Series versus Standalone

Whether to write a series or a so-called standalone is a decision every mystery and suspense writer faces. The beauty of a series is, that if it takes off (think Spenser and Reacher and Kinsey Milhone) you will not only be laughing all the way to the bank, and chortling and clicking your heels and stopping in at all the stores along the street, but you have already developed your main characters. Again, think Spenser and Hawk and Susan and the dog. Each book doesn’t require starting from scratch with all the characterizations which means the author can develop the characters even more and concentrate on the story.

The down side of the series is that often after 4-6 books, or even less, the series tanks, sales are flat or worse, and the publisher drops the author like, well, the proverbial hot potato. And then whatcha gonna do?

Many very successful series writers take time off for a standalone. I am thinking of two excellent writers: Laura Lippman and S. J. Rozan. These have been real breakout books. Look at Dennis Lehane. He had his Boston series and then bam! Mystic River.

So the best of all worlds is to write both. Sounds easy, huh? I am here to tell you it isn’t.
I have 5 books in my series: the “in the closet” book, the published book, the two for sale and so-far unsold, and the third one soon to be ready. Actually, I took World of Mirrors out of the series, by changing the back story and changing the characters names and the age of the female lead. The reason I did this was that otherwise the series character would be getting excessively old. And I was able to cut almost 15,000 words out of the story, never an inconsiderable feat. But anyone who did a close reading would find the series heroine, Emma, and the stand-alone main character, Zara, soul sisters. Zara, being younger and feistier, puts up with less crap.

So now I want to do this 1928 California book, not crime fiction, not series, and a historical to boot. This ain’t easy. I’ve been thinking about it and doing research for a few years and it still seems awfully difficult to get going. What is the hardest thing is that I don’t really know these characters yet. I haven’t been working with them for 15 years. And do to the time difference, I don’t think they’re going to come to me fully dressed with all their little tics and peccadilloes.

Nope, there’s going to be a lot of work involved. Eeek! I never thought it would be a breeze, not did I think it would be THIS HARD. Of course I could just slap a first draft together and do serious character development in subsequent drafts, but that’s not my style. Hmmm. Time to roll up the sleeves and think. Thinking is hard. Suck it up and think? Thinking is messy. One doesn’t think in a straight line.

Nonetheless. . .