Tracing the thread
Panthera : Death Song is the second in a series of books. I'm using the same main characters that I introduced in Panthera : Death Spiral. Ren Hunter and her brothers Nic and Bryn get involved in a new set of illegal doings in this book.
This means that I have to follow through with the character traits, histories, and modes of speech which I invented in the first book. When you've spent the best part of a year with the first book you might think you'll never forget the details of your characters' lives, but you do. Very quickly, once you get involved in writing the next book.
You have to keep records of your characters and their world if you're to avoid tripping yourself up half way through the next book. For each novel I write I have a ring binder which I call my research file. I create a table in Word that records the details of all my characters. This has columns headed first name, last name, occupation, appearance, and a notes column where I record significant relationships that character has, or important story actions they're involved in.
I also draw a map of my world. For Death Song my characters are based on one huge continent that lies mainly on the equator, and most of its interior is tropical rainforest. This reminds me that when they fly to one of the cities it's going to take them several hours. It also helps me to keep the story on track as I can trace their route.
If you're going to write a series you need some kind of record keeping system. If you don't the links between your different stories are going to unravel fast.
This means that I have to follow through with the character traits, histories, and modes of speech which I invented in the first book. When you've spent the best part of a year with the first book you might think you'll never forget the details of your characters' lives, but you do. Very quickly, once you get involved in writing the next book.
You have to keep records of your characters and their world if you're to avoid tripping yourself up half way through the next book. For each novel I write I have a ring binder which I call my research file. I create a table in Word that records the details of all my characters. This has columns headed first name, last name, occupation, appearance, and a notes column where I record significant relationships that character has, or important story actions they're involved in.
I also draw a map of my world. For Death Song my characters are based on one huge continent that lies mainly on the equator, and most of its interior is tropical rainforest. This reminds me that when they fly to one of the cities it's going to take them several hours. It also helps me to keep the story on track as I can trace their route.
If you're going to write a series you need some kind of record keeping system. If you don't the links between your different stories are going to unravel fast.
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