Well it's a good idea to have a good idea of where your going. For example I'm writing a trilogy but in order to foreshadow and properly write my story I need to know what will happen next. But it really depends on the kind of series your writing
Jenna: "In book one, prince Felix has to save the land from a fire dragon. In book two, prince Felix has to save the land-" Me: "From an ice dragon?" Jenna: "An ice dragon." Boom.
I have a few ideas, but I don't want to spoil it for anyone who hasn't read TSC or TSA. Spoilers for those two books ahead. Tobias and Laila have sex, Cosima has a redemption arc, Enzo and Raphael return, Flynn becomes a bad guy, the watchtower in the centre of the palace is more than just a watchtower, it allows the Saviour to control the weather, something that will become handy by the end of the book.
As soon as I think "hmm I'd like to do this" or "I'd like to know more about this"- Jenna just shows up and hands me all the answers. It's like her cyborg brain is looking through my search hist- oh no....
Even though I’m currently working on a stand alone book I figure it never hurts to learn how to write a sequel if I ever decide to write a series because I could write a book series down the line.
I'm creating a comic book style universe with each new novel being a different character's story building up the world that is how I am keeping everything fresh and bringing new things in
Dude same! Every book focuses on a new character in some point in a timeline of eight hundred years in my world! It's so bizarre to come across someone doing the same kind of thing.
I'm only halfway through my first novel but am already planning the idea of a prequel/sequel/companion novel - lo and behold, here's Jenna with a video on sequels!
We pantsers don't dislike Jenna. We generally just wish her advice wasn't treated as if it's for everyone when it's really much more for plotters. That said, most of us who are writing sequels do have a plan. It's just often looks different from how plotters do it and that's fine.
Well said, Julian! I'm a plotting pantser in the sense that I follow a loose outline that gives me tons of wiggle room. Plotting too many details kills the my desire to write. Love your channel btw.
Plan ahead is a good one. I haven’t even finished my first book but I have 2 sequels planned for the series which is normal, but I also have 2 spin off/sequels planned
In the series I’m writing currently, I want to make sure that each story is its own genre so it feels fresh and different in each one. It would go from Action to Mystery/Slice-of-life to Drama/Sci-fi to Tragedy. The characters stay the same as well as the themes, but more is added to keep it interesting.
@@jhouserwrites Yeah, it’s a big fear of mine as well. I just think that by incorporating elements of what readers like into all of them, it could possibly work if done well.
@@demi_shin Focus on developing your characters, and I'm sure It'll be fine! If your readers fall in love with the characters, they'll follow them til the end of the world. Personally, I think that's an amazing idea!!!
@@silverhassium0622 Thanks for the advice! I was actually intending to do that in the first place. I’d say the story is more character-driven for that reason alone.
Might sound weird but JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure does this to an extent with each Part being a different genre. Some of them I’m not interested in like Slice of Life or Victorian Era Drama but the characters and how the author writes them gives me enjoyment for the genres I’m not a fan of. Just do well with your characters and your readers will be okay with it
I just wanna let you know that I'm not writing a novel but writing a huge epic through a D&D Campaign and your videos are so helpful for helping me plan out (albeit more loosely) an incredible, fun story for my players. So THANK YOU!!
Your videos have inspired me so much. I'm finally working on plotting out a trilogy idea I've had for a few years. I was pantsing it a year ago, but hell no! That was a nightmare! So here we go! And my original first scene still works so I'm just going to rewrite it better. Glad to know I wasn't getting ahead of myself planning the overall story. Gurl, making 3 stand-alone stories that arch together is WORK! Haha but it's fun!
Would love a video about how to write an overall theme/arc for a book with mulitple POV's. Like how to make a proper organic story that contains several storylines. Anyone else struggle with this? Awesome topic today (as always)!
It's amazing how every time I start something new on the book Jenna always releases a video relating to that💁🏻♀️ thank you Jenna you make life so much easier
Yip. Going to make sure that my first book has some twist that will only be revealed in book 2 - or 3. Still busy rewriting my main book from dull to better version. All thanks to one of your RUclips video 😁
There is a way for the fire and ice dragon threats to work: someone has released/sent them. Besides dealing with the dragons, he and his advisors must investigate where they came from and why. The third book ties it together, and is either the end of the trilogy or Book Three of the series. Or the trilogy leads into another trilogy based on the issues raised here.
@Jenna Moreci: that's a good checklist you gave here. Maybe you are interested in giving new ideas in a video about how an overarching strucural arc in a series will look like. I mean both story structure and character arc structure.
I have all five books of my series planned out, although some of the stuff in books 4 and 5 is still a little hazy still. I am almost finished the first draft of book 1. Book 2 is going to be completely different from book one (though it does have the same MC's), but it does follow on from the first and does touch upon the overarching themes and plots of the series.
Greetings Spliff, I am a fellow novelist looking to give any help I can to those trying to get started. I would love to be a beta reader for this series. I'm impressed with your idea that has stretched out to 5 books. I'm working on an idea that could be 6 or 7 books but I'm still in the planning/outlining phase. I would give my honest and unbiased opinion and any ideas to possibly make your work better on everything from Character arcs to plot holes. If you're interested please contact me back. Thanks.
Although I’ve only been planning ahead (for my first 2 books & I will write as soon as I can), I’m proud that I’ve actually hit all these points. No wonder my sequel just seems way better than my first one so far as I’ve planned it out. I think I’m the opposite bc since I’m better now than when I was planning the 1st, I’m actually worried that my 1st book won’t do justice for my second book & get my readers interested to pick it up. Really, I’m only worried for the 1st half of my first book until things get crazy. I might have to cut out things got my beginning. Basically just the 1st third may need help before things really get crazy. Or maybe it is good and I’m just doubting myself
I am editing my book 1 and was thankful that I could splice in the the set-up for something in book 3. Oddly enough, I did mention dragons in book 1 but we never really saw one, so the first thing I did when I wrote the beginning of book 2: My MC fights a DRAGON. :) Really good advice here Jenna, people in Hollywood need to watch this *cough* Rian Johnson *cough* The Last Jedi *cough cough*
Good thing I planned out four books, a prequel book and another sequel series. I have digital notes and written notes. I make sure to reference the past in each book, every character will have his and her personal development as they grow and shit happens, I reference what will happen in the future so people know what to expect and be excited for the future. I make sure everyone on the team has his or her moment to shine. I love easter eggs and cliff hangers, so I do that at times.
@@supernatural7690 I don't make a good teacher. Just watch Jenna's vids. Most of what I did I either learned or thought about the direction Hollywood is going with their stories and am doing the opposite (for the most part), or dreamt alot of it up. I actually dreamt most of the story. Am telling the story as if the main character was telling, as if a fifteen year old was telling it.
@@scottalderson4708 good answer. I read an 'award winning book' and thought that it was terrible and that I could do better myself. then had this massive debate with myself as to whether I could. I thought that I could come up with a dozen better ideas at least bit that is the easy bit isn't it. I wanted to know if I could build a plausible world and populate it with interesting characters and engage readers, I think that I have but it was only ever mean to for me, now it's about to be published I am working on the follow up and it's so much harder because I never expected this and never gave a sequel a second thought. as for Hollywood, I've just about given up with the cinema, can not remember the last time I went. The only film i'm looking forward to is the new 007 . Good luck with your work and take care S/N
Hi Jenna! Can you make a video about rewriting a novel written maybe five years ago in the way it will appeal to today's market and popular tropes? It would be helpful to see a video about it, particularly in the fantasy vein, because the market's tendencies change so fast.
Something I've always wondered is, how do I give the (same) mc a completely new character arc including a new fatal flaw, and why didn't that fatal flaw show up in the first book?
Maybe you could build off the flaw in the first book? The MC in my first book is too ambitious which in the end results in the death of a friend. In the second book she overcompensates, completely getting rid of that ambition, which leads her in a bad situation. It is all about finding the middle ground for her. Only when she finds the balance between apathy and ambition, she is able to overcome the obstacles.
Hi I'm new to your channel on RUclips but let me ask you a question. I was hoping you can make a quick video about this topic. So my question is what if you thought you had a trilogy but when you start fleshing out the story with huge details you realize that some parts of book two had to be included in book one and what if the second half of book two and a concept idea of how you wanted to end the trilogy was only enough meat to create a Duology instead of a trilogy? 🤔 What happened; and if your trilogy turned out to be a Duology is this a bad thing?
Usually sequels aren’t really planned a head, sometimes the first book is just the only book the writer had in mind, but when you are writing a sequel, you have to consider if you want to write it or not. When writing a sequel, build up from the previous story and introduce new concepts and ideas into the story. If your sequel is a part of a trilogy then it’s good to plan ahead.
Beta readers have helped me catch so much, to see where I was missing the mark. I'm close to getting my debut copy edited for self-pub and I'm grateful I didn't publish it right away. It was a stand-alone. Now, it's book 1 if 5 and I was able to add more foreshadowing in earlier books. Pantser problems! And I totally agree about what you said with a new story and fresh take for sequels. That's how mine branched into 5 books. And it might turn into more, when the right questions need to be answered. Book 5 was written after asking myself "I wonder what kind of person would marry the villain?" And a new perspective story was born :)
I have a lot of things planned for book 2... but I still don't know HOW I'm gonna write it in a good way without making it longer than book 1 (which was too long). It's a bit overwhelming for me atm. Heeeeelllppp.....! lol
Number 11, not every book needs a sequel. I have read books where the first wrapped up every plot point and character arch in a nice neat little bow... Only for a sequel to come out of nowhere, wreck all the finished plot points, completely change the characters and bringing back/building NOTHING from the previous book except for the setting and a handful of characters. I've even read a book where even the original setting and all characters beside the mc were thrown away in the first 3 chapters. All you had to do was change the MCs name and it was an entirely different story. People, if you write a great stand alone book that finishes the arch's and plots well with no hooks and the only conceivable way to make a sequel is to completely crap all over said book... Don't. Just write a new book. No one wants to see a book they love completely undone or characters they love to be made unrecognizable because for some reason you thought you needed to write a sequel rather then another stand alone book.
So in my novel's sequel there is this one character who is on the bad side until he learns he was being lied to the entire time by someone he loved and trusted. When he confronts said person, they attempt to manipulate him with guilt which he can see through. After much debate he helps the betrayer's sister who is leading a rebellion against the empire her brother rules. Is this okay or do I have to work on a few bugs?
I'm not sure you always need to plan sequels. While I'm not an author, as a reader I tend to find that some of my favourite sequels were ones written a while after the previous book, when an author has realised they wanted to kind of "revisit the characters to see how they're doing now". If you're planning to write a series from the off where each book picks up pretty much straight after the last one left off, it makes sense to think ahead. Otherwise, the play it by ear approach is just as valid in many cases imo and can actually make the flow feel more natural as long as the author wrote it because they had another story they wanted to tell.
So what if I'm writing my first ever book, and I don't know if it's going to be any good and so don't want to write a sequel unless it flops, but I would like to write one if it's actually good? What then?
This is definitely helpful advice for my third book, which feels really lame. Like there are some cool stuff that's gonna happen, one of which is the MC confronting her father about who her biological mother really is, which the readers are likely to believe died at the end of book 2. In book 2 there was an assassination of a president by the bad guy, but I want it to happen to a king in book 3 by the MC. I feel like that's kinda repetitive but I'm thinking what sets it apart is that she and her friends are gonna infiltrate his castle during a party as waiters. But I also have infiltration into the main bad guy's castle at the end so even more repetition.
Ok I’m going to try to summarize the structure I’m using for a trilogy: First book, make sure the stakes aren’t too high, make sure your overarching villain is not completely defeated at the end, make sure the book stands on its own more than the other two. Second book, make it fast paced and intense, the villain is back and angrier then ever, our hero(es) should kid of looses and maybe some of them die at the end. Third book: the beginning is a new low, but slowly the hero(es) regain hope, stakes need to be higher than ever for this to work, the climax of this book better be your best work in the whole trilogy or else you have failed. I hope this helps, I kind of used pirates of the Caribbean and Star Wars as trilogy examples here if you couldn’t tell. By the way I’m not at all a credible source for this sort of thing so feel free to correct me on any of this.
Here's my way how to make a sequel because I also created a horror story novel now i'm gonna make a sequel. IF YOUR NOVEL IS A HORROR STORY ONLY🎃 1 - don't pick up where the last story left off 2 - give something new to the readers 3 - don't repeat the previous storylines 4 - continue the story of your protagonist till the end of your trilogy and have them in a backseat role if you start a new trilogy and pass the torch to the new characters 5 - Add new twists that will not confuse readers 6 - Add more suspense and mysteries about how the killer or anyone is still alive 7 - Have a proper reason why the story should continue 8 - ambiguous ending 9 - Some callbacks of the past (not cheesy) 10 - Have the main protagonist shock the readers 11 - Add new characters 12 - Have a good conclusion and flow of the story, don't make the story fell flat 13 - Don't repeat character decision mistakes 14 - have an intelligent character 15 - improved character development and kill of your protagonist if was necessary to the story, not based on some horror cliche and a proper tribute to your fallen main character
Hey, Jenna! (or any person who wants to offer me some advice!) I'm considering a trilogy, but my main problem right now is that I have solid plots + main conflicts for books 1 and 3, but none for book 2. In book 2, I have plenty of individual conflicts for each character and their growth, but they're not really tied together by 1 main event, although they each connect to each other so I can't really remove any characters and still have it make sense. In other words, book 2 is necessary for all their developments, but just doesn't have a single cohesive plot. Any ideas on how I might find one? Thanks!
I know I'm dumb and this is probably the most stupid question your ever going to get- but I am having trouble on understanding the very first steps to write; character arcs, first drafts, short summaries, POV details, and age ranging your book;)
I just recently discovered that I might need to split my first book into two separate books, because it is just too long. I haven't even remotely told everything I wanted to tell in this book and I am already scratching at a wordcount worthy of one "a song of ice and fire" book. So I play with the thought to delay the epic battle to book 2, and keep book 1 more on a personal smaller level. Meaning the MCs deal with the sh** that's surrounding them and affecting them personally the most, just to see at the end that the problem is just to big for them to tackle, in fact bigger as they thought. And that even more is at stake then just their own life's. Kind of a progression from: Personal (Book 1) - > Global(Book2) -> Cosmic (Book3). I hope it gets clear what I mean. I am already seeding lots of little hints to future events. One of my gimmicks is also to return to the past periodically in a subplot to give clues to the main story as it progresses. Like something for the readers to teaser and figure out. Also with one character visions play a huge role. I am not really sure if this sucks or not XD, but my story really took off recently and I came up with some cool story lines and tough themes that I wanted to include. Because I just really love drama and when s*** hits the fan. MC... NEED TO... SUFFER... MORE. XD
Lol. All the suffering. And that's kinda how my stand-alone became a trilogy. Book 1 is personal book. 1 person's journey in self-discovery, understanding the danger, learning the magic, winning the day. In a lot of ways, it's a primer, setting the scene. Book 2 has to ramp it up. MC 2 gets added and we see how she goes through similar stakes, but it's abbreviated and her situation is unique. Fight the battles, now instead of 1 person's life being at stake, it's an entire race at risk. Add more characters, up the stakes, add different perspectives.
I've never written an outline what survived contact with the characters. If writing one helps you set pen to page or helps you remain in your computer chair, great. Write one and stay with it as long as your characters are willing to go along with it. But organic situations will arise in your writing that will shoot that pretty outline right into the toilet because your characters did something you didn't expect. It will almost always be better than what was in your outline in the first place. And if you're surprised by it, your readers will be too. As long as you're not breaking character, that's all that's required. You discipline your novel in your second draft, seeing what works, what supports the overall ending and what needs to be omitted. There's no such thing as writing. There's only rewriting.
here's my rules of writing a sequel because I also love writing novels. 1. give something new, not rehashing the first narrative 2. if its a horror story sequel, kill off the deuteragonist in the opening to shock readers (but others think its a damn idea) 3. more character development 4. continues the journey of my main protagonist till the third story. 5. adding new elements 6. adding twists that shock the readers 7. expand the element of what the original story does and more actions. 8. If your novel turns into a series and has the same protagonist as the original three, pass the torch to the new characters. 9. don't bring dull moments and stupid ideas new characters make. 10. Better story and unique story.
“If they didn’t want to be confused they should’ve read the books in order!” It’s also important to check release dates if they don’t know. This is true for many mediums.
Here's a good tip I heard to avoid "Middle book syndrome": The job of Book 2 is to build upon the previous book and set up for the next one. Therefore, make the middle book as invaluable as possible, and make sure to have that value spread throughout the story. Don't make a book that people only buy for last few chapters.
Hello :) My name is Joonas, i am 30 years old and i am from Finland :) Writing fantasy for me is a very important hobby and a very important passion :) At the moment i have no plans to turn writing into a job, because i think that i don’t have the mental strength for it. And i also think that at the moment the best route for me is to keep writing as a hobby/passion. But i don’t close the idea that i would one day publish one or more of my books. I write mainly for myself and to those people who are interested about my books. And i do ask feedback from many different FB fantasy writing groups and from couple of my friends who are an actual writers (published their books etc.) :) I have written 4 books and i am writing a fifth one at the moment. The first 3 books are not connected to each other except by genre (Fantasy). My fourth book is a first part of my upcoming trilogy and the fifth one which i am writing at the moment is the second part of my upcoming trilogy. I hope that my English was understandable (English is not my main language and as a side note: I write my books in Finnish, but i have translated couple of scenes from my book from Finnish to English all by myself :) And i do keep doing that in the future too, so that i can share more scenes from my books to my foreign friends) Best Regards from Joonas from Finland :)
Jenna: Tips for writing a sequel. Me, who hasn't finished writing the first chapter of what's likely to be a standalone: Heck yeah!
Same tho XD
Same but my book is def a series
Ew. Write more.
Me: _is writing the second draft of my first book ever_
_time to learn about how to write the sequel!!_
Same!
This is me, but make sequel plural
Me too
omg me too🥴
Well it's a good idea to have a good idea of where your going. For example I'm writing a trilogy but in order to foreshadow and properly write my story I need to know what will happen next. But it really depends on the kind of series your writing
"Death, dragons, and penetration" an autobiography by George R. R. Martin
Writing and actually completing on a sequel on the other hand, not so much.
10:22
😏 how I'm planning a sequel already.
Just gotta finish book 1! Although, book 1 has some hilarious dialogue about... *things*
Jenna: "In book one, prince Felix has to save the land from a fire dragon. In book two, prince Felix has to save the land-"
Me: "From an ice dragon?"
Jenna: "An ice dragon."
Boom.
you just saw the future , and i'm scared of you...
Lol! 😂😂🤣🤣
I said a water dragon!
@@thiri9139 bahhaahah
@@Nickilob2006 IKR!!!😂😂🤣
I thought it was gonna be a water dragon smh
Bruh, me trying to use this list to see how Saviors Army is gonna go 👀 I’m too excited
I have a few ideas, but I don't want to spoil it for anyone who hasn't read TSC or TSA. Spoilers for those two books ahead.
Tobias and Laila have sex, Cosima has a redemption arc, Enzo and Raphael return, Flynn becomes a bad guy, the watchtower in the centre of the palace is more than just a watchtower, it allows the Saviour to control the weather, something that will become handy by the end of the book.
I wish I was into books as well. I'm more of a gamer. It's interesting to see readers be excited for a sequel to a book they love.
@Domagoj Čović what do you mean? The book is great
As soon as I think "hmm I'd like to do this" or "I'd like to know more about this"- Jenna just shows up and hands me all the answers. It's like her cyborg brain is looking through my search hist- oh no....
I think she’s looking through all our search histories, I’m detailing and drafting a trilogy right now haha
Right!? I'm literally thinking of writing a book series that follows numerous people through their professions in a medieval-esque fantasy world.
I’m nowhere near being an author but I am definitely addicted to your videos.
“Death, Dragons, and Penetration”: title of your next series?
Old title of Game of Thrones
@@ProductionAnything This must have been the working title :D
You had me snorting... just add “Lubricated into one”
10:22
Even though I’m currently working on a stand alone book I figure it never hurts to learn how to write a sequel if I ever decide to write a series because I could write a book series down the line.
I love how when I’m in the dire need of advice on a particular topic, your video is there to help! :)
I'm creating a comic book style universe with each new novel being a different character's story building up the world that is how I am keeping everything fresh and bringing new things in
Dude same! Every book focuses on a new character in some point in a timeline of eight hundred years in my world! It's so bizarre to come across someone doing the same kind of thing.
@@Madi.V.2001 Same here though some characters have more than one book.
Bro.... Same
I'm only halfway through my first novel but am already planning the idea of a prequel/sequel/companion novel - lo and behold, here's Jenna with a video on sequels!
Me: I'm not ready to start writing a sequel yet
Me after seeing this video: It's never to early to start!
I was planning on writing a sequel/prequel to my book so I needed this
Oh wow, I started writing my sequel, definitely needed this video 😂
I still like you, Jenna. I’m not planning anything, but I still like you.
We pantsers don't dislike Jenna. We generally just wish her advice wasn't treated as if it's for everyone when it's really much more for plotters. That said, most of us who are writing sequels do have a plan. It's just often looks different from how plotters do it and that's fine.
Well said, Julian! I'm a plotting pantser in the sense that I follow a loose outline that gives me tons of wiggle room. Plotting too many details kills the my desire to write. Love your channel btw.
I love this. I'm starting to write my sequel and I am now placing the seeds in book 1 before it's published. Jenna never disappoints :D
Now you've promised me boning in the Savior's Army. I'm even more hyped. Thank you.
Plan ahead is a good one. I haven’t even finished my first book but I have 2 sequels planned for the series which is normal, but I also have 2 spin off/sequels planned
I'm not a published author yet, but I just started chapter 17. Your lessons were helpful.
Perfect timing! In the middle of writing a sequel now. Thank you. 🙂
In the series I’m writing currently, I want to make sure that each story is its own genre so it feels fresh and different in each one. It would go from Action to Mystery/Slice-of-life to Drama/Sci-fi to Tragedy.
The characters stay the same as well as the themes, but more is added to keep it interesting.
Curious. I'd be afraid of losing readers that might not be interested in the all the genres. But sounds like a cool idea!
@@jhouserwrites Yeah, it’s a big fear of mine as well. I just think that by incorporating elements of what readers like into all of them, it could possibly work if done well.
@@demi_shin Focus on developing your characters, and I'm sure It'll be fine! If your readers fall in love with the characters, they'll follow them til the end of the world. Personally, I think that's an amazing idea!!!
@@silverhassium0622 Thanks for the advice! I was actually intending to do that in the first place. I’d say the story is more character-driven for that reason alone.
Might sound weird but JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure does this to an extent with each Part being a different genre. Some of them I’m not interested in like Slice of Life or Victorian Era Drama but the characters and how the author writes them gives me enjoyment for the genres I’m not a fan of.
Just do well with your characters and your readers will be okay with it
Yay!!! More Jenna!!! I'm going on to by your book soon, and I can't wait!!
I just wanna let you know that I'm not writing a novel but writing a huge epic through a D&D Campaign and your videos are so helpful for helping me plan out (albeit more loosely) an incredible, fun story for my players. So THANK YOU!!
Your videos have inspired me so much. I'm finally working on plotting out a trilogy idea I've had for a few years. I was pantsing it a year ago, but hell no! That was a nightmare! So here we go! And my original first scene still works so I'm just going to rewrite it better. Glad to know I wasn't getting ahead of myself planning the overall story. Gurl, making 3 stand-alone stories that arch together is WORK! Haha but it's fun!
Thank you... now onto book 2 outline
Just got the Saviour’s Sister for my birthday I’m so excited!!
This is terrific advice! Thank you.
I needed this... Trying to get the first book complete and I have plans for more in the series
Yey finally 🥰 i love your videos
I know this will be good 🌝
Would love a video about how to write an overall theme/arc for a book with mulitple POV's. Like how to make a proper organic story that contains several storylines. Anyone else struggle with this?
Awesome topic today (as always)!
It's amazing how every time I start something new on the book Jenna always releases a video relating to that💁🏻♀️ thank you Jenna you make life so much easier
Yip. Going to make sure that my first book has some twist that will only be revealed in book 2 - or 3. Still busy rewriting my main book from dull to better version. All thanks to one of your RUclips video 😁
Amazing video ! Thank you ❤️
Thanks! Gotta keep this in mind with sequels
Hey Jenna! What are your thoughts on writing a silent character?
"Death, Dragons and Penetration" sounds like an absolutely wild book.
This is for me! Just as my manuscript is with the editor, I'm drafting my second book of my series. Thank you Jenna!!! This is so helpful
There is a way for the fire and ice dragon threats to work: someone has released/sent them. Besides dealing with the dragons, he and his advisors must investigate where they came from and why. The third book ties it together, and is either the end of the trilogy or Book Three of the series. Or the trilogy leads into another trilogy based on the issues raised here.
@Jenna Moreci: that's a good checklist you gave here.
Maybe you are interested in giving new ideas in a video about how an overarching strucural arc in a series will look like. I mean both story structure and character arc structure.
Thanks for ten tips and making them hilarious! Your explanations are the best
I have all five books of my series planned out, although some of the stuff in books 4 and 5 is still a little hazy still. I am almost finished the first draft of book 1. Book 2 is going to be completely different from book one (though it does have the same MC's), but it does follow on from the first and does touch upon the overarching themes and plots of the series.
Greetings Spliff,
I am a fellow novelist looking to give any help I can to those trying to get started. I would love to be a beta reader for this series. I'm impressed with your idea that has stretched out to 5 books. I'm working on an idea that could be 6 or 7 books but I'm still in the planning/outlining phase. I would give my honest and unbiased opinion and any ideas to possibly make your work better on everything from Character arcs to plot holes. If you're interested please contact me back. Thanks.
Oh my God I need to get your books! They sound super siiiiccckk!
Excuse me while I add them to Cart.....
I'm Early! Anyways love you Jenna! Thanks for the advice!!💕💕
OMG! Death, Dragons, and Penetration are my new pillars!
I love these videos you helped me so much
This just got me more hyped for TSA
nice timing jenna!!
Great tips! Gave me more things to work on in preplanning. I'm doing a 7 book children's series. More work to do! haha
Although I’ve only been planning ahead (for my first 2 books & I will write as soon as I can), I’m proud that I’ve actually hit all these points. No wonder my sequel just seems way better than my first one so far as I’ve planned it out. I think I’m the opposite bc since I’m better now than when I was planning the 1st, I’m actually worried that my 1st book won’t do justice for my second book & get my readers interested to pick it up. Really, I’m only worried for the 1st half of my first book until things get crazy. I might have to cut out things got my beginning. Basically just the 1st third may need help before things really get crazy. Or maybe it is good and I’m just doubting myself
I'm a pantser but I still love you, Jenna! 🖤
❤❤❤ Definitely my fav channel :)
@JennaMoreci can you give a good tips on episodic series, please
I am editing my book 1 and was thankful that I could splice in the the set-up for something in book 3. Oddly enough, I did mention dragons in book 1 but we never really saw one, so the first thing I did when I wrote the beginning of book 2: My MC fights a DRAGON. :) Really good advice here Jenna, people in Hollywood need to watch this *cough* Rian Johnson *cough* The Last Jedi *cough cough*
10:10 wait isn't that Clash of Kings the sequel of A Song Of Ice And Fire (though the dragons came at the end of the first book)
Good thing I planned out four books, a prequel book and another sequel series. I have digital notes and written notes. I make sure to reference the past in each book, every character will have his and her personal development as they grow and shit happens, I reference what will happen in the future so people know what to expect and be excited for the future. I make sure everyone on the team has his or her moment to shine. I love easter eggs and cliff hangers, so I do that at times.
want to do mine for me??
@@supernatural7690 I don't make a good teacher. Just watch Jenna's vids. Most of what I did I either learned or thought about the direction Hollywood is going with their stories and am doing the opposite (for the most part), or dreamt alot of it up. I actually dreamt most of the story. Am telling the story as if the main character was telling, as if a fifteen year old was telling it.
@@scottalderson4708 good answer. I read an 'award winning book' and thought that it was terrible and that I could do better myself. then had this massive debate with myself as to whether I could. I thought that I could come up with a dozen better ideas at least bit that is the easy bit isn't it. I wanted to know if I could build a plausible world and populate it with interesting characters and engage readers, I think that I have but it was only ever mean to for me, now it's about to be published I am working on the follow up and it's so much harder because I never expected this and never gave a sequel a second thought. as for Hollywood, I've just about given up with the cinema, can not remember the last time I went. The only film i'm looking forward to is the new 007 .
Good luck with your work and take care S/N
@@supernatural7690 thanks dude... or dudet 😊👍
@@scottalderson4708 it's dude, I'm ball bearing not child bearing
Hi Jenna! Can you make a video about rewriting a novel written maybe five years ago in the way it will appeal to today's market and popular tropes? It would be helpful to see a video about it, particularly in the fantasy vein, because the market's tendencies change so fast.
I literally JUST finished the first book of my trilogy. How the actual-
I am in the middle of writing a sequel to my children's science fiction book.
I needed this video.
Something I've always wondered is, how do I give the (same) mc a completely new character arc including a new fatal flaw, and why didn't that fatal flaw show up in the first book?
Maybe you could build off the flaw in the first book? The MC in my first book is too ambitious which in the end results in the death of a friend. In the second book she overcompensates, completely getting rid of that ambition, which leads her in a bad situation. It is all about finding the middle ground for her. Only when she finds the balance between apathy and ambition, she is able to overcome the obstacles.
@@breathinghumanperson3855 That is a good idea, thanks!
I just recently finished my first book (well the first draft) so not totally sure where to go with the sequel
Every word in Tip #10 is iconic
I'm editing book 1 of two different series. In both, when writing the sequels, the ongoing romantic subplots will be the hardest to not screw up.
"Death, dragons and penetration" sounds like the summery of a certain fantasy book series... coincidence or clever reference?
All hail the Cyborg Queen!
Thanks!
Hi I'm new to your channel on RUclips but let me ask you a question. I was hoping you can make a quick video about this topic. So my question is what if you thought you had a trilogy but when you start fleshing out the story with huge details you realize that some parts of book two had to be included in book one and what if the second half of book two and a concept idea of how you wanted to end the trilogy was only enough meat to create a Duology instead of a trilogy? 🤔 What happened; and if your trilogy turned out to be a Duology is this a bad thing?
Usually sequels aren’t really planned a head, sometimes the first book is just the only book the writer had in mind, but when you are writing a sequel, you have to consider if you want to write it or not. When writing a sequel, build up from the previous story and introduce new concepts and ideas into the story. If your sequel is a part of a trilogy then it’s good to plan ahead.
Beta readers have helped me catch so much, to see where I was missing the mark.
I'm close to getting my debut copy edited for self-pub and I'm grateful I didn't publish it right away. It was a stand-alone. Now, it's book 1 if 5 and I was able to add more foreshadowing in earlier books. Pantser problems!
And I totally agree about what you said with a new story and fresh take for sequels. That's how mine branched into 5 books. And it might turn into more, when the right questions need to be answered. Book 5 was written after asking myself "I wonder what kind of person would marry the villain?" And a new perspective story was born :)
How about a sequel to a book series? When you thinking of a spin off or pequel but decide on doing an continuation
I have a lot of things planned for book 2... but I still don't know HOW I'm gonna write it in a good way without making it longer than book 1 (which was too long). It's a bit overwhelming for me atm. Heeeeelllppp.....! lol
Number 11, not every book needs a sequel. I have read books where the first wrapped up every plot point and character arch in a nice neat little bow... Only for a sequel to come out of nowhere, wreck all the finished plot points, completely change the characters and bringing back/building NOTHING from the previous book except for the setting and a handful of characters. I've even read a book where even the original setting and all characters beside the mc were thrown away in the first 3 chapters. All you had to do was change the MCs name and it was an entirely different story.
People, if you write a great stand alone book that finishes the arch's and plots well with no hooks and the only conceivable way to make a sequel is to completely crap all over said book... Don't. Just write a new book. No one wants to see a book they love completely undone or characters they love to be made unrecognizable because for some reason you thought you needed to write a sequel rather then another stand alone book.
Heheheh... I know the feeling of starting at book 2. Literally. Outta (now) 7...
So in my novel's sequel there is this one character who is on the bad side until he learns he was being lied to the entire time by someone he loved and trusted. When he confronts said person, they attempt to manipulate him with guilt which he can see through. After much debate he helps the betrayer's sister who is leading a rebellion against the empire her brother rules. Is this okay or do I have to work on a few bugs?
Almost finished writing my first book and don’t know how to start the second or others after the second one
I'm not sure you always need to plan sequels. While I'm not an author, as a reader I tend to find that some of my favourite sequels were ones written a while after the previous book, when an author has realised they wanted to kind of "revisit the characters to see how they're doing now".
If you're planning to write a series from the off where each book picks up pretty much straight after the last one left off, it makes sense to think ahead. Otherwise, the play it by ear approach is just as valid in many cases imo and can actually make the flow feel more natural as long as the author wrote it because they had another story they wanted to tell.
So what if I'm writing my first ever book, and I don't know if it's going to be any good and so don't want to write a sequel unless it flops, but I would like to write one if it's actually good? What then?
Your personality is the best xD Love your "bish" comments ^^
Are we ever getting more EVE books?
Yeah ... Pretty much gonna watch this video every time I write a sequel...
This is definitely helpful advice for my third book, which feels really lame. Like there are some cool stuff that's gonna happen, one of which is the MC confronting her father about who her biological mother really is, which the readers are likely to believe died at the end of book 2. In book 2 there was an assassination of a president by the bad guy, but I want it to happen to a king in book 3 by the MC. I feel like that's kinda repetitive but I'm thinking what sets it apart is that she and her friends are gonna infiltrate his castle during a party as waiters. But I also have infiltration into the main bad guy's castle at the end so even more repetition.
I’m still contemplating how to frigging plan a series...
Ok I’m going to try to summarize the structure I’m using for a trilogy:
First book, make sure the stakes aren’t too high, make sure your overarching villain is not completely defeated at the end, make sure the book stands on its own more than the other two.
Second book, make it fast paced and intense, the villain is back and angrier then ever, our hero(es) should kid of looses and maybe some of them die at the end.
Third book: the beginning is a new low, but slowly the hero(es) regain hope, stakes need to be higher than ever for this to work, the climax of this book better be your best work in the whole trilogy or else you have failed.
I hope this helps, I kind of used pirates of the Caribbean and Star Wars as trilogy examples here if you couldn’t tell. By the way I’m not at all a credible source for this sort of thing so feel free to correct me on any of this.
The video start at 3:07
Jenna: One's fire and one's ice
Me: So . . . A Song of Ice and Fire?
Here's my way how to make a sequel because I also created a horror story novel now i'm gonna make a sequel.
IF YOUR NOVEL IS A HORROR STORY ONLY🎃
1 - don't pick up where the last story left off
2 - give something new to the readers
3 - don't repeat the previous storylines
4 - continue the story of your protagonist till the end of your trilogy and have them in a backseat role if you start a new trilogy and pass the torch to the new characters
5 - Add new twists that will not confuse readers
6 - Add more suspense and mysteries about how the killer or anyone is still alive
7 - Have a proper reason why the story should continue
8 - ambiguous ending
9 - Some callbacks of the past (not cheesy)
10 - Have the main protagonist shock the readers
11 - Add new characters
12 - Have a good conclusion and flow of the story, don't make the story fell flat
13 - Don't repeat character decision mistakes
14 - have an intelligent character
15 - improved character development and kill of your protagonist if was necessary to the story, not based on some horror cliche and a proper tribute to your fallen main character
Hey, Jenna! (or any person who wants to offer me some advice!) I'm considering a trilogy, but my main problem right now is that I have solid plots + main conflicts for books 1 and 3, but none for book 2. In book 2, I have plenty of individual conflicts for each character and their growth, but they're not really tied together by 1 main event, although they each connect to each other so I can't really remove any characters and still have it make sense. In other words, book 2 is necessary for all their developments, but just doesn't have a single cohesive plot. Any ideas on how I might find one? Thanks!
I know I'm dumb and this is probably the most stupid question your ever going to get- but I am having trouble on understanding the very first steps to write; character arcs, first drafts, short summaries, POV details, and age ranging your book;)
The video starts at 3:10
I just recently discovered that I might need to split my first book into two separate books, because it is just too long. I haven't even remotely told everything I wanted to tell in this book and I am already scratching at a wordcount worthy of one "a song of ice and fire" book. So I play with the thought to delay the epic battle to book 2, and keep book 1 more on a personal smaller level. Meaning the MCs deal with the sh** that's surrounding them and affecting them personally the most, just to see at the end that the problem is just to big for them to tackle, in fact bigger as they thought. And that even more is at stake then just their own life's. Kind of a progression from: Personal (Book 1) - > Global(Book2) -> Cosmic (Book3). I hope it gets clear what I mean. I am already seeding lots of little hints to future events. One of my gimmicks is also to return to the past periodically in a subplot to give clues to the main story as it progresses. Like something for the readers to teaser and figure out. Also with one character visions play a huge role. I am not really sure if this sucks or not XD, but my story really took off recently and I came up with some cool story lines and tough themes that I wanted to include. Because I just really love drama and when s*** hits the fan. MC... NEED TO... SUFFER... MORE. XD
Lol. All the suffering. And that's kinda how my stand-alone became a trilogy. Book 1 is personal book. 1 person's journey in self-discovery, understanding the danger, learning the magic, winning the day. In a lot of ways, it's a primer, setting the scene. Book 2 has to ramp it up. MC 2 gets added and we see how she goes through similar stakes, but it's abbreviated and her situation is unique. Fight the battles, now instead of 1 person's life being at stake, it's an entire race at risk. Add more characters, up the stakes, add different perspectives.
I've never written an outline what survived contact with the characters. If writing one helps you set pen to page or helps you remain in your computer chair, great. Write one and stay with it as long as your characters are willing to go along with it. But organic situations will arise in your writing that will shoot that pretty outline right into the toilet because your characters did something you didn't expect. It will almost always be better than what was in your outline in the first place. And if you're surprised by it, your readers will be too. As long as you're not breaking character, that's all that's required. You discipline your novel in your second draft, seeing what works, what supports the overall ending and what needs to be omitted. There's no such thing as writing. There's only rewriting.
“Death, Dragons, and Penetration.” Now THERE’S a book title for you.
Is it a good thing or a bad thing that I just doubled the potential length of my series based only on clever titles because I watched this video?
Is there a problem if i am 14 and my book have some bad languege
No
here's my rules of writing a sequel because I also love writing novels.
1. give something new, not rehashing the first narrative
2. if its a horror story sequel, kill off the deuteragonist in the opening to shock readers (but others think its a damn idea)
3. more character development
4. continues the journey of my main protagonist till the third story.
5. adding new elements
6. adding twists that shock the readers
7. expand the element of what the original story does and more actions.
8. If your novel turns into a series and has the same protagonist as the original three, pass the torch to the new characters.
9. don't bring dull moments and stupid ideas new characters make.
10. Better story and unique story.
“If they didn’t want to be confused they should’ve read the books in order!”
It’s also important to check release dates if they don’t know. This is true for many mediums.
Not everyone pays attention to that, I actually did that once (Lost Fleet: Dauntless)
@@andrewmalinowski6673 True. It’s just that it turns a lot of people away. It’s one of the reasons some prefer episodic series over serialized series.
Here's a good tip I heard to avoid "Middle book syndrome":
The job of Book 2 is to build upon the previous book and set up for the next one. Therefore, make the middle book as invaluable as possible, and make sure to have that value spread throughout the story. Don't make a book that people only buy for last few chapters.
Woah, I didn't realize that the title to TSA was The Saviors Army. When did she reveal this information?!
Hello :) My name is Joonas, i am 30 years old and i am from Finland :) Writing fantasy for me is a very important hobby and a very important passion :) At the moment i have no plans to turn writing into a job, because i think that i don’t have the mental strength for it. And i also think that at the moment the best route for me is to keep writing as a hobby/passion. But i don’t close the idea that i would one day publish one or more of my books.
I write mainly for myself and to those people who are interested about my books. And i do ask feedback from many different FB fantasy writing groups and from couple of my friends who are an actual writers (published their books etc.) :) I have written 4 books and i am writing a fifth one at the moment. The first 3 books are not connected to each other except by genre (Fantasy). My fourth book is a first part of my upcoming trilogy and the fifth one which i am writing at the moment is the second part of my upcoming trilogy.
I hope that my English was understandable (English is not my main language and as a side note: I write my books in Finnish, but i have translated couple of scenes from my book from Finnish to English all by myself :) And i do keep doing that in the future too, so that i can share more scenes from my books to my foreign friends) Best Regards from Joonas from Finland :)
*Tips for writing a book*
Me who’s planning a three or four book series: *mmmm very interesting*