Limited vs Open-Ended Series

I don't often get up on a high horse and talk about writing topics, because really, who the hell cares what I think? But I've run across this topic on two blogs in the past week, and it's starting to make me crazy, so I'll blather for a while.

The posts were on the topic of writing a series, and what both of them did was gloss blithely over the inherent difference between a limited and an open-ended series, equating Harry Potter with various mystery/thriller series without ever taking note of the fact that they are comparing two different creatures. And the thing that makes a limited series different is something that is very near and dear to me: THE END.

A limited series has AN ending; it structures itself around that fact. Each part of the story evolves some distance toward that point, usually with an ascending sequence of climaxes that have the same overall rhythm as any single volume. All of the plots go to the same place. Because the previous volumes are essential--it's all one--you can limit the amount of refresher information you give readers, or section it off in an introduction. It is expected that characters, even the world will suffer major changes; that is kind of the point.

An open series has MANY endings; each book has its own. Each book's climax tends to be at the same pitch, and each new volume hits the emotional reset button. Without an end to aim for, subplots tend to proliferate; killing them off becomes a major commitment, deep-sixing a resource that could be used in future books. Either every book has an all-new major antagonist, or the major antagonist is hidden in the shadows and only his or her catspaws are defeated. The main character tends to be the draw for the entire series; therefore, it's difficult to make substantial changes to the character. Since you never know when you might pick up readers, there tends to be repeated descriptive information for new fans who don't know what the main character looks like, or what kind of car is the villain's signature.

In case you can't tell, I have very little use for open-ended series; it's one reason I hate most television (major exception: Babylon 5. Guess why.) A story that has no destination is doomed to lose its way and drown in a bog, and by the time it does that, no one will miss it.

FURY'S FLIGHT

70,000/100,000

Too Many Irons

It has been over a month since I've posted a blog entry. I'm not dead, or ill, nor is anyone else in the family. It's just one of those occasions on which, while trying to juggle work, family, writing, cooking, gaming, blogging, and the sundry smaller things that make up my life, I dropped a few.

In the interim I've made a lot of nice new recipes, gotten my game back onto a weekly turn schedule, survived acquisition by Oracle with most of my sanity intact, and written some more of Fury's Flight. I've revised my other novel's query and am continuing to assail the Fortress of Agents. I've totally fumbled the 365 Project.

Going to pick things up and start again.

FURY'S FLIGHT

64,000/100,000

Whew, Where to Start

I started writing this post almost a week ago. I'm just going to throw it out there before this gets even more embarrassing.

The past couple of weekends have been all about cooking. The weeks have been all about writing (and a crappy but necessary work project). There's no "where I've been" post in two weeks now because I haven't been anywhere; I've been writing. That's good. I hope. Though it is making me cranky when I get pulled away from it to do other things, and I am consumed with worry that I am going to finish my outline far shy of the wordcount I want. I am discarding a fair amount of the alpha text as I rewrite. We shall see.

On to the food. I still need to type up some recipes, but I can at least get the links out of the way. I did indeed make chicken vindaloo, and it was awesome, very close to restaurant quality. I think next time I will use thighs on the bone, and I suspect that will make them ever closer. To go with it were Penang Pickled Vegetables, or as close as I could get with what I had on hand. Those were also very good. So was the Salmon Chipotle Chowder (as you can see, it was a spicy weekend!). I would make all of these again without hesitating.

The soup project has gone off the rails a bit, even though I got some pretty new bowls from Crate & Barrel. I may get back on track this weekend, but we shall see.

And a few more photos, to catch me up. I am a bad 365er; I have missed many days now, but I'm trying.

365 #23 Yet another view of Boston. I wanted to get the shadows, but I was talking to a co-worker and missed the time.

365 #24 Buying spree at Harvard Book Store

365 #25 Cheddar-Chive Bread via Dorie Greenspan - it rocks

365 #26 Dinosaurs

365 #27 New C&B bowls

365 #28 Days getting longer

365 #29 Miriam 4 months

365 #29 The trees can tell

365 #30 Public discussion on art restoration in the Red Line

365 #31 Mussel shell in a snowbank on First St., Cambridge. I have no idea.

Core Characteristics and Emergent Properties

As usual, I have no idea how this train of thought came about, but a few weeks ago I started thinking about the core characteristic of each of my main characters, what it is that makes them uniquely themselves. For Brandon, it's duality--not just bisexuality, which is rather obvious, but his ability to move between the court and the lower city, to share foreign and home perspectives, to understand magic without being of it. Kevan took a lot longer to figure out, and the answer surprised me, because I'm pretty sure it's love. Not exactly something I planned to put into his character, but on examination, most of what he does can be traced back to that. For the new book, I'm not entirely sure yet.

That it takes a while to figure out struck me on reflection as a good thing. You want a character to be complex, to have if possible all of the inner confusions and contradictions of a real person. If you set out to write someone thinking, "this person is ambition" or whatever, you're going to wind up with cardboard, because real people don't act the same way all the time. Ask anyone to describe themselves in one word and they're likely to fidget a lot, come up with something, and then add "but" to whatever they said.

I think that this notion of a core characteristic is something that should emerge as you get to know the characters, and it's not likely to make itself known in the first draft. Once it comes out, you can shine it up in a few places if you want to, or leave it as an exercise to your future readers to argue about; if you can't come up with anything at all, though, after several drafts, that might mean that your character is not drawn clearly, or isn't being active enough to demonstrate their qualities.

FURY'S FLIGHT

13,191/100,000

We Live on Hope

And such slender threads of it, too. One can see why those involved with publishing can start to seem callous--if they gave wanna-be writers any thread of encouragement we would cling to them like strangler vines. I was privileged to receive such a thread of hope today, and even though it was part of a rejection it will likely power me for the rest of the week.

I owe this blog a lot of recipes and photographs.

FURY'S FLIGHT

4,865/100,000

Where I've (Virtually) Been

In between jabs at a dreadfully boring but necessary task, my RSS reader overflows with wisdom and laughter.

• Writing Advice piece 1 and piece 2. The only actual rule seems to be "work your ass off," and a few people even get away without doing that.
• Reading lists: Women of Fantasy and Women of Science Fiction. I fear commitment to such a project, but good intentions in this case will only lead to a few books on the shelf. 
• I adore chicken vindaloo, and we still haven't found an Indian restaurant near our new apartment, so I will have to try this soon.
• People discussing politics politely?!
• Barbara Hambly has a LiveJournal.
• I want these bowls. Lots of them. 
• A series of practical posts for debut authors, which I am sure we all hope to have use for someday.

FURY'S FLIGHT

3.955/100,000

It Can Stop Snowing Now

Music: The Mollys, This Is My Round

I think there will be many a cup of tea drunk today. I made it to the office yesterday, but I didn't have much company there, and it was a long, cold wait for the bus home. I feel sad when it doesn't snow all winter, but this is officially ridiculous. Schools are closed, so I'll be working at the desk in the bedroom with my headphones in while D* plays Mario to entertain the kids. I thought the Wii would come in handy during snowy days, but I didn't expect it to get quite such a workout.

I have been looking around for a progress widget. This one comes from Inkalicious. It might do (not sure this will be a 100k book yet though - maybe 90k).

FURY'S FLIGHT

2,716/100,000

365 #21 Miriam 3 1/2 mo

365 #22 The view from my desk today