Serials

just a thought

My thought is they still need a good beginning, just as they still need conflict and resolution.


Only a thought, however.

I think they do need a strong opening, or at least an interesting opening. I always (mentally at least) walk away from the last episode, and then walk back to the next episode so that it sounds like I've approached it from a new angle, even if I necessarily haven't. (Does that even make sense? I know what I meant...)

I wish there was a still a solidly feasible way to put out a serial. I would be all over it like PA on bacon.

My following thoughts come from a reader's perspective, not an author's.

Without becoming too complicated, I think it depends on the END of the previous book. The first book, I think anyone will agree, must standalone and therefore shouldn't have any cliffhangers. The beginning of the second book should still be engaging, but I think it would be okay if the main story isn't immediate. After all, hypothetically the audience will already know your characters. Many serialized books I've read spend the first chapter exposing what happened in the last in a clean way (Harry Potter does this; Stephanie Plums usually relay pertinent character info/relationships; even the Babysitter Club books I read when younger did this, too). Still, while fans of the first book will give you the benefit of the doubt with your beginning, it's probably better to start as quickly as possibe.

The cliffhanger type I enjoy are the ones that come after the rest of the story is tied together. TV director J.J. Abrams (Alias, Lost) is pretty infamous for doing this. His Alias season finales always wrap up the main story arc, but in the last 2 minutes something always happens to set up the next season. It gives me a hint on the plot for next season/book and I love it.

katiemac said:

The cliffhanger type I enjoy are the ones that come after the rest of the story is tied together. TV director J.J. Abrams (Alias, Lost) is pretty infamous for doing this. His Alias season finales always wrap up the main story arc, but in the last 2 minutes something always happens to set up the next season. It gives me a hint on the plot for next season/book and I love it.

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Done properly (as J.J. Abrams generally does) this sort of thing can be cool. Done badly, it's disasterous.

"Well, we solved that case."
"We sure did!"
"Wait....is that a .....body?"
"Oh no! It can't be! It's...it's...."

TO BE CONTINUED.

Ew.

As a writer of daytime soap operas on TV, I know the theory is to END an episode (particularly a Friday) with a cliffhanger in at least one of the story threads. At the BEGINNING of the next episode, you might conclude one of the story threads, but escalate the tension/conflict in the other storylines, as you begin to build to the following Friday cliffhanger tags.

I would imagine serialized books would follow a similar structure. One storyline might be resolved in that opening chapter, but other story threads would rev up the conflict.

That just seems like sound dramatic structure to me.

A big problem, though -- and one that I always faced when writing an online series -- was that you have to continue to satisfy the reader. If everything ends with "the plot thickens..." then you wind up losing people and boring people. Stuff has to wrap up. Things have to be GOING somewhere.

Babylon 5 was a good example of how to do it right.

X-Files was more or less 9 seasons of "the plot thickens," but it was handled so well (Chris Carter is a very good writer, likewise Joe Straczynski) that it was entertaining through most of it (the last few seasons stretched).

Are there even any serial books written any more? I can't think of any. I guess some trilogies act like serial books in that they conclude one of the plotlines, but another is still in question, but do any just go on and on and on?

I'm thinking like the old "Lost in Space" which always ended ina cliffhanger.

Or even the current "Battlestar Galactica" where the main theme (finding Earth) continues from episode to episode even though each show is fairly self-contained.

Shadow_Ferret said:

Are there even any serial books written any more? I can't think of any. I guess some trilogies act like serial books in that they conclude one of the plotlines, but another is still in question, but do any just go on and on and on?

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I think Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time would qualify as something that goes on and on and on...

~Nancy

There are a lot of what ifs to your question. Is the series going to be picked up by the same publisher? How often will each book of the series come out? Will they be numbered so the reader knows to buy in order? This brings us to distribution. Does your publisher have distribution? Nothing is worse than reading a series and knowing you can't get your paws on Book #6. It's like watching Alias and missing a couple of shows. It's a total drag if you haven't Tivo'd the show - you're lost for weeks!

I've seen series done both ways, and, personally, I find it more satisfying when each book of the series is a stand alone where the same cast of characters encounter a different adventure rather than having each book end with a cliffhanger. This way, the reader's enjoyment isn't interrupted if he can't find one of the books in the series.

For me, EVERYTHING needs to have a strong opening. Doesn't matter what came before. Not doing so smacks of laziness. That may not be the case, by that will be the perception. Leave it all on the field...everytime.

There are some serials still done, but not many. I can think of two off the top of my head. Stephen King's "The Green Mile" and John Saul's "The Blackstone Chronicles". Both were good. Neither of them ended with a big cliff hanger though but they were still well done. They weren't like the old Batman series.

"Leaping, lepoard, leotards, Batman. Is that a cliff coming up?"

"Yes it is my minscule friend and the bat brakes don't seem to be working."

"Try the bat chute,"

"Whooping, willy, wonders were those penguins Batman?"

"Stuffed Penguins, Robin. It looks as if the Penguin has sabotaged the Batmobile."

"What will we do?"

"I don't know."

Narator.

"Will the dynamic duo make it out alive? Will the Penguin blanket all of Gotham in a sheet of ice? Tune in next week, same bat time, same bat channel." Cue Batman music.

You need to end the chapter on a high note but not in the middle of the action. You shouldn't do that to your readers. King did it pretty good in his Dark Tower series. He ended the books in a spot where it made you mad because you wanted to read more but not right in the middle of the action. I know if I am reading a book and the author stops in the middle of a fight/battle/pivotal moment I might not come back and get the next one. It all depends on how good t he book was but I would say something about it in reviews or on boards.

Serialized Novels

I am passing this along. I read the info: author gets 60%. Has anyone done something like this? Ronda

Virtual Tales is an e-publisher of serialized novels/novellas spanning
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running serials from defunct sites like KeepItComing.Net.

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go to http://www.virtualtales.com and click on the appropriate link.

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