, the planning was more complex and, I imagine, more akin to plotting a crime novel or mystery.
- Will the overall plot allow for the development (and resolution) of a common theme across three books? Each novel will have its own story arc but must still mesh comfortably with the overarching premise for the whole.
- Will I be able to maintain pacing across a trilogy or might one book end up feeling like a filler? Each book needs a proper start, middle and end; the final instalment also needs to conclude the trilogy as a whole.
If I can resolve these issues, then I will work up the overall synopsis and submit it to my agent for her thoughts. Some ideas just don't make it. Thankfully, others do.
Happily, I also love writing a series. Yes, there are downsides as well as advantages:
- Not all my readers will discover the series in the right order – and that's why my publisher insists each book can be enjoyed as a stand alone read. To achieve that requires an element of repetition – ensuring the key facts are apparent to someone who hasn't read the earlier books – the skill lying in reintroducing facts in a way that doesn't alienate someone already familiar with the plot so far. There's a fine line, and success can be difficult to pull off.
- As a writer, I have to remember to leave the appropriate breadcrumbs through the first books so that I can hold off revealing some information, or resolving some issues, until the end of the trilogy. It requires a good bit of forethought.
- The length of the traditional publishing cycle means there is likely to be a considerable gap between one book appearing on the shelves and the next. My story has to be sufficiently compelling that the reader will (a) upon seeing a subsequent release, remember they've read part 1 and want to read part 2 and (b) what actually happened in those earlier books. One reader contacted me to say she loves the fact that by the time another instalment is published, she's forgotten the previous plot and has the joy of discovering it all over again. Messages like those help me to remember why I write!
- Author stamina. Seriously, given that 80% of writing a book lies in the editing, I need to be sure I like the characters enough at the outset not to get fed up with them and their dilemmas. Growing tired of them would doubtless show in my writing.
But I find writing trilogies brings advantages, too: I don't have to invent a whole new world for each book; I get to know each character in detail – and so do my readers; I can develop and resolve themes across more than just 90 000 words. Most of all, though, there can be little more satisfying than having a reader contact you, desperate to know when the next book is being published. One even told me to 'hurry up' because she simply couldn't wait.
And that, I think, demonstrates far better than I can the power of a good trilogy.
Rosie
