5 Build-Your-Series-Muscles Exercises

In the September 2013 issue of Writer’s Digest magazine, Karen Wiesner, author of the new Writer’s Digest Book Writing the Fiction Series shared techniques for creating a successful fiction series in her article “The Stuff Series Are Made Of.” In this online-exclusive supplemental sidebar, she offers up five exercises to help you see her method and concepts (discussed in detail in the article) in action:

1) Identify the ties in your favorite series books and how all the stories connect and build upon one another.

2) Note the differences in open-ended series and those that have a definitive conclusion. Which appeals to you?

3) Outline the series arcs (whether loosely or clearly defined) in notable series you’ve read—can you follow the introduction, progression and resolution from start to finish?

4) Take note of how the authors planted and developed seeds for C-S-P potential over the course of the series.

5) Consider what sets your series apart from others and what twists you can inject in each individual book.

To read Wiesner’s complete article “The Stuff Series Are Made Of,” download the September 2013 issue ofWriter’s Digest.