Series Writers: Chart the Details, Part III

The Pur-r-rfect Costume is a bilingual picture book
written in English and Spanish, translated by
Adriana Botero, illustrated and formatted by
1000 Storybooks. It will be available soon.

By Linda Wilson  Website: bit.ly/44Dx1t9

This month concludes my mini-series on series writing. For the first two posts please visit: Is Series Writing for You? and Three Tips on Starting a Series.

The Challenge is in the Details

It's best to begin your series by creating worksheets to keep track of the details. If that isn't possible, create your worksheets as soon as you can. This will help avoid the pitfalls of time spent having to flip back to previous books for small (or large) details that may have escaped you. Preparing your series worksheets isn't much different than keeping track of the details for each of your writing projects. To accomplish this for each individual book project:

1. Keep a separate notebook for each book.

2. In each notebook, preferably during the first stage, create a chart of the following important information. This will take time but will be worth it. The information will be at your fingertips to tweak as you go along, and also to use for school visits, your blog, etc.

• Age group                              

• Genre

• Verb tense

• Point of View 

• Mood or tone      

• Setting

• Time span

• Character list, role played in your story and profiles

• Theme

• List of Scenes or contents of chapters

• Concept sentence           

• Why you wrote your book

• Where your idea came from

• Research: what you researched, what file it's kept in, sources you've cited

• Books by other authors that are similar to your book or that you used as models

• A list of your favorite authors, your favorite books and the authors' bios

Ideas on how to Organize your Series

Keep a separate section or separate notebook if you've created a series. A series organizational chart can contain information similar to the charts for your books.

• Series title

• Genre

• List of characters and how this list changes from book to book

• How the books tie together

• How your characters grow and change as the series progresses

• Series timeline

• Settings

• Keep track of the series books you've read and notes you've taken

• Most important: write down how your series will end

• Also: keep track of special information pertaining to your story, such as in my MG mystery, the chapter(s) and page numbers of when the ghost appears.

Join the Fun

One of the most fun parts of writing a series for me has been reading popular and well-loved series by other authors.

• Take notes on the books you've read and on how the series are connected.

• Note who the main character is and how the they change and grow

• Are there new characters introduced? Which ones stay the same in each book?

What's so intriguing is the difference in how the books are connected from series to series. In the Stepping Stones series of chapter books about ghosts by Marion Dane Bauer, each book has a different main character and other characters; the connection is that each book is about a ghost of a different color: The Blue Ghost, The Green Ghost, The Red Ghost, The Golden Ghost.  And the delightful Princess in Black series by Shannon Hale and Dean Hale, in which sweet Princess Magnolia must handle a monster problem when her glitter-stone ring rings. Out bursts the Princess in Black for her next adventure, which is different in each book.

When I first realized that my Abi Wunder project could become a series I was intimidated. But, after studying the nature of series writing I've come to realize that planning is key. You can create your plan right away, or your plan can emerge sometime during the revision stage. I began my project by following the advice of authors who have shared their expertise and experiences. I hope this information will help you, too. 

Treasure Chest of Sources on Series Writing 

http://www.thecreativepenn.com/2011/11/02/writing-a-series-continuation-issues/

http://www.nownovel.com/blog/how-to-write-book-series/ 

http://www.nownovel.com/blog/how-to-write-a-series-mistakes/

http://www.nownovel.com/blog/six-secrets-to-writing-a-series/

Writing the Fiction Series: The Complete Guide for Novels and Novellas

A fourth-grade boy once
advised me to always
have animals in my
stories. Great advice that
I've never forgotten!

Linda's latest release is Secret in the Mist, the second book in the Abi Wunder trilogy, illustrated by Danika Corrall, cover art and formatting by 100 Covers, published December 2025. Two other new releases are the award-winning Botas Altas, the Spanish version of Tall Boots, illustrated by 1000 Storybooks, translated by Graciela Moreno and Adriana Botero; and Cuna en la Naturaleza, illustrated by 1000 Storybooks, the Spanish version of Cradle in the Wild, translated by Adriana Botero. Linda's newest books will be released sometime this year: The Pur-r-rfect Costume, a bilingual picture book in English and Spanish, illustrated by 1000 Storybooks, translated by Adriana Botero; and A Home Run Friendship, a middle grade book, cover art and formatting by 100 Covers.