Series vs. Standalone

This week's discussion topic was suggested by blog reader, Chris C…

Q: What are some of the differences between writing a whole series vs. a standalone book (ie, the planning, deciding what goes into which book, what gets resolved in each book vs. what is carried on to the next or delayed to the last, etc)?

A: While I have not been published with a standalone in mystery, all three of my romances have been single stories so I think I can address this topic fairly well.

When I'm working on one of ...