Writing a series? Keep it organized!

with guest Leslie Ann Sartor.

Have you ever thought about writing a series? Then, I beg you, start your "bible" now.

Don't wait like me, until I finished the first book and realized by the not-so-gentle nudging of a great friend, our own Audra Harders, that I had a series on my hands.

Worse, I have TWO series I'm working on and will start a cozy mystery series in 2016. Take pity on me now, please, or pray. It's going to be a crazy ride.

But now I know I'll start my cozy bible from the get go, the other two I have to build in the midst of writing the current novel which feels a bit daunting, but is crucial.

So just what is a series "bible"?

It's the document that is going to keep you from tearing out your hair.  

It's not only going to remind you of your character's eye and hair color, the dimple in his LEFT cheek and the tattoo on her RIGHT wrist. It's what we call in the film biz, continuity. It's making sure that not only do you have the house on the same side of the block, but you have the street name correct and the color of the car consistent. Nothing ruins a film faster for me or makes me close a book, perhaps never to open it again, by inattention to details.

BUT, there are more than physical aspects that need to be kept consistent -- deeper, more complex issues. I promise you these details, and others you come up with, will help build your story faster and keep correct the traits readers loved in the first place.

So let's dig in a little deeper. Here are some ideas to make notes about:

·         Endearments and how they're said. Darling or darlin'.

·         How does your character get mad? What is their hot button? (One of Reid Hunter's is anyone questioning his loyalty--he doesn't get mad, he retreats, the heck with them. But deep inside he's hurt.)

·         Do they drive fast? Irritatingly slow? (Brice Young—slow which frustrates Jennifer Malone who has a fast car and likes to drive it that way.)

·         What are their beliefs and what forces your character to reveal them?

·         What is the name of the boat or whatever—cottage, car, dog, cat, etc.? (This also makes sure you spell it the same throughout the books.)

·         Create a map of the area so X store is always next to Y store. And the house across the street is a red gingerbready style, not a Craftsmen bungalow.

·         Note landmarks that are used or could be used.

·         What are the characters' lineages? Don't want to blow that one. Keep a family tree going.

·         Save pictures that intrigued you about the story. Don't try and find them again. The internet is fickle. And if you cut them from a magazine, scan them in or take a photo.

·         Research sites. I have a ton, all in my files. And if something is important, I copy and paste the info. Some of those sites have moved much to my dismay.

Have I lost you yet?

I'm hoping your next question is…where do I put all this information? That is exactly your question? I have a few answers.

This part is actually really fun, it's like creating a detailed scrapbook.

I have a friend who literally makes scrapbooks with everything in them. All her notes, pictures, snippets of dialogue from experts talking…everything. I've seen them and I'm a bit—okay, a lot—envious. They're not those fancy 12x12 scrapbooks -- she uses composition books or notebooks, something that will hold a lot of stuff.

Some folks use Evernote to take "clippings" of their research. I like that idea. You can paste them anywhere.

Another great idea, and one I once used for all my research so it was in one place, is OneNote in the Microsoft Suite of programs. It's a one stop folder. Everything in one place.

What I'm using now is Scrivener. I'm creating a new binder just for this information. Because a lot of it is already in Scrivener, I can copy the folder and move it to the new binder, then add as a re-read my books and find what I need.

Friends don't let this happen to friends. That's why I'm writing this post!

What's most important is that you do what works for you. If you're super detailed and not messy, you'll find a method for you. If you're crafty you might use the notebook method. (It's tactile as well). But whichever method you use, it has to be simple to get to the information, or I doubt you'll use it much.

What do you think should be included?

And what method do you think you'd use?

I'm offering two Kindle copies of my latest book ForeverYours This New Year's Night to a couple of lucky commenters. (Please note this is a sweet romance, not an inspy)

Jennifer Malone Can't Believe What's Happening To Her

How dare he? Granted she's far from home, dining alone on Christmas Eve. But that doesn't give Major Brice Young—the cocky man who'd out-experted her on a big cyber forensics case months ago—the right to invite himself to her table and then do what he did.

Brice Young Can't Believe He Did What He Just Did

Stupid move. Brice needs Jennifer Malone to be the beta tester of his new cyber defense program and he bet he'd just ruined his chances. Why on earth did he come here at all, let alone do what he just did? Would Jen still show up at tomorrow's meeting and agree to work with him on testing his new system?

Can Two Prior Adversaries Work Together?

Getting Jen to test his new system is Brice's priority until he discovers she is so much more than the icy cyber geek she portrays to the world. Jen fights to keep her distance, despite Brice's undeniable charm. There is no way she ever mixes business with pleasure, especially with a recently divorced man…or can magic happen on this New Year's Night?

Leslie Ann Sartor (aka L.A.Sartor) began telling stories around the age of 4 when her mother, at Leslie’s insistence, wrote them down and Leslie illustrated them.  As an adult she writes suspense and action adventure novels with a dash of romance, and screenplays—she's had a contracted adaptation!  She lives in Colorado with her husband whom she met on a blind date.  Leslie loves to travel and thinks life is an adventure and we should embrace the journey.  She has a blog and a mailing list.


AND, there's more...


Along with Leslie's generous gifts, there will be a couple more.

We'll be giving away winner's choice of one of these holiday books (e-version)!

Check the WE on Saturday to see if it's YOU!!