RISE OF THE MAGI: How to Know When to End a Series by Jocelyn Adams
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How to Know When to End a Series
by Jocelyn Adams
Most of the time when Iâm contemplating a series, I already know generally how long itâs going to be. When I wrote The Glass Man, I knew it would end up a trilogy since the storylines I had in my head were only enough to fill three books. I wasnât sure Iâd ever write a long series, but after reading a few that I fell in love with, watching how deep into characters I could get with the prolonged exposure to them, I decided to give it a try. Since I have the attention span of a gnat, it was an overwhelming proposition at first.
The newest world Iâm working in (Ironhill Jinn) has a primary storyline that will span, by my estimate, eight books, while each of those books has its own conflict, villain, etc., along with gradual in-depth explorations into each character. I had a hard enough time writing a trilogy, how the heck am I going to pull this one off? It helps that I can see the building blocks of these books better than any Iâve tackled before.
How do I know how many books it will take to finish the story? Well, for the first time EVER, I actually plotted the story arcs ahead of time for each book, building toward the overall storyline that spans the series, what to reveal about which character at what time, that sort of thing.
Iâm the kind of person who likes to have my ducks in a row, to know where Iâve been and where Iâm going. Iâm not sure how the authors of the never-ending series deal with those books. Is it just like a create-your-own adventure? Each book leads them to new storylines they build from there, come what may? But what if they need to make changes in earlier books? Do they just stop writing when they run out of ideas or get bored with the characters? Thatâs a scary thought for me, not enough boundaries.
Even with my limited series, Iâm still trying to get all of the books written before I submit book 2 in case I need to switch up details to make future storylines work. And without a definite end goal to reach for, I think Iâd flounder a little, have a hard time keeping the characters focused and the story tight. But hey, thatâs just me. Will I ever write an open-ended series? Probably not.
Whatâs your favorite series of all time? What did you love about it?
About the Author
Jocelyn Adams
Jocelyn Adams grew up on a cattle farm in Lakefield and has remained a resident of Southern Ontario her entire life, most recently in Muskoka. She has worked as a computer geek, a stable hand, a secretary, and spent most of her childhood buried up to the waist in an old car or tractor engine with her mechanically inclined dad. But mostly, she’s a dreamer with a vivid imagination and a love for fantasy (and a closet romantic â shhh!). When she isn’t shooting her compound bow in competition or writing, she hangs out with her husband and young daughter at their little house in the woods.
Contact: Website | Blog | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads
Rise of the Magi
In a battle of wills, who is strongest? The one who hates or the one who loves?
In a test of faith, who will fight the hardest? The one who has everything to lose or the one who believes only in herself?
For Lila Gray, the answer is both.
For the Magi, the questions are pointless since they canât lose, and theyâve been waiting since before Lilaâs birth for this one moment.
Lila only needs to find them to understand her entire purpose in life.
This time, though, instead of protecting her people, Lila may be leading them all, including her unborn child and the man she loves, to their deaths â and not by accident.
In the ultimate trial of heart and soul, and the conclusion to the Lila Gray series, Lila will learn that the greatest weapon of war is herself, with one ultimate unknown.For which side will she fight?
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Source: J.C. Martin, Fighter Writer
