LUCY BURDETTE: I am very excited to have been invited to give one of the Friends of the Key West Library lectures next month. I think I've decided to talk about the pros and cons of mystery series, both from the perspective of a writer and a reader. But there are so many directions I could go. What do I love about writing them and reading them? What are the pitfalls? How long should a series go on?
I have always read series and also always written them. Why? I think this might be connected to how attached I get to the characters. If a book is great, I don’t want that to be the last word on those characters. I want to know what happens next in their lives.
So help me out here. Which do you enjoy most, writing series or standalones? What problems have you faced?
HALLIE EPHRON: I've written both series and standalones, and right now my heart belongs to standalones. It's definitely more work having to create a whole new set of characters and a setup each time out. But I feel like I put my characters through so much in a single book, it would be cruel and unusual punishment to make them go another round. They need to get on with their lives. Having said that, my new novel is the first standalone I've written which really could be the first of a series. Not sure how my publisher would feel about that... I'm thinking about it.
RHYS BOWEN: I've also written both. I love writing a series because it feels like visiting old friends. The setting is familiar, the secondary characters recur, so in many ways it's easier. Fans come to love a series and talk about the characters as if they are real. They come to think of them as friends. On the other hand I am now writing my fourth stand alone and relish the freedom that gives me to explore such different times and situations. But I do get letters asking me when there will be a sequel, so I think there is a need to revisit favorite characters.
JENN McKINLAY: I'm a series junkie. If I really enjoy the characters, I want to know more and more and more about their lives. The middle ground that I love is the continuity book/series. This is where you have protagonists in one book and then their friends or siblings or partners in crime or what have you, are featured in the next book. You see this a lot in romance but Tana French has mastered it, too. It keeps you in the world but it's not the same character's eccentricities driving the plot. I have yet to write a standalone but perhaps 2019 will be my year!
JULIA SPENCER-FLEMING: Interesting discussion, because i just had a conversation with a writer friend of mine who is in talks with a potential new agent. The agent requested the uncompleted ms for Book 2 in a prospective series; she came back with much praise for my friend's writing, but passed on repping the book. The agent said new series have become a hard sell right now, because publishers are looking for stand-alone psychological thrillers and domestic suspense, a la WHAT SHE KNEW, INTO THE WATER or THE WOMAN IN CABIN 10. My friend is considering changing up the unfinished manuscript, bringing the backstory forward and focusing the story on the dysfunctional family and unreliable characters, turning it into a stand-alone.
Of course, that's not to say if any stand-alone is a huge success, the publisher wouldn't immediately try to turn it into the first in a series...
HANK PHILLIPPI RYAN: Oh, my gosh, I'm in love with standalones. When I started writing TRUST ME, I had no idea how different it would be --completely overwhelmingly different. In a series, (which I still love writing and will continue to do so) the ultimate suspense cannot come from the possibility that the main character will actually die. I mean---Jane Ryland's gotta come back for book 5. Right? So it's a challenging juggle to deal with that--the reader knows Jane will survive, and so the focus comes on creating page-turning suspense in the lives and futures of others.
But in a standalone--whoa. Anyone could die. When I realized that--and now it seems so obvious--I actually gasped. And anyone could be lying, and anyone could be guilty, and anyone could turn out to be good or bad. There are no reader expectations whatsoever. The freedom is astonishing. Plus, it is absolutely ALL on the table--and all the loose ends must be tied up. In THE MURDER LIST, I really went for it.
DEBORAH CROMBIE: I'm a series junkie, too, always have been. Although I do make exceptions for standalones, Rhys and Hallie and Hank and Jenn! And Roberta with your WIP! But I've always loved getting to know continuing characters and settings, that sense of being able to dip into the lives of old friends. Nor have I had any real desire to write a standalone. I have so much fun with my big cast of characters that I haven't felt a great need to stretch beyond them, and every book has a new set of characters as well.
Not that I would say no if a terrific standalone idea suddenly took hold in my brain, but it would NOT be the sort of book that Julia has been told editors are looking for--so maybe I should just stick to what I'm doing...
LUCY: that wouldn't be me either Debs--too scary to keep something like that in my head for a year! Now your turn Red readers, what do you like/not like about mystery series? How long can one reasonably go on? If you were in the audience, what would you want to know about the nuts and bolts of the process?
There are so many good things about series stories: seeing characters grow and become like old friends, the continuity, the familiar-ness of people, place, expectations of behavior and attitudes. Standalones don’t necessarily “dig deeper” into the characters and their backstories, but their focus always brings the reader a new set of people, a new place.
ReplyDeleteWhat I don’t particularly like is that when one standalone is a “hit,” then there are a gazillion copycat sort of stories trying to capture that success. After a while, it gets frustrating to read the same story again and again, albeit with different characters and a new setting. The tendency to copycat that successful one feels to me like the creativity of the writer is being stifled . . . .
That is frustrating Joan! Right now it seems they have been looking for the next gone girl and the woman on the train. We work in a strange business!
DeleteSo funny that yo say that, Joan, because what I've heard agents lament at writers' conferences is that publishers always seem to want "the same but different." As in "the girl who this" and "the girl who that..." I'm not a fast writer and when I try to 'write to order' it shows.
DeleteAnd of course, the next big thing that really stands out is going to be something completely different, written by an author working on a passion project, NOT writing to the market...
DeleteAbsolutely, Julia!!
DeleteI think it’s interesting how the same sensibility pops up, though. I’m laughing now, Hallie, I don’t think anyone can write to order and have iti be successful.. It just wouldn’t work. You can certainly tell the people who try. But the publishing cycle takes so long that there’s no way to hop on a bandwagon
DeleteI love series. As was said, I love to visit old friends. I don't tend to read stand alones as much. One reason is, if I know the next in a series is coming soon, I will make a point to get up to date on the series. But a stand alone I can read at any time because there is no next book coming.
ReplyDeleteSo theoretically Mark, you might never have time to read a standalone because you were very busy with the series you love and enjoy!
DeleteI'm mainly a series type of reader. (Kudos for putting the Julie Hyzy White House Chef books in the photo heading the article Lucy. That's a great series!)
ReplyDeleteI'm not opposed to standalones because I've read any number of great books in that storytelling vein. I just like developing a reader's bond with a set of characters.
The one thing I don't like about series is when an author has a long running series and then turns out a prequel novel set before the start of the first book in said series. For me, I can't read those books, there's no suspense because you know the character survives whatever danger they find themselves in or there wouldn't have been the first book in the series in the first place.
One of my favorite series did that. The author (now sadly passed away) wrote a three book run set before Book 1. I skipped them.
Cozy series lose my interest when the sense of repetition grows to stretch even the most generous suspension of disbelief. One particular series did that with me recently, although it was with the series 24th book. It was such a chore to get through that I'm not even sure if I'm going to get the next book in the series.
On the other hand, a great standalone almost always makes me wish it was just the start of a series. Oh, and I'm with Joan on the notion of copycat stories. If I never see another suspense thriller with the word "Girl" in the title, I'd be a happy guy.
As an off-topic aside, I went to Joanna Schaffhausen's event in Sandwich, MA last night and it was a really fun time. I was even active in asking some questions during the event. Of course, I also picked up both her books and had them signed. A big shout out to the JRW blog for introducing me to her work!
Thanks for your comments Jay, I too loved Julie’s White House chef series. I am in Florida so I had to use the books available on the shelves – no Julia Spencer Fleming. They are all in Connecticut, waiting eagerly for the next. I love your comments and questions about series, Especially the readers bond with a group of characters. And that’s so interesting that you won’t read prequel’s. I totally get your point about cozy serious stretching disbelief. I wonder whether there is a perfect length for a mystery series?
DeleteLucy, I just can't commit time to a book that the end result is known before you open to page one.
DeleteAs for the cozy series stretching disbelief, it isn't so much the length of a series that concerns me, it is more of the various long running subplots that never seem to get resolved. In particular, when the female protagonist has two fellas vying for her charms and affection and she NEVER picks one. That's fine for the Betty-Veronica-Archie comics but in my prose novel reading, I get to the point of "Oh for crying out loud (fill in name of series character), make a decision already!
Wasn't it fun!! I've got Joanna's book waiting for me, as soon as I finish one I'm reading.
DeleteJay, one prequel that I loved is Charles Todd's A Fine Summer's Day. I found it so interesting to meet Rutledge before the war--and of course the book had the same elegiac quality as the first season of Downtown Abbey, because we know what's coming although the characters don't. It's also a fine novel under any circumstances.
DeleteShe’s terrific!and her book is wonderful — I heard her at a different Bookstore and she is so hilarious . Plus., She brought basset hound cupcakes. Pupcakes!.
DeleteHallie, yes it was fun to meet Joanna and I'm looking forward to diving into The Vanishing Season ASAP.
DeleteDeborah, I'm sure that the prequel after the series starts books are well written. I just can't work up any excitement because of the lack of suspense in the final result. It is probably just a stubborn character flaw on my part.
Hank, yes Joanna was terrific. I actually asked her about the basset hound cupcakes during the Sandwich event because I knew about the Brookline Booksmith event.
I also like revisiting old "friends" or characters that I've come to know well over a series. But I also get bored easily and unfortunately, many writers employ an overly formulaic approach, and I end up giving up the series as the books are too predictable. I'm happy to say that hasn't happened with any of the Jungle Red Writers! If the characters develop and grow/change over a series, and the writer keeps the plots interesting, I will read a series indefinitely. I do read a mixture of both stand-alones and series mysteries.
ReplyDeleteThat’s interesting Mary! I have stopped reading series also when they feel uninteresting. But, I think there are other readers who read cozy series especially for the comfort of knowing the characters and the place well.
DeleteYeah, The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo has a lot to answer for. Also, the many permutations of "The So & So's Daughter/Wife/Etc." They all run together after awhile.
ReplyDeleteRoberta, maybe one aspect you can discuss is how the nuts and bolts of a series comes together. The concept, the cohesively catchy titles, the cover continuity. Which comes first? The concept or the titles? Sometimes it seems as if the title informs the concept. Your Key West books have clever titles that refer to the crime, the place, and often, a local dish. That seems like a lot of work to keep up with. Julia's titles seem to come from hymns and/or prayers, which is perfect for a series about an Episcopal priest. Hank has done a great job of making catch phrases into titles, short, sweet and memorable.
I'm a reader. I read. Constantly. It doesn't matter if the books are series or standalones, as long as they are well-written. That said, if I enjoy a book and find out it's part of a series I will then go on to read the rest, as much as possible.
Those are excellent questions, thanks Karen. For me, most of the time the title comes after the book is written or at least well into it. And this is because the publishing people have a lot of input into choosing a title. As long as it’s not awful, I don’t mind LOL. And I do love Julia’s hymn titles—Room in that series for many more…
DeleteKaren, I had the title of my first book before I started writing it, and I thought at the time using hymns would be a good idea, because there are just so darn many of them. However, I certainly didn't set out with an entire premise for the series - my goal was to write a book that would hopefully sell and then maybe I'd be asked to do another one.
DeleteIf I start another series at this stage in my career, knowing what I know, I'd definitely do more long-term planning for characters and conflicts. Although in all modesty, I think I've done pretty well for a series I backed into.
Karen, good question. I usually start with a general idea for a book, then the title, and from there the title informs the story in some way--often in ways I didn't predict. It's a weird process, but titles are really, really important to me.
DeleteWhat a wonderful thing to say, thank you so much! XOXO and I have to admit, I put a tremendous amount of thought into it, sometimes. Sometimes, exactly the right title just presents it self.
DeleteWhen I finish reading a standalone, I wish the characters well in their changed lives and move on. When I finish the latest novel in a series, usually the author sprinkles enough clues to make the next book tantalizing. Ruth Galloway, Maisie Dobbs, Vera Stanhope, Flavia de Luce (though it's the final book). I return to a series because I like the characters.
ReplyDeleteOh that is a perfect description of what happens at the end of a standalone! I will have to quote you in this talk. I am really really sad about the Ann Cleeves Shetland series ending after I got hooked on Jimmy Perez. I have the last book, but I am not going to read it for a while.
DeleteAnn is launching a new series, so while we'll miss Jimmy, we will have new characters to follow (and Vera, of course)
DeleteAnd I can't wait for the new series. Like Cabot Cove, Shetland had an awfully small population for such a high murder rate! Ann told me she wanted to leave that series with people wanting more, and she did, bless her. Now I'm waiting for the new series, which I'm sure I'll love as much as the others. And there are others, besides Shetland and Vera, you know.
DeleteI’m working my way through the vera series now. And I like them very much, though the character is not as appealing as Jimmy Perez. I am hoping she will grow on me, and very much looking forward to seeing what’s next !
DeleteI like both. As everyone has mentioned, series are fun because we get to visit our old friends. Standalones are also fun because, as Hank said, ANYTHING can happen. Oddly, the standalones I read are usually by author I already love (like Rhys) because I know I like her writing style. I'll also look at standalone I recommended by writers I like (all you Reds) but I seldom choose a standalone while browsing. Hmm, I guess that means I prefer series.
ReplyDeleteInteresting observation Cathy!
DeleteThat’s fascinating that you choose them by recommendation, and not buy… Instant when you see one. I was in the airport this morning – – that’s why I am so late appearing here – – and saw some interesting looking standalones. But I did not buy them. I just wasn’t convinced by them when I examined them. So funny! And so many of them appeared to be dark and sexy. Which is not me at all :-)
DeleteT-Bone is looking very settled in with those books, Lucy. Nice!
ReplyDeleteAs for series vs standalones, I'm drawn to series because they hold the promise of new friends and long-term relationships with them. But stand-alones offer the excitement of new friends and no obligations for the long term. I can't choose between them, but will say that I stick with a series because I love the character(s) and want to spend time with them; the plot needs to hold me, but it's the characters I return for.
T-bone says thank you. I had to take a lot of pictures before I got him in a stationary pose LOL. And I agree with you completely about continuing with this series because of the characters.
ReplyDeleteLike Karen in Ohio, I am a reader. So I read both series and standalones. In general, I don't think thrillers lend themselves to sequels or series, though Tami Hoag has done a good job on those from time to time. I find I actually like to intersperse the series books with the standalones for variety sake.
ReplyDeleteI guess I do have a special soft spot for series, as many of my all-time favorite authors write series. But there are a lot of series I find just good enough, too. It's really all about how strong the characters are. I could never tire of reading about Duncan and Gemma, or Inspector Gamache, or Judge Deborah Knott, to name a few. But there are a lot of other series that tell a decent story and stay just good enough to read. (My library's audiobook selection leans strongly toward cozy series, so I have sampled a large variety there.)
A new trend I started spotting about a year ago was debut novels, already billed as being "first in a series," which end with some kind of cliffhanger that will be resolved (one assumes) in the next book. I consider that cheating and very bad form. I am very frustrated when a novel ends that way and I am disinclined to reward the author by buying the next book. It is obvious (to me) that the last chapter of this book should have been the first chapter of the next, not appended here to upset the resolution to the first story.
I'm the guilty party, Susan. Not in my first few novels, but starting around the sixth I began ending on a cliffhanger for the next book. It's a very personal preference - I enjoy then, and I just can't seem to resist!
DeleteSorry, Julia, but if you had done that from the beginning I would have quit. (I'm still working my way through your series, and haven't read book six yet. So I can't yet speak to my reaction to how you've actually handled it.) One of the reasons I read a lot more mysteries than any other genre is that they can be counted on to resolve at the end. I like closure. I don't mind there being some loose ends in the backstories, but I want a clear sense of closure at the end of each book.
DeleteI agree… Only Julia can get away with it. Otherwise, I think it is completely unfair
DeleteJulia can get away with it because after the first few books, we are completely caught up in the characters' lives and absolutely HAVE to know what comes next in Millers Kill. Same for Duncan and Gemma and the others in Deborah's London.
DeleteI read and enjoy both series books and standalones. As others have said it is great to open a book in a series and to start reading when you know the characters and the setting. You know it will be good because these are your "people." That is until it gets a bit too repetitive and you are no longer seeing any growth or change from the main characters. It must be very tricky for an author to know when enough is enough and it has all been said.
ReplyDeleteBut standalones are fresh ground - new characters, new challenges.
That whole "girl" in the title copycat thing really irks me! I have vowed that I won't be reading any more of those. And if a review says something like "if you liked 'gone girl' you'll like this". Kiss of death for me!
Lots of times, the publisher makes the decision about when a series it’s over and that of course is based on sales. Or lack of them. Probably harder is if a series is still selling well but the author is tired of writing it…
DeleteI have read interviews where the author said something like, 'the publisher came to me with an idea for a 'coffeeshop/bakery/restaurant/bookstore' set in 'name of quirky town' where 'newly divorced/widowed/break-up' female finds trouble and a hunky 'detective/cop/take-your-pick kind of guy.' It seems so formulaic and stifling to me--all business stats and little creativity. I do read cozies, but I only come back to the series if the writing is good enough to make me care about the characters. And I want the plot to keep me guessing--if I know whodunit in the first two pages, then I won't be coming back for more. As for standalones, count me among the group who will bypass anything with a title which is surfing on the popularity of the latest buzz-book. I'll read the title, the jacket copy and can pretty much tell if I find the characters/premise interesting enough to spend time with.
ReplyDeleteAnd I love the photo of T-Bone casually lounging in front of the books--a discerning boy and not obvious at all that his new mama is besotted!
Flora- I agree completely! And, as for T-Bone...poster child for feline swagger.
DeleteFlora, I feel the same about those types of "work for hire" series.
DeleteIn 1984 my next-door neighbor at the time was hired to write for a men's adventure series, as one of a stable of writers who cranked out titles. He eventually wrote three or four of them, with me copyediting at least two (could have been three, I can't remember any more). They were all written to a formula, of sorts, and had to include the same set of characters, plus a bunch of other criteria. I found them terrifically boring, and full of scatalogical dialogue, not to my taste. But they apparently sold pretty well, especially to truck drivers, of all people.
Obviously, I read both series and stand-alones, but I would say that in recent years, stand-alones have become my favorite. I feel that too many series books get into a rut of being the same type of story, but with the names and weapons changed each time. Not always and it certainly depends on the series, but I think the authors stuck in that cycle know it and just don't know how to break it. And like Hank says, there is generally no risk to the main character - although, recently a few authors have really taken risks and that is not *always* the case anymore. I can't say more, must avoid spoilers.
ReplyDeleteThat said, I do think that Tana French has a brilliant process for her series. Like Jenn said, it allows us back into that world, while also feeling fresh each time.
Before Tana, I think that Sophie Hannah also make series books *new again.* For those that haven't read her Culver City (Charlie and Simon) series, Sophie has the same detectives for each book - and they and their relationship do develop with each book - but the "main" characters for the books are actually those people involved in each new case. So in the end, each feels like a stand-alone with some occasional visits from characters we know and love. It's really hard to describe, but if you read two of them, you will get the idea.
Laura Lippman did a similar thing with Hush Hush, the first Tess Monaghan book after a multi-year break. It was still part of the Tess series, but really was a stand-alone that existed in her world.
In the end, I'm a fan of whatever makes a book feel fresh.
Laura Lippman's a great example of a writer who goes back and forth. Though wouldn't you say the standalones have been her 'big' books?
DeleteI would certainly say that Laura's bigger books have been the stand-alones, however, she did win the Edgar for one of the series books.
DeleteOne other thing I will mention about series that I don't think happens in stand-alones (or at least not as much.)
ReplyDeleteI really think that for a book to work, it must be the book in the author's heart. Many series are "write-for-hire" situations, where a publisher says "I need a book featuring...whavever" and then hires a writer to do so. With a few rare exceptions, I find these books don't often work for me. Somewhere in my mind, I can tell this is not the dream book the author *wants* to write, but something to fill the contract. Now, most people don't know this is happening - and even in some cases, I may love a series that started this way and I just don't know it - but having talked with authors who were in that situation, they have told me that often their heart just isn't in it.
Kristopher, I was not consciously aware that this situation occurs, but as soon as I read what you wrote I was sure that I have read some of those books as well. They just feel "workmanlike."
DeleteKristopher--exactly--a cozy may seem like it's following a formula, but when the writer is pouring their heart and soul into a book, it makes you care, too.
DeleteI'm an always hopeful series searcher, and I jump for joy when I find a new-to-me series that sticks. So often, however, I read the first book and say, meh.
ReplyDeleteOne thing I demand is Character Development along the way. I like learning more about the main characters, and their associates and how life moves on.
The latest series I came upon (thanks, of course, to JRW) is Suzanne Chazin's Jimmy Vega series. Love them. Plus, I'm a big Lady Georgie fan.
So, Susan, how long do you think Lady Georgie should go on? ( I've no plans to stop)
ReplyDeleteAs long as Georgie keeps moving along, and history marches on as well, the possibilities are endless, and I'll keep on reading her adventures. Now that she and Darcy are married, they each have a lot more to lose. (But she has to trust him up to the hilt).
DeleteHistory is your friend here, isn't it? What with the death of George V (and QM becoming a widow) and the short reign of David, and then The Big BIG A! And then George VI, and how Elizabeth and the Girls are going to adjust to their new roles, and how Georgie and Darcy can help them, and fend off those who might wish them ill, and then...oh heck, the War. I'm so looking forward to seeing how you tap dance through time with them.
I think a standalone book is like an exciting vacation, but a good series is like coming home to a place you've always loved and don't get to visit very often. Both are a nice break from work and reality, but if I have to choose then I'll probably opt for a favorite series, just because I know I'll be welcomed in.
ReplyDeleteIt's the characters who keep me coming back to a series. If they are people I would like to hang out with in real life, I like to hang out with them in book form, too. What turns me off from a series is when the book is plot-driven, not character driven. Keep the potential lovers apart too long because some editor somewhere thinks the sexual tension is lost if they get together? Don't do that. Force the amateur sleuth and the detective to get together even though there's no chemistry there? Don't do that either. Kill off the love interest because they've been together too long and they can't have a happy ending? Oh, please. That went out with "Bonanza."
But give me an interesting set of characters who evolve as the series goes on, and respond to the events in their lives in ways I can sympathize with? I'm there for you.
Hmmm, I see myself as more of a stand alone reader, and then I think of Deb and Ann Cleeves and Louise Penny, all of whose series I've read and reread.
ReplyDeleteI have some issues with series. I have to start at the beginning, and I have to read each one. This often results in a months long binge that precludes reading anything else, and then a sense of rage when I come to the end, have to wait another year-or two for the next one. Deb, you know of whom I'm speaking.
I gravitate to stand alones, and I agree with Kristopher that Tana French satisfies both my need for ongoing characters and a book that I can enjoy as a one off.
I confess I'm not much of a fan of cozies. Is this a deal breaker REDs? I hope not. It's just the need for blood lust that fills my soul!
So what I guess I like is options, and I wish that some of my favorite people who write cozies would venture out into the world of the stand alone.
With the odd f**k thrown in. Just for flavor.
Interesting, Ann. I don't consider my books cozies, but still I get lots of feedback from readers who are horribly offended if any character says a bad word. So I'm always trying to strike a balance between what characters really woulds say without shutting out a whole bunch of readers. Especially in the new one, A Bitter Feast, which is partly set in professional kitchens, which are full of *#%**#@*.
DeleteI don’t consider your books anywhere near cozies You satisfy my bloodlust completely.
DeletePersonally, I prefer standalones, mostly for the reason Hank listed. Anything can happen. I like the end being a big question. But there are many series I enjoy too. Really, as long as the writing is good I'll keep reading no matter what type of book it is.
ReplyDeleteWhat an interesting discussion.
ReplyDeleteAs a writer, well, I've written one stand-alone (unpublished) that I suppose has series potential, although my critique group said when they read it, it definitely had the feel of a stand-alone. My current contract is for a series and yes, it's a bit challenging to not write the "same story, different weapons/motives/characters" even though I'm only at book #2. I am trying to have a character arc, a place where my characters should be at the end of book #3, to keep them growing. If I'm lucky enough to get a second contract, there will be another arc (I already have ideas).
As a reader, I like both. I like the warmth of returning to a favorite series and I like the "newness" of a stand-alone, especially if it's by an author I already like (see Rhys and Hank for good examples). I'm also a bit tired of the "Girl" or "So-and-so's Daughter/Wife/Child/etc." books. Not that I absolutely won't read them, but my first reaction is often, "Not another one."
But I'll drop a series when it becomes obvious the author is "phoning it in" for the sake of a contract and their heart has gone out of writing it.
Mary/Liz
Lucy, T-bone is so adorable. Do you have any idea how he got his name?
ReplyDeleteI asked the fellow at the desk at the SPCA when I was filling out my paperwork. He said “I must have been hungry that day. The other one that came in with him is named Porkchop.”
DeleteGlad you didn't end up with Porkchop!
DeleteLike many others here, I am a series junkie. I don’t mind if they hop around time-wise though, meaning a book in the series can go back in time to give the entire series more context. I also read stand alone books but am always on the look out for the next in a series. I was somewhat crushed when Sue Grafton passed away without completing her alphabet series and was pleasantly surprised when joan Hess stepped in and completed the Elizabeth Peters series.
ReplyDeleteAt heart I must be a bigger fan of series, starting with Nancy Drew, than stand alones. However,the series can't be too long because of aging of the characters, like Spenser. (As an aside, I was at Northeastern University when Robert B. Parker was teaching there. He had the most popular class on campus - a course on Star Trek.). The writing and the series' main character's personality are what keep me coming back. Interestingly, the TV actors cast for "Longmire" led me to the books which came first. Boy, was the casting ever perfect! I asked Craig Johnson at "Longmire Days" last year in Buffalo, WY, if the actors now had an influence on their characters in the books. He said no, that they had been in his head/life for 7 years before the show came on TV. But when I read them, the cast is in my head.
ReplyDeleteSo cool that you were in his class! How fantastic to be taught by an icon… Eager to hear about it! Tell us more!
DeleteAnd it’s interesting to think about… Which is more difficult: to come up with a whole brand new completely new world? Or to think of an adventure for say, book 10 of a series, one that’s reasonable and logical and not just the same book again again again. Both daunting!
ReplyDeleteHank - I'm writing book 12 in the cupcake bakery series and I have no idea what's going to happen. None. So right now, I am thinking double digit series books are the hardest things EVER. LOL!
ReplyDeleteAlthough I occasionally read a stand-alone, I am a series junkie. Every new book in the series is like visiting old friend. I love seeing how the characters grow and develop over the course of the series.
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing your comments about series and stand alone novels. I fell in love with the Constable Evan Evans series by Rhys Bowen. I am so glad I kept the books when I was downsizing and giving away many books. I have a few favorite series. I can read both stand alone novels and series, depending on other factors.
ReplyDeleteDiana
Series all the way. I only read stand alones from favorite authors. I like the familiarity of old friends and locations. But I don't mind a prequel or an occasional different location. I like knowing that the main characters will probably be safe. I will follow the series as long as the writing is good and believable. I've dropped mysteries that stopped having real mysteries in them or just got too silly.
ReplyDeleteA good stand alone is great to read, but I always want more. How an author keeps a series fresh fresh is sometimes the most interesting part, but if the story gets too distant from what I like in the series, it isn't always what drew me to it. If I like an author, though, I usually like all their books.
ReplyDeleteI love series that are written well. It's such a joy, dipping back into the place and time, reconnecting with old friends. KDL What's Next is high on my "popular" bookmark list. I will read a good stand-alone as well, especially if written by or recommended by a favorite author, though I feel sadder at the end, knowing there isn't another waiting. The one thing I find hard to forgive is a series book ending on a cliff-hanger. Thank you all for not doing that. As the pages left to read dwindle, I expect resolution, that "aaah, all is well, at least for now" feeling, and I'll come back for more.
ReplyDeleteThere are some series, such as Christie's Poirot novels, of which I never tire, though I won't read continuations of any series, whether it be Christie, Spencer, or any other. I usually end up finding older series, and then going to the first book and catching up over a year or so, leaving room for stand-clones and other reading. The setting makes a huge difference to me. That's one reason I like William Kent Kruger's Cork O'Conner books, and Louise Penny's too. A lot of British series are easily available in libraries and paperbacks, and I enjoy those too. I've read some of the cozies by JRW, and enjoyed them, but haven't finished all of any of those series, though I'm trying. Julia, are you listening, I'm almost caught up.
ReplyDeleteHank, the Face Time cover looks like the street my father lived on.
ReplyDeleteHallo, Hallo Jungle Red Writers!!
ReplyDeleteI've been following your blog for a few years and even link to your lovely blog via my own but I've never had the proper chance to visit regularly and add commentary til this year! I suppose in many ways it has to do with re-balancing my hours between being a social reader (ie. blog, bookish Twitter, LibraryThing) and being a writer. I'm reclaiming my pen again this year, which is one reason I'm revisiting the author group blogs I love to read with a higher frequency throughout the coming year.
Not to mention I always wanted to engage with those who blog about writing and about the craft which gives us all a lot of joy to pursue.
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In regards to the topic at hand, I personally lean on writing series - I have them as trilogy or quartets at the moment but I was thinking of a longer standing serial as well. In regards to one-offs, those are lovely too but I have to be in the right mood to conceptionalise one as I have the tendency of loving my characters and waiting to see 'what comes after' I write an instance of their lives.
I have the same preferences as a reader - I read a high volume of one-offs but my heart loves to dip inside serial fiction because I love taking that extended journey into where we are going with the characters both lead and supporting cast.
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Ms Bowen really etched out my readerly heart well in her response. Ms McKinlay broached why I love the Love Inspired Suspense and/or Harlequin Heartwarming continuities where we have either a single or multi-author sequence where the stories evolve through either a singular family (where each sibling takes the lead) or a small towne (where the characters are evolving into sequence) or some other 'lead-in' where we get to stay for a certain period of time with the cohesiveness of the plot moving forward and back through a cycle of characters. #sogood
Ms Crombie is a writer after my own bookish heart! Wow. Loved how she described why she writes serials... like looking into a writerly mirror!!
* Why I read Mysteries - golly me, the key reason is feeling emotionally anchoured into the plot and to be hugged close to the lead character(s). My top favourites at the moment are all dramatic crime series or Cosy Historical Mysteries - Hiro Hattori novels, Anna Blanc Mysteries, Marjorie Trumaine Mysteries, Samuel Craddock Mysteries, Bess Crawford series, and the Kay Hunter series (of which I exclusively listen on audiobook). Each of these tips the hat towards what motivates me to see out this genre of influence and why these stories are leaving me hankering for more - I've also blogged the heart out about them so there's that breadcrumb of insight to seek too! (laughs)
Outside of Mystery/Suspense/Thriller - I also love serial fiction in Science Fiction & Fantasy - such as The Clan Chronicles (3x trilogies) by Julie E. Czerneda who for me raised the bar on how you can write captivating Space Opera and Speculative drama.
* All the series I mentioned are still prior to reaching the 10th volume with the exception of Bess Crawford. I can easily have a series go full-on for 20+ volumes if the continuity, the voice and mannerisms of the characters and the key reasons which led me into the series remain in tact. Another series that befits that love is Aunt Dimity - though in theory despite the volumes ahead of me, I'm still at the front end of it! Ohh and the Coffeehouse Mysteries by Coyle but again, like Dimity I'm towards the front end!
* I love tibbits of trivia 'behind the book / behind the series' - such as what inspired the series itself, how were the characters' developed; what was challenging about this particular installment/series/locale/timescape/etc, anything really that speaks to how a writer fused themselves into the plot and gave the reader the necessary anchour to explore their world.
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Wow! What a smashingly lovely topic!!!
thanks for your thoughtful comments Jorie--we're glad to have you here!
DeleteI love to read both. I'm writing a series now, but I have ideas brewing for stories that could be stand-alone thrillers. Well, except for that one lurking over in the corner, that could go either way!
ReplyDeleteI love cozy mysteries. I feel like the characters are real, and I wish we were friends in real life. I don't like when harm is done to an animal. I have cried while reading some cozy mysteries, and cozies are supposed to make me happy, not sad.
ReplyDeleteI love series but I do see this split in mystery fiction at the MOMENT - I am not sure it is permanent. I wonder - the essential mystery reader seems to love a series. In our book club, and even in our store, I found the non series stand alones were in general not beloved in the way people love say Deborah's Gemma or Julia's Claire or Rhys' Lady Georgie. Reading a stand alone is a different and finite reading experience. And I can tell you there was active hostility toward The Girl on the Train, and the complaint from my customers - all hard core mystery readers - was that there was no character they actually liked in the book...in the end, that may be what's essential. I personally love the character development in a long running series. It's like catching up with a friend!
ReplyDeleteLove these comments! It's so interesting when trends in the publishing industry veer away from what the reading public loves. And you are right Robin, a standalone is a different reading experience
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