"Why Write a Series? Don't You Have Enough on Your Plate?"

A guest post from Barry Napier...
I asked myself this question roughly one hundred times as Iwas about halfway through the first draft of Everything Theory: Cold Compass. Honestly, the first answer that came to mind was the fact that Isimply wanted to put myself into an overly ambitious project and see itthrough.  The second (and honestly mostimportant) answer was this: because the characters of the story were demandingit.
At first, I had never intended Everything Theory to become a series.  It was going to be a nice little one-offstory with the potential for other books that tied into the same universe withthe same characters. I certainly had no intentions of the books taking up about90% of my writing time.  But as I made myway through the first book of the series, ColdCompass, I realized that these characters—primarily Gabe, the centralcharacter—had a lot more going on than could be covered in one book.
I assumed I could probably get three books out of Gabe, hisback story, his father's sordid history, and the shadow organization thatconnects it all: CSAR.  I made a few plotmaps and was ready to tackle a trilogy. Then I ended up introducing the villain of Cold Compass, a mysterious figure named Garrison Sleet.  And as I delved more into who/what he mightbe, it started to appear as if a trilogy might not cover the entire story,either.
So as it stands, I have a 5-book series on my hands.  It is all mapped out and fits rather well(although it appears that Book 4 might be pretty lengthy).  Book 1 has been released, and Book 2 is a fewediting sessions away from being wrapped up. I am currently taking a slight break from the Everything Theory books to give myself a break (or maybe it's thecharacters that needed a break) from the twists, turns, and conspiracies.
So…why write a series? Because sometimes the writer is just the conduit; it's the characterswithin the story that are really producing the words.

To learn more aboutBarry, his Everything Theory booksand other works, visit him at his online home:www.barrynapierwriting.wordpress.com.