Series Plotting

Posted by Merry in Merry's Blog

Aug
20

One of the reasons I’m really struggling in making progress on Prayer of the Handmaiden is that nearly every paragraph I write reminds me of how much of the full story I just don’t KNOW yet. I’m beginning to realize why writing a series is so much more difficult than writing a single book.

For example (and without giving too much away in terms of spoilers) I already know almost exactly what will happen in the fifth and final book of the series. I know who the main characters will be and what their main conflict will be; I know how it will be resolved (though some of the specific details are still a little murky.) I even have several key scenes developed in my head. But, as these scenes develop I’m finding details popping up that will be key in preceding books, each one a big reminder that I really need to flesh out this final book before tackling the ones that precede it, unless I want to write myself into a corner.

I am almost to the point where I think I might have to write — or at least fully plot out in extensive detail — the entire final book, before I can write the second one. O.o And I certainly will have to have a good amount of the last book plotted in order to write books three and four.

My biggest annoyance with this is that I am impatient. I like much more immediate gratification, and it’s frustrating to think of putting so much effort into a fifth book that won’t see the light of day for probably many years to come, before I can finish the second book that is long overdue. *sigh*

So, since the fifth book is running like crazy through my head lately I thought I’d share a peek at my inspiration:

Inspiration for the final Ithyria book characters

I’ve been a fan of the Russian pop duo t.A.T.u. for many years. When the English single “All About Us” from their second album was released, I found myself listening to it on repeat while my brain played out its own interpretation of the song’s story — featuring two girls looking very much like Yulia and Lena. These girls and that song in particular are the driving force behind the entire Ithyria series, to some extent. I’ll probably elaborate on that more later, but for now I’ll just share a YouTube video of the song…

They say they don’t trust
You, Me, We, Us
So we’ll fall if we must
‘Cause it’s you, me
And it’s all about, it’s all about

It’s all about us, all about us
It’s all about, all about us
All about us
There’s nothing that they can touch
‘Cause you know
It’s all about us, all about us
It’s all about, all about us
All about us
We’ll run away if we must
‘Cause you know
It’s all about us, it’s all about us
In you I can trust, it’s all about us

If they hurt you, they hurt me too
So we’ll rise up, won’t stop
And it’s all about, it’s all about

They don’t know, they can’t see
Who we are -- fear is the enemy
Hold on tight, hold on to me
‘Cause tonight

It’s all about us
It’s all about, all about us
All about us
There’s nothing that they can touch
‘Cause you know
It’s all about us, all about us
It’s all about, all about us
All about us
We’ll run away if we must
‘Cause you know
It’s all about us, it’s all about us
In you I can trust, it’s all about us
It’s all about us