Hey storytellers. 🙂

So you’ve had an idea to write a fiction series…yay!

It’s exciting to begin on a new journey and let your imagination take you where it wants to fly!

However, there is a bit of planning ahead that will help you to understand how to brainstorm and write the series of your heart.

I also took the time to put together a workbook PDF with ideas and tips that will help you to plan your fiction series. Get your FREE PDF: 7 Tips to Brainstorm and Write Your Fiction Series HERE.

Let’s dive into today’s 7 tips to brainstorm and write your fiction series. Click the image below to watch the video on youtube…

Here are 7 Tips to Start Planning Your Fiction Series

These are ideas from what I’ve used myself as I have planned and mapped out my series. I hope you find these ideas helpful as you brainstorm and plan your own fiction series.

 

TIP #1: Learn about the type of series and choose what type you are planning to write.

We talked about this in the previous video — where I go more in depth on 3 different types of fiction series.

What type of series are you planning to write?

Is it a Dynamic series(where each story follows a character/group — and the plot evolves over time)? For example: The Hunger Games or Lord of the Rings

Is it an Episodic series — this is a series of books that are linked by theme/setting/character. e.g. This is like my new women’s fiction series -same world but different protagonist for each book

Or is it a Standalone series — where each book features the same character over all the books? e.g. Jack Reach series by Lee Child.0

I dig deeper into each type of series in my previous video. If you need a bigger explanation, please look back at the First Video — I’ll link to it below.

 

TIP #2: Figure out the theme of your series and each book.

As far as THEME goes: Each book in your series needs a strong sense of them that ties the series together.

Theme is discovered by learning about the wounds, fears and lies that your main character believes. This will mean digging into their background — often their childhood — where you’ll find their wounds and biggest fears.

This is the process I used when I went deeper into the background of my characters in my cowboy clean romance series.

For example:
In my cowboy clean romance series 7 Brides for 7 Brothers — across the series —the theme is redemption, second chances and forgiveness. Each story is set in a small mountain town in Montana. It’s about a family of 7 brothers who were orphans and adopted into a family where the couple couldn’t have children of their own. Each story features a different brother and his second chance with the woman he loved years ago.

So understanding your theme of the series and of each book is important.

Or perhaps you’re writing a thriller or a fantasy/sci- fi where the theme many times the theme is about how characters stand up to evil.

So if your series is focused on one character standing up against evil— this will dive deeper into details like:
1.What will it mean for this character to take action and stand up to evil… what will your character do about the problem?

2.Another twist would be — what if your Main character’s friends won’t stand up against evil with them? What will your character do?

So if you’re using the theme of overcoming evil with good in your series — it will give you lots of ways you can explore that theme.

 

TIP #3: Brainstorm to really understand your series genre.

This is important to understand what you’re writing.

It’s a good idea to read and study other books in the genre you’re writing— to get an idea of what are popular book covers and what readers are enjoying.

For example: I have studied other popular authors in the clean romance genre — so that I have an idea of the book covers readers love.

It’s also important to be consistent with the way you write between each book in the series.

If you have a particular style of writing for Book #1, try to keep that similar for Book #2 in the series.

That being said, in the planning stages — try to keep it simple.

Use your genre to flesh out your ideas for your series.

One important key if you’re writing a dynamic series — try to escalate the conflict and stakes from book to book — this will pull readers into the series and they won’t want to put it down.

TIP #4: Create a blueprint of your characters and their ARCS across the series.

Your character ARC is how your character transforms throughout each book in the series.

That’s if you’re writing a dynamic series — where the same character goes across each book.

Question to ask:

How does your character start the series — and how do they end the series?

Work towards your main character’s change and transformation.

Once you know your series Theme — it will help you work through the details.
At the beginning of your story — your main character will believe the opposite of how they will feel at the end of your series.

At the beginning — when you main character is first introduced — your character will believe the OPPOSITE of how they’ll feel by the time you reach the last book in the series.

Important to understand Your main character’s misbeliefs and wounds — this will really guide your theme.

Think about new problems that will show up once your character learns the lesson.

For example: In book 1 of the Hunger Games trilogy — Katniss Everdeen wouldn’t have wanted to face President Snow.
But by Book 3 she has a new boldness and passion to confront the evil.

Of course the above example refers to books that are a Dynamic series.

The Standalone books series — where there is a different character in each book of the series — each main character will have a character ARC that will be transformative by the end of each book.

TIP #5: Brainstorm your Villain (even if you have more than one villain).

Everything starts with the villain or sometimes called the anatagonist.

Knowing your Villain is KEY to planning your book series.

This will help you plan the PLOT of your book series.

Example: The Hunger Games — there is a uniting thread whether the districts will defeat the capitol.

Your series villain will provide the main conflict that your main characters will have to face.

Your main character will have to face multiple levels of villains before confronting the biggest villain.

In a Dynamic series for example — because each book has the same main character and often a smaller bad guy and one big villain that is becomes more evil throughout the series and then near the end is quite powerful — this type of series will have a new level of evil from book to book.Each book — the villain has a specific goal.

Sometimes the villain makes progress — and sometimes he has to take a few steps back.

There are individual plans that the villain has for each book.

In a stand-alone series, there is also an antagonist or villain — the same guidelines apply — but there won’t be an overarching villain like in the dynamic series.

For example: The Bridgerton series — each book focuses on a different Hero and Heroine and of course a different couple — but there is also a different villain in each book.

So brainstorming the details of your main character and your villain is really important.

 

TIP #6: Start laying out the PLOT of your series — and each individual book.

Each individual book — from Book #1 to the last book in your series — should flow organically.

Brainstorm and write out the specific goal/conflict in each book.

When you work at developing your villain for the series — it also helps to give you insight into the overarching goals of your protagonist.

Use the Building Blocks of: Series Goals/Conflict.

Sometimes your villain will win — sometimes your main character wins — but most of the time the final victory will belong to the main character at the last book in the series.

For example: The Hunger Games — Katniss has small wins. The smaller wins need to be resolved by the end of each book in the series.

But the larger goals — for Katniss — is to defeat President Snow and overthrow the capital.

Smaller goals/conflict need to be resolved book by book.

Be aware that if your series doesn’t escalate the conflict from book to book — readers will lose interest.

So if you have an overarching villain that’s across all the books in your series… somehow they need to get strong and stronger by the time you write the last book — which is the ultimate confrontation.

MAP OUT — where each book could start.

Slot scenes in where they could go — as you start writing that will help you.

Also is you have a bigger story world — like in fantasy or science fiction — make sure the world building stays consistent across each book.
For instance — if you have a different government/ or planet or mystical world where people live — describe those things and keep them consistent throughout each book in the series.

Transformation of both your main character and story world is important. This will tie-in to your theme as you plan your series.

TIP #7: Brainstorm subplot and minor characters.

I’ve noticed that minor characters and the community or world in which the series is set — has a big influence on the main storyline.

Your subplot and minor characters are there to reveal more of your major plot.

I’ve found that truly understanding the subplot and the minor characters — generally referred to as Story B — really helps to give more insight into the Main Story — or Story A.

So really brainstorm and write out these supporting characters and the subplot — it’ll be a big help to you in planning your series.

 

I hope these tips help you as you work on planning your own fiction series.

I’d love to hear what works for you or what you’re struggling with as you plan your series. Please, leave a comment below, I’d love to hear from you. 🙂

Happy Writing!