What Comes Next?
I am about two-thirds of the way through writing a new book in an existing series and I know already this will be the last book I write in that series. I’ve loved writing these particular stories, but I feel I’ve now done all I want to do with these. Of course, that means there will be space for something new, but what is that to be?
One thing I never have any shortage of is ideas for a new story. They fall upon me from out of the sky, whatever the weather, and I usually hurriedly jot down some notes and file these away for future reference. The difficult part, you therefore won’t be surprised to hear, is deciding which one of these gets my attention when the time comes to start on something new.
The same thing goes for a new series. There are many ideas tucked away, some of which I have already played around with to a lesser or greater degree. So, the question is, how do I go about deciding what comes next whenever the opportunity to start something new arises?
A new series is a big commitment. The idea is there will be multiple books written and, if that doesn’t turn out to be the case, then it will be because the first book has fallen flat on its face. Naturally enough I want to get it right from the start.
Of course, I want to write something that people will enjoy reading. I mean, who sets out to spend money on a book they think they won’t enjoy?
There is also usually a degree of expectation from people who have already savoured some of an author’s work. If they are used to you writing witty cosy mysteries then one day you show up with a blood-thirsty, shape-shifting, zombie end-of-the-world tome chances are they won’t be any too impressed.
Just as importantly, I want to write something that I enjoy writing. It’s not meant to be an exercise in self-torture and, what’s more, if I don’t enjoy writing it then it’s more than likely going to show through when people read it.
With a series I also need a core group of characters that I am confident I will enjoy spending time with, because that could end up being a great deal of time indeed. I don’t actually have to like them all, but I do need to enjoy their company. An evil villain can be just an entertaining as an impressive hero.
It helps too if I feel sure from the outset that there will be scope for me to develop these core characters over the course of a series. That certainly helps an author to maintain their own interest as a series progresses and I think this applies to readers too.
So, you can see, there’s a lot of factors to take into account. But I’d be lying if I said that I go about making these decisions in a ruthlessly cold, calculating manner. Remember, I am an intuitive author who makes up his stories as he writes them. It ought to come as no surprise, therefore, to hear me say that such decisions are made as much with my sub-conscious brain as the conscious part. It needs to feel right, is another way of putting it.
I do have a favourite candidate for my next series. It concerns a cast and a setting that came to me only very recently and which really got me excited as I started scribbling down notes. It is tempting to say the job is done, the decision made, and to plunge straight in the deep end when the time comes. But I am going to let things percolate away in the background. Allow my subconscious to do its thing. Then, when I do finally make a decision I will have some confidence it is the right one.
As this is my first post of 2025 I will end by wishing you a wonderful year ahead. My all your reads be fabulous ones.
All the best,
Ben
She’s blonde. She’s clever. She’s in his office. London based private investigator David Good doesn’t stand a chance. Good Investigations.
