I’ve realized it’s better to be mentally prepared to write many books if you’re writing in the cozy mystery genre or any genre.
It makes sense. Not from a readership perspective but from a marketing perspective as well.
But, is writing a stand-alone single book the same as writing a series?
In some ways, yes and no.
As far as the series goes, you’ve got to be careful from the beginning.
But once the foundations are in place, the writing can be quicker and smoother. It’ll also save lots of time and energy in the long run.
Of course I am not pantser. I know that from my other writing.
Writing a series requires some preparation upfront. Not because planning is nice. Not because my inner planner says so. But because it helps you stay on track and not lose the essence of the story.
So when you write the next book in the series after seven to ten books, you know exactly how to continue the story.
I’ve found that some absolute beginner steps come first even before you dive into story building.
You’ll need something to keep a bird’s-eye view of your story.
So I created the Novel Bird’s Eye View worksheet for this reason.
Think of this beginner step as a brief. Designers get a brief from their clients that gives them an overview of the project they’ll be working on.
If you’re a writer looking to get an overview of your story and have multiple books to write, this is where I’d start. You can get it, it’s free to download.
Get the worksheet here.
Your turn now, tell me, do you have any steps you take before you start writing?