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I'm in the planning stages of a new trilogy. I've completed character profiles for the four main characters, I have the world mapped out and a background planned. I also have names for the three books and a one sentance description of each book. Now it's time to start writing.

Before I do, I was wondering how other people plan new projects. What do you do?

Also, Fiona, you mentioned in another thread somewhere that the second book of a trilogy is the hardest. Why? Do you have any hints to combat this problem? Any advice would be gratefully accepted.

~~The Scribe~~

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Scribe, you are incredibly thorough and you've done more planning for this than I would do for half a dozen trilogies. Take a deep breath and just write now. It's time to see where all that planning takes you and your potential readers. Good luck - my fingers crossed that this is the big one!

There are many reasons why book 2 is the hardest and I think if you ask enough published authors they may well agree. As I mentioned this advice was cast my way by the Fiction Publisher at HCP - she'd seen enough trilogies to know how we struggle with book two syndrome.

Book one is easy. It's the fun one. You can take it anywhere you want. Your imagination can run riot. You can introduce a gazillion characters - as I rather stupidly did with Trinity!

Book three is normally the best one because that's where all of what you have set up is now coming home to roost. All the secrets are revealed, all the tensions are relieved, the story's culmination and hopefully exciting climax happens here. It's where the villains get their come uppance and our heroes finally realise they can overcome all that conflict. It's where your reader finds relief, discovery, satisfaction...and it's usually your very best writing.

Book two is the meat in the sandwich, the meat to the tale. It's where all the hard work is done. The justification for all of your imaginative riot from book one is settled down and given credence in book 2. It explains a lot and has to deal with a huge amount of background and setting up for book 3. It means as a writer you face a lot of exposition which has to be handled carefully so you don't bore your reader. It's also where as author you must really pay attention to pace and never ever lose the momentum. You don't want to introduce new characters in book 2 but invariably you do to keep interest high. There are dangers in the middle book of being repetitive, perhaps falling for devices which worked in book 1. Well you can't - it has to be original, pacy, full of explanation and wonderment. Most of all it of all the books must do the hardest yards in piling on the tension and the excitement. Book two needs to leave your reader so breathless and desperate for book 3, they'd crawl over the proverbial hot coals for it. They'd ignore the library wait list and buy the damn book 3 because they simply cannot wait for resolution.

Book 2 takes the greatest skill in my opinion and is the most draining to write...as I can attest right now!

....but don't let that daunt you (grin).

Good luck Librarian - we'll all look forward to progress reports in due course. Set yourself a target date and nail it.

Fx

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Thank you Fiona for answering my question so thoroughly. I can clearly see what you mean and even though it does sound somewhat scary, I'm prepared to cross the bridge now.

OK, I've got some writing to do..... ">

~~The Scribe~~

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Thank you, Steve. I really do appreciate you saying so. ">

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Good question Karen. I always wonder how others do it (not that I've actually "done it" yet).

I h ave found that the events I had roughly planned for book one keep getting pushed back into book two. Perhpas in this way I may avoid some of those book two blues, I know I'm having enough with book one!

cheers,
Darren.

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The scribes website is wonderful and well worth the visit.

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With all the preparation and all the planning, I found that I was over zealous. I took one story and spread it out over three books - this is NOT the right thing to do.

Now, I realise that this one story belongs in one book.

A bit of advice, don't drag your plot out - keep your story concise and keep the reader turning the pages.

~~The Scribe~~

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Absolutely K."> .