Leeway

Elektra · Oct 4, 2006

I picked up Sugar Cookie Murder today. It is the nth number in the series, but my first of it--it was on sale, marked down from $16 to $3. I'm on page 16, and am already thinking that I overpaid. Wondering whether it was just my poor taste, I went to Amazon to check out the reviews. Most people agreed with me--but the odd part is that a lot of these people were fans of the series, and mentioned that the first books had been wonderful.

Now for the million dollar question: How is it that an author (not just this one) can lose that special something in the course of a series? Do deadlines get tighter? Editors less stringent since there's a guaranteed fanbase? When does someone say, "Hey, we need some quality control here"?

Soccer Mom · Oct 4, 2006

I know what you mean. I see it particularly in the mystery and fantasy genres which tend to have long running series. I think sometimes you hit a point where you run out of interesting things for characters to do. Some writers can pick up and move on to other projects and some can't.

LeeFlower · Oct 4, 2006

I've always promised myself that if I ever get successful enough to be one of those writers who can sell anything, I will make sure a trusted beta looks over everything I write and tells me straightup whether it's good enough to publish. That way, at least I'll have my pride.

As a rule, I won't read series until they're completed unless I really trust the author, or know for a fact that they'll pick a set number of books and stick to it. Endless epics just aren't my cuppa.

PeeDee · Oct 4, 2006

I like the idea if a long running series, but I've seen very few practices where it's actually worked.

When it does work, it's something like Terry Pratchett's Discworld series, or Terry Brooks Shannara series. The reason these work is, Pratchett's books each have a distinct ending to them, and Brooks books end with each trilogy. Endings are important, equally as important as beginnings and middles.

Going on and on and on with each new volume just adding a little "the plot thickens" will eventually collapse anything. See, the X-Files, Robert Jordan, Terry Goodkind...

Elektra · Oct 4, 2006

Seems the secret is to change your name to Terry...

PeeDee · Oct 4, 2006

I've often suspected that was the case. Unfortunately, "Terry Tzinski" is just a bad idea.

Anthony Ravenscroft · Oct 5, 2006

the publishing cycle

I won't swear to the following as true-on-experience, but I've now heard near-identical rants from five or six pro writers.

Let's say you spend five years working on your debut novel. You shop it out & decide to take some scraps & start a scond variation, figuring it'll only take you two years.

The first one sells. The publisher wants to see the next one, even though you've barely got it to a rough draft.

The first one gets some legs. The second is rushed to print before you've really fine-tuned it. The publisher says, "So, where's Number Three?"

All that slow-paced craft that you started out with is gone. You maybe want to move along to something very different, but cash is being waved at you to do "more of the same."

Mike Coombes · Oct 5, 2006

See the Dune multiology for an example of how something can start our good and go deeper and deeper down the toilet with each successive episode.

aadams73 · Oct 5, 2006

And then there are some that just get better and better, like Charlaine Harris's Sookie Stackhouse books, and Kim Harrison's Witch books.

Taurus Rising · Oct 5, 2006

Mike Coombes said:
See the Dune multiology for an example of how something can start our good and go deeper and deeper down the toilet with each successive episode.

Ick. Seconded.

JumpingJack · Oct 5, 2006

Goosebumps still seems to be going strong after 72,653 episodes. But I do know what you mean.

Elektra · Oct 5, 2006

Goosebumps is done by a book packager, though.

LeeFlower · Oct 5, 2006

There's also a difference between 'going strong' and 'good.' Goosebumps keeps going because people grow out of it, allowing them to repeat plotlines ad infinitum. Even the ten-year-olds aren't expecting it to be brilliant-- just fun.

Leeway

Elektra

Don't Call Me Sweetheart

Soccer Mom

Crypto-fascist

LeeFlower

Lurker Extraordinaire

PeeDee

Where's my tea, please...?

Elektra

Don't Call Me Sweetheart

PeeDee

Where's my tea, please...?

Anthony Ravenscroft

Scribble, scribble, scribble

Mike Coombes

Guru

aadams73

A Work in Progress

Taurus Rising

JumpingJack

Elektra

Don't Call Me Sweetheart

LeeFlower

Lurker Extraordinaire