A Switch from Writing Standalones to Continuing Story Arcs

By Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraigfile6291291132473

I used to be a big fan of writing each book in my different series as a standalone.  I liked the fact that readers could pick up any book in my series and understand what was going on.  If you have continuing stories throughout your series, then obviously the reader has to find the first book in the series if they want to make sense of the subplots.

And, with mysteries, you really don’t need to have a continuing subplot or continuing plot.  Each book is a single mystery—a murder or two for the sleuth and reader to figure out together.

My main concern, when I started writing for Penguin, was that the first books in my series wouldn’t stay on the shelves in bookstores—that the stores would stock only the latest book in the series and new readers would be lost if I wrote an episodic storyline.

I write to an older demographic and readers do email me if they can’t find a book in print.  But I now feel a lot more comfortable about writing a story arc over the course of a series.  The way bookstores are reducing shelf space to make room for non-book products (Nooks, café space, notebooks, toys), I believe that older readers, even those more set in their ways, will venture into the world of online ordering.

I’ve also noticed that I’ve gotten fewer emails lately from readers asking me to help them track down printed copies of older books.  My ebook sales figures and royalties have grown, too.  It seems clear to me that I’m getting more readers purchasing digital copies of my books than printed ones.

With ebooks, it’s a piece of cake getting an earlier book in a series. All the books are available, at all times, with no end date in sight.

Over the last six months, I started reading in my customer reviews that readers were looking for some character growth or change shown in relationships between characters.  I guess that’s natural, since they were reviewing the 4th or 5th book in a series.  At that point, they wanted the characters to develop more than they could in a typical standalone mystery (where the plot is mainly centered on the mystery itself).

As a reader, I can find continuing storylines frustrating, if there isn’t enough of the story’s conflict resolved in the book.  It just gives a very unfinished feel, or lends a teaser-like quality to the story. But for these mysteries, it’s easier to manage—the main plot, the whodunit, is always neatly tied up at the end in cozy/traditional mysteries.  So the only threads I leave dangling have to do with the characters’ subplots and their relationships.  I’m hoping that gives readers enough of a sense of story completion/resolution while piquing their interest in upcoming books in the series and future character growth.

This has resulted in a big shift for me with my writing.  I’ve also carefully listed the order of books in my series on my website to eliminate any confusion there (and that list was also in response to reader request).

What about you?  As a reader, do you enjoy reading episodic storylines?  As a writer, do you write them?  Have you changed your approach, like I have?

Image: MorgueFile: VeggieGretz

Elizabeth Spann Craig

View posts by Elizabeth Spann Craig
Elizabeth writes the Memphis Barbeque series (as Riley Adams) and the Southern Quilting mysteries for Penguin and writes the Myrtle Clover series for Midnight Ink and independently. She also has a blog, which was named by Writer’s Digest as one of the 101 Best Websites for Writers. There she posts on the writing craft, finding inspiration in everyday life, and fitting writing into a busy schedule.

17 Comments

  1. Alex J. CavanaughJanuary 10, 2014

    The story continues, but each book can stand on its own. (Of course, that came from not planning a series in the first place!) I probably prefer reading books that tie everything up. I like series, as I get comfortable with the world and characters (especially in fantasy and science fiction), but I don’t want the plot to go on forever. That’s why I finally gave up on Robert Jordan’s Wheel of Time – no end in sight.

    1. Elizabeth Spann CraigJanuary 10, 2014

      Alex—I wondered if it would work so well in other genres. Convenient to do this in mysteries because the whodunit is tied up at the end. But how would it work with fantasy? Hm.

  2. Margot KinbergJanuary 10, 2014

    Elizabeth – I think you make a very well-taken point that e-books make it easier to get all the books in a series, provided they’re all available in that format. And given that, it does make sense to add in a story arc . What I like about them (story arcs) is that they are realistic. Most of us have larger things happening to us that aren’t just episodic. What’s more they do add that bit of suspense and interest in what’s coming next for the character. So long as a give story can be enjoyed even if the reader didn’t read the one coming before, I say, ‘go for it.’

    1. Elizabeth Spann CraigJanuary 10, 2014

      Margot–I didn’t think of it that way, but you’re right…much more realistic to put in a story arc. And it does give me the chance to work on more/fresh material, even for an older series.

  3. J wellingJanuary 10, 2014

    I was a ” stand alone” snob for years. I guess it was the Sackett stories from my youth – which I read because my grandfather read them.

    I cannot stand characters who change little when the world around them is in tumult. It’s a Hemingway thing. Character comes in covered in tar. Three books later, he’s still making tracks across my floor with abandon. Maybe some feathers got stuck. Maybe he’s picked up some stray balls of cat fuzz from looking in corners. He’s still too damn often the same sticky goo covered malcontent. Mankell, anyone? Had to read him. Swedish in-laws who don’t get the Detroit news every night. Killed seven last weekend alone and it was unremarkable.

    Then, I read Tom Rob Smith and his Child 44 as the first use of a recurring detective in the early Soviet state. We meet the same detective in book two, but he just has the same name. The world has changed him. It can be done. I like that.

    Some readers buy to reunite with old friends, warts – or tar – and all. Some want a more literary transition and feel bored by repetitive encounters. We write certain books for certain markets. Even Woody keeps making different movies. Some for one market, some for another. Not everyone likes em all.

    Both approaches are fun. I think having two sets of readers offers something to the writer – especially one who writes series. It keeps the aim fresh for you.

    1. Elizabeth Spann CraigJanuary 10, 2014

      Great examples here! And I do like both types of mysteries, although I’ll admit to a preference for a *small* continuing subplot. I enjoy Louise Penny’s series and like seeing how the cops are coming to grips over the books with traumatic events they’ve witnessed, etc. It really does lend an air of realism to it.

      Now I’m curious how readers will respond to the changes. They’ve become used to my books having everything resolved at the end of each one–now there will be some loose threads. It will definitely please the readers who were dinging me in reviews for lack of story arc (don’t remember how they were phrasing it in the reviews, but that was what they meant).

      As you mentioned, changing an approach definitely helps keep *me* fresh. As I’m jumping into book six of a series…that’s becoming increasingly important.

  4. MegJanuary 10, 2014

    Continuing story arcs are critical in series with character-driven plots, where there’s an interlacing of the main character’s personal story with the crime or mystery that is solved, or at least in the way it is solved. In a madcap series, it’s not necessary, because part of the lightheartedness comes from flattening the main character a bit, as in a cartoon (here I think of animated/animation). That doesn’t mean the opposite wouldn’t work, as much depends on the author’s intent and style (and sheer skill).

    I’ve noticed that the trilogy format is big in SF/Fantasy, and not so much in mysteries. Could this be the heritage of ancient epics and mythologies, where the world of gods and demons and kings and heroes frames the story of a quest or ascension of some kind? Without a final end, such stories would, I think, come to feel pointless, even tedious. Tolkien and Rowling were right to end their sagas where they did, no matter how much in love with the world of their stories we might be.

    As a writer, I do the continuing story arc. Probably don’t have any choice, as I don’t do funny, sexy, gory, or interstellar very well ;)

    1. Elizabeth Spann CraigJanuary 10, 2014

      Meg–Good points. Yes, cozy mysteries are frequently contracted by publishers in increments of 3 books…but the editors want the mystery resolved at the end of each one, so no trilogies in this genre. Fascinating point about epics/mythology and fantasy! Hadn’t considered that.

      My books are light and humorous and you’re right–they easily work in a standalone format because of those elements. Now I wonder if starting with story arcs means the stories will become darker. Hm. Not necessarily a good thing in this genre. Would have to keep an eye on the conflicts introduced. One of my series is darker than the other two and it seemed easier to incorporate the arcs.

  5. michael cairnsJanuary 10, 2014

    Hi Elizabeth
    Thanks for the post.
    I love episodic stuff, having grown up on a diet of fantasy trilogies and series’.
    With regards to mystery, I immediately thought of Elizabeth George, who’s stuff I love, and who manages to maintain small, but important arcs going. She does it subtly enough that each book is standalone, just about, but has the character development for those who read in order.
    I’m a fan of writing series (weren’t we just talking about that :), and the thing that I enjoy the most is getting to really stretch out and develop the characters without having to cram it all into one book.
    Interesting comment/thought from Meg as well. I can see the arcs leading to more darkness, as it’s a natural way to further develop a character. The longer the arc, the deeper the crises, potentially…
    cheers
    Mike

    1. Elizabeth Spann CraigJanuary 10, 2014

      Hi Mike!

      I’m a huge fan of Elizabeth George and, for me, the continuing subplots she uses are one of the main reasons I read her series. I know some readers have been critical about the longer books she’s written lately, but I enjoy catching up with the characters each time. Now to emulate that on a (much) smaller scale for a (much) lighter series!

  6. Camille LaGuireJanuary 10, 2014

    I read mystery series to follow the characters, so yes, indeed, having their lives move and develop as the series wears on is a bonus. Characters who aren’t affected by what they experience in a story (who aren’t a little changed by it, even in a minor way) make the events seem trivial.

    However: Story arcs don’t have to be the type where you won’t understand anything if you don’t read in order.

    Our characters don’t live in a void. In that first book, they had established relationships and past events that we learn a little about here and there (and sometimes a lot). In other words, even in Book 1, there is a back story.

    I prefer it when a mystery series has an arc that it is handled such that any previous books are like back story in the current one. That is, I can pick up any book in the series to start reading, and not feel like I missed the boat. (Although I’m perfectly happy to think “Oh, boy I can’t wait to read that previous book… as soon as I’m finished with this one.”)

    I might like to read in order, but I don’t like to have to read it in order. (At least with mystery. I am more forgiving of a serial nature in adventure stories of any genre. But a mystery is first a puzzle.)

    And I guess that’s what I try to do with my mysteries: the characters live their lives in an ongoing way, just as real people do. I love to check in and see what’s going on with them.

    1. Elizabeth Spann CraigJanuary 11, 2014

      Camille–This is more of a struggle for me. I have an editor who likes to have those characters from those previous books brought back in with the other books. So…obviously, I do (can be a bit of a crowded field, but I try to handle it smoothly….which I accomplish better in the later books than the earlier ones).

      So what I’ve done in the past is to have the character change and grow in reaction to the events of *that* book. If it’s a significant character change, I’ve kept the changed trait for the character in the next book, mentioning briefly the fact that the character is approaching life/events differently with whatever the change is….but I don’t allude to the previous book’s events at all.

      Somehow, many of my readers seem to want various single characters of mine all hooked up with relationships. This wasn’t my original plan, but after receiving enough emails…sure, okay, I decided it made sense to hook up particular characters. That, obviously, is a continuing arc of its own.

      For me, this has been a bit of a difficult shift. I’m curious to see what readers make of the Penguin book coming out this fall–that’s the one where this changed approach is most evident. If my editor doesn’t take it out–ha! It hasn’t been edited yet.

      1. Camille LaGuireJanuary 11, 2014

        Yes, the expectation that cozies will become romances seems to be out there. It’s easy for my Mick and Casey series — they’re already married. For Man Who, I have to decide if George is ever going to have his love life settled. (But for that series, that particular arc is a part of my mind since its inception — so my only struggle is how long and complicated the arc is.)

        That’s one of the reasons I am going to experiment with writing romantic suspense (or mystery suspense with a romantic element) under a pen name. Play around with the various ways that can go.

        One thing I can say as a reader, though: yeah, if you asked me, I would say that I like to see characters with chemistry and to see characters get together (or even consider getting together and saying “nah!” like in the Mary Tyler Moore show.) But just because I say “I’d like to see them get together” doesn’t mean that I don’t thoroughly enjoy the buried chemistry. Or that I might stop reading the story once the arc satisfies that spark.

        IMHO, the characters need to move in directions you as the writer can keep interesting. The readers may say they look forward to X or Y, but that’s just a red herring. If going to Z allows you to keep taking the story in interesting directions, they’d like that better than something that they asked for that is awkward and unsatisfying.

        1. Elizabeth Spann CraigJanuary 11, 2014

          Good point. Whatever it is, it’s got to be satisfying, not filler.

          Somehow, I’ve got 3 single protagonists. I’ve no idea why on earth I did that. I have a feeling it has something to do with the YA philosophy “Kill the Parents.” Except I did “Kill the Husbands.” 3 widows…what the heck? I’m wondering if I need a therapist…. :)

  7. Juliel MusilJanuary 10, 2014

    I think it’s a great idea that you clearly numbered your series books. Sometimes my boys ask me which book comes next in a series and we have to research it to find out!

    1. Elizabeth Spann CraigJanuary 11, 2014

      Julie–I’ve had to do the same for my son…but still it didn’t occur to me to number *my* books until I got an irritated reader email. :)

  8. John ManchesterJanuary 17, 2014

    Good thoughts on a subject I’ve been discussing a lot with a writer friend. He’s working on a five book series in the YA fantasy genre. He wants it to be one long story. I’ve been suggesting that for marketing purposes he give each book the ability to stand alone without losing the story arc. (Easy for me to say – I’m not writing it!)

    One inspiration for my mystery/thriller series was The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, a rare example of an actual thriller trilogy. I read it in order, so I don’t know if the books stand alone. Peter Robinson’s Alan Banks series is the best example I know of what you describe – stand alone mysteries, but with the main character and his friends and family evolving.

    I’m into the 3rd book of my series, and making each book stand alone. It’s frustrating – events of a previous book clearly change a character in a later book, and I want to allude to what changed them (as real people naturally do, reflecting on intense experiences.) I’m hoping that readers who read in order will get that with a few hints, and the others won’t care.

Comments are closed.

Scroll to top