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Trial balloon

The plot for the second novel is taking shape. Unlike novel #1, which I started writing with only a shell of an idea and developed on the fly, novel #2 will be approached with a little more preparation. My intention is to fully outline and partially research it before I begin drafting the manuscript. Admittedly, I worry that too much structure will quash creativity, but I’m not so rigid that I can’t change mid-stream.

My question today – and I hope this will be the first blog post with comments (hint, hint) – is about making these two novels part of a series. Is it advantageous to have a series in progress when you’re going to pitch your work to an agent or the traditional publishing industry? Are there drawbacks?

At this stage of development, it is easy to see how novel #2 can be made to fit the universe created in novel #1. It won’t be a sequel, but it can set the stage for future novels. Plus, the main character of novel #2 is likely to be the protagonist of future books, while the kinda-villain of novel #1 would be a solid bad guy. However, it would also be easy to make a couple minor changes and have the books sit on their own. Obviously, I’m inclined to go a particular direction but I wonder about ramifications.

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