Writing a Trilogy, Part Two: Book Two

Okay, so last week we started our exploration of writing a trilogy. I'm back today to talk about the second part of the trilogy: Book Two.

I think Book Two is the hardest. Let's just get that out in the open up front. The author has the challenge of living up to Book One, and the characters aren't new. The world isn't new. The problems aren't new.

We got to see all of those things in the first book, so Book Two usually suffers from Little Sister Syndrome. In fact, in my exploration of trilogies, I read many (MANY) a second book that I felt was exactly like the first. I felt like I'd read the same book twice.

So that's a huge challenge we need to overcome in Book Two. I think there are some "easy" ways to do this. You can write a companion novel. A spin-off. Narrate from a different character's POV. Things like that. But no matter what, Book Two is part of the trilogy, and needs to contribute to the overall story/plot arc of the series.

So what do we need to do in Book Two?

To me, Book Two is the Now We Know What's Wrong With Our World, and This is What We're Going to do to Fix It book.

Applying this to the character, it's the I Know What's Wrong With Myself, and I'm Going to Try to Change novel.

This follows nicely with Book One, which was the This is What's Wrong With My World/Character.

That's the next step in the trilogy. Now that the MC knows, what are they going to do to fix/change things? That's the essence of Book Two.

Of course, Book Two needs it's own plot too. It's own set of problems. It's own main conflict. And this is often where authors fall into the trap of writing another Book One.

So don't do that. Instead, think of these things as you're devising the plot for Book Two. Think of Book Two as the second part of the trilogy. Think of it's role in advancing the series enough to get to Book Three--which is The War. If you don't advance us far enough, Book Three will suffer. If you try to rewrite Book One, Book Two suffers.

So here's how to make Book Two do exactly what it needs to do:
1. Focus on the end. You're driving this crazy train, and you have a specific destination: Book Three. If you know where you need to be for The War to begin, you know what needs to be accomplished in Book Two. And knowing that is more than half the battle.

2. Stretch the main character. They overcame some things to solve the main conflict in Book One. But they still have Things That Need Fixing, and we can continue to stretch and grow them in the plot of Book Two. During this stretching, make sure that more things get fixed.

3. Get to the heart of the overall main conflict. Think of Book Two as the middle act in the three-act trilogy. Act Two--according to Blake Snyder and his beats--takes up half the book. Act One (Book One) is just the beginning. Act Three (Book Three) is just how it ends. But Book Two is the entire middle.

Which might be another reason it's so hard to write.

But in Act Two (Book Two), there are several things to address that will help you find the heart of the series and move toward Book Three.

The Series Midpoint: This is a defining moment for the series. It's when consequences are suddenly made clear for the series. And it happens in Book Two--usually about halfway through. It's where the main character knows exactly what they're up against, and even how far the antagonist will go to achieve their diabolical ends.

I like to think of Harry Potter. Book 4 this time--which is the midpoint of the HP series. Book 4 is full of awesomeness. The Tri-Wizard Cup. But during all this, we realize how far Voldemort will go to achieve his desires. He will kill and kidnap. He will send in spies. He will do whatever it takes.

And Harry realizes it too, right there in the graveyard after watching Cedric die, and being transported from the maze with the portkey.

This leads us to two more important things that are important to the series that happen in Book Two.

The All is Lost Moment, and the Dark Night of the Soul.

The main character should experience a profound All is Lost moment for the series. To me, this is when Harry's blood no longer is a protection to him. It's exactly when Voldemort presses his finger to Harry's scar.

The Dark Night of the Soul is the darkness before the dawn. We can usually disguise the Dark Night of the Soul as the climax of Book Two. It's all wrapped up like this:

All is Lost moment for the series
Climax of Book Two
Dark Night of the Soul period for the series

This is where the main character--though they may have just overcome the main conflict in this story--realizes that they have a heckuva long way to go to beat the bad guys. It's where they have no solutions to orchestrate that defeat, and they're clinging to their safe and trusted places for refuge until the sun rises.

This is usually how Book Two ends. There's a glimmer of hope on the horizon, but we can't see it yet--and neither can they. 

So there you go! Long-winded, but a bit of a map for how to navigate the landmines of Book Two in a trilogy. 

What do you think? Read some Book Two's that are just a repeat of Book One? Read some great ones? What's essential material for Book Two?

The Wisdom of Justin Bieber

No, really. Go with me on this for just a minute. So my seven-year-old daughter really likes Justin Bieber. I've bought her books about him from the book orders. Seriously. I've listened to two songs by him, and okay. They're songs.

Then I heard his new song, "As Long As You Love Me." I downloaded it, put it on the iPod, listened to it in the car. Etc. Etc.

I'm mindlessly listening one day, not really thinking about much, and I hear these words:

But the grass ain't always greener on the other side,
It's green where you water it
So I know we got issues baby true, true, true,
But I'd rather work on this with you

And oh my heck, you guys! It's so, so true--for publishing too.

I think we often think that we'll be happier if we're doing something else. If we can get an agent, or a different publisher, or a better book deal, or the marketing support, or whatever.

But it's just not true. The grass isn't greener somewhere else. It's greenest where we water it.

Yeah?

More Review Drive Prizes!

Okay, so the Review Drive for Possession and Surrender is in full swing! Thanks to those of you who have entered. (If you need full details, click here.) ((To enter, click here.))

Basically, if you leave a review for Possession or Surrender, you can enter to win cool books. And who doesn't want cool books??

So far, we've got these signed books:

And over the last few days, I've been announcing several ARCs on the Facebook page. So all of these are now up for grabs too -- simply for leaving a review for Possession or Surrender!

CRASH by Lisa McMann, coming January 8, 2013

THEN YOU WERE GONE by Lauren Strasnick, coming  January 8, 2013

THE PROGRAM by Suzanne Young, coming  April 30, 2013

TEETH by Hannah Moskowitz, coming January 1, 2013

WITCH WORLD by Christopher Pike, coming November 13, 2012

THE GATHERING DARK by Christine Johnson, coming  February 12, 2013

THE MURMURINGS by Carly Anne West, coming March 5, 2013

AND if that weren't enough, I'm giving away a prize package of books to one lucky winner who helps spread the word about this Review Drive. These books aren't signed, but they are AWESOME! All hardcover unless noted:
1. IN HONOR by Jessi Kirby
2. GLIMPSE by Carol Lynch Williams (paperback)
3. SEE YOU AT HARRY'S by Jo Knowles
4. BEING FRIENDS WITH BOYS by Terra Elan McVoy
5. FURY by Elizabeth Miles

You can enter that here -- it takes a tweet or a blog post!
a Rafflecopter giveaway


Here's where you can leave reviews:
Possession on Amazon
Possession on Goodreads
Surrender on Amazon (I'd really like to get to 50!)
Surrender on Goodreads

Ghost Tour for FORGET ME NOT: Stop #4

Available now! Order here.

FORGET ME NOT is a paranormal verse novel exploring the story of a young girl, Ally Cassell, who makes a rash and desperate decision after compromising photos are texted around the school. She then finds herself vacillating between worlds with the ability to see ghosts.

There is someone else on campus who can see ghosts too – Elijah McCall. He’s loved Ally for years and would do anything to help her escape her in-between place, trapped on the H-hall. He knows it all too well. He spent some time there himself.

I got an early copy of FORGET ME NOT, and I devoured it in pretty much one sitting. Number one, it's written in verse, and this is extremely hard to do. So I was studying the structure and the words and everything.

And it's brilliant. If you like reading well-crafted stories with exactly the right words, you'll like FORGET ME NOT.

And today, I'm stop #4 on Carolee's Ghost Tour! Be sure to check out the first three stops here:
STOP 1 - Visited the places around the school where different ghosts gravitate depending on how they met their end.
STOP 2 - A ghost hunter video.
STOP 3 - Explored the history of the school.

You can win this Shakespeare necklace made specially for the Ghost Tour by leaving a comment, or following Carolee, or a bunch of other things. Links at the bottom of this post.

This post, STOP 4 on the tour, is an interview with Elijah McCall, but first check out this poem Ally wrote about Elijah.

ELIJAH WEARS BLACK
leather biker pants even
though he doesn’t ride

a bike. Total geek. Loose white
shirt and leather boots make him

look like Orlando
from As You Like It. He went
to the psych ward last

spring when his brother Frank died.
When he came back he kept to

himself. Sat alone
during lunch scribbling in his
notebook and then he

spent a whole month speaking in
iambic pentameter.

He knows what it’s like
to be the campus joke. I
would be safe with him.

The other kids think he’s lost
his mind. I think he’s found it.

Shakespeare is a mask
to hide the pain. I wonder—
if I found a mask,

put it on and tied it fast,
would I be okay again?

(from pg. 23 of FORGET ME NOT by Carolee Dean copyright 2012)
Contact the author for permission to reproduce

And now onto the interview with Elijah!

ELANA: It sounds like you spent some time on the H-hall yourself.

ELIJAH: Yes, that is when I started seeing ghosts.

ELANA: After you took the pills.

ELIJAH: ‘Twas not the brightest move. I must confess.

ELANA: I heard you spent some time in a psychiatric hospital, and when you got back to school, you spent a month speaking in iambic pentameter. Why is that?

ELIJAH: ‘Tis the meter of the famous bard.

ELANA: Yeah, I know a lot of Shakespeare’s characters spoke in iambic pentameter, but dude, real people don't talk that way.

ELIJAH: Shakespeare's just a mask to hide the pain.

ELANA: Do you realize you’re doing it now?

ELIJAH: What?

ELANA: Speaking in iambic pentameter.

ELIJAH: Oops.

ELANA: No. Its okay. We all have our little quirks.

ELIJAH: Some of us have more than our fair share.

ELANA: I can relate (bacon, anyone?). Another quirk-you said you can see ghosts. Does that ever bother you?

ELIJAH: A ghost is just a person who got stuck.

ELANA: That’s one way of looking at it.

ELIJAH: I must go now, but we will talk again.

ELANA: Thanks for coming, Elijah. I look forward to talking to you again.

THE CONTEST
You can win the Shakespeare necklace and other cool prizes by visiting GHOST TOUR CENTRAL Go to the Rafflecopter link at the bottom of the page. Or enter it here:
a Rafflecopter giveaway

And don’t forget to read about the making of the book trailer and watch the video HERE. It's seriously one of the coolest things I've seen done for a book, by teens.

Leave a comment to enter to win the Shakespeare necklace! And can you imagine writing a whole novel in verse? Trust me when I say it's hard to do. I know. I'm attempting it.

Writing A Trilogy, Part One: Book One

Okay, so I've written and almost published a trilogy now. I never thought I'd do that. To me, Possession was a stand-alone, and I had no idea how to write a sequel. So I didn't. I wrote a companion novel instead. *wink*

But really, I wrote a trilogy. And it was hard. And as I was preparing to write the third book, I read a bunch of trilogies to kind of get an idea of the basic formula.

Because I believe everything has a formula. I found as I was reading that trilogies are no different. So for the next few weeks, I'm going to be talking about writing a trilogy, and maybe if you're writing one or thinking of writing one, this will be useful for you.

Book One: This is the first act. It's the first third of your overall trilogy, and should be thought of as such.

In Book One, all the important characters are introduced. The main character, obviously. But they're joined by secondary characters, as well as the villain(s), and they should all have page-time in the first novel, even if they're not all on-page.

The Six Things That Need Fixing are established. This is a Save the Cat term, so I'm not taking credit. In fact, all of this is me thinking through the Save the Cat beats on a more global scale. But the Six Things That Need Fixing are typically weaknesses in the main character that they need to work through and overcome to solve the main conflict in the story.

These Things are the things that in the end, if the MC doesn't overcome, they won't prevail over the villain. They're also the Things that if the MC does overcome, they'll save the day in the eleventh hour.

These Things can be powerful indeed. And you establish them for the entire trilogy in Book One.

The catalyst to the main, over-arching conflict happens, and quite often, this is masked as the main conflict of Book One. In fact, the main conflict of Book One is typically just the tip of the iceberg of the conflict for the entire trilogy.

Sure, the MC solves the conflict. All is saved for this story at the end. But usually they realize how much farther they still have to go at some point at the end of Book One. We get a little taste of what's truly at stake, and just how far the villain is willing to go to achieve their goal. Book Two will expose more of this, but we'll save that for next week.

The debate whether the hero is going to be real or a fake is also explored. Usually, in Book One, the hero has to decide whether they're going to throw themselves into the story and do what they can. This is a type of what the entire trilogy is about.

You'll need to test and try your MC in Book One, take them to the brink of what they can do. This is how you make them choose to be a real hero or a fake hero. You'll do the same in your trilogy. We drag it out in Book One a little bit, by giving them moments of desperation, and more Things That Need Fixing, and not allowing them to overcome all their weaknesses in one story.

These are the same things that you do in the first act of your book too, but you apply them on a global level to the series.

Basically, I think of Book One as: Introduction to What's Wrong With This World. And What My Main Character Could be Made Of.

Next week, we'll explore Book Two, it's role in the trilogy, and how to think about the book as a whole.

What would you add to this? Have you penned a trilogy? Planning to write one? 

Focus

Okay, so I was typing with my son this past week. He has to log onto this website and complete 250 races, and to sort of encourage him through this somewhat tedious task, I challenged him to try to beat me.

Like that's gonna happen. Ha! But really, he did beat me in a couple where I gave him a head start.

Typing. Exciting times. But it did give me this blog post. One of the quotes we typed included this line: "Focus on your own performance rather than on the competition."

It comes from this book. No lie. SPEED SECRETS, you guys!

The beginning part of the quote we typed said something about how sometimes a car in front of you can be good motivation, and then it went straight for the jugular with the whole "focus on your own performance" line.

I mean, seriously. It's so perfect for writing! Sometimes we are motivated by those who are ahead of us on the track. We see them and what they've done, and we have hope that we can replicate their success.

Sometimes we have to be the lead car. Sometimes we're blazing our own path.

And sometimes we just need to focus on our own performance, putting blinders on to everything else around us.

Where is your focus right now?

The Amount of Work it Takes

Okay, so we watch a lot of sports at our house. I've seen documentaries about players, movies about teams, and more football games than I care to admit. True, half the time I don't know where the ball is, but there's something inspiring about sports.

And I think that something is work.

I teach elementary school typing. It's a fine motor skill that's hard for some kids. I teach several writing classes. In an attempt to help those who struggle in typing and as part of most of my presentations, there's one thing I do.

I tell them how much work it takes to get good at something. How if you want to become a good typist, or a good soccer player, or a good trumpeter, you have to practice. A lot.

I tell them that Steve Young didn't show up on the field one day and win the Super Bowl MVP.

I tell them that Michael Phelps didn't wake up one morning and say, "I think I'll go to the Olympics and win eight gold medals."

We can't expect that we'll show up in front of the keyboard and type perfectly or quickly. Or that we can just go to the games on Saturday and score all the goals.

So we certainly shouldn't think that we'll be able to sit down at our laptops and write the next bestseller.

It takes a lot more work than that.

Writing is like sports or typing. The more you practice, the better you'll get. You just have to be willing to put in the work.

So are you ready to put in the work?

Happy Release Day to...

Okay, so there's a new book on the block today. It's KEEPER OF THE LOST CITIES by Shannon Messenger. It has a brilliant cover.

It has a likeable character. 

Here's the book description: Twelve-year-old Sophie has never quite fit into her life. She’s skipped multiple grades and doesn’t really connect with the older kids at school, but she’s not comfortable with her family, either. And Sophie has a secret—she’s a Telepath, someone who can read minds. But the day Sophie meets Fitz, a mysterious (and adorable) boy, she learns she’s not alone. He’s a Telepath too, and it turns out the reason she has never felt at home is that, well…she isn’t. Fitz opens Sophie’s eyes to a shocking truth, and almost instantly she is forced to leave behind her family for a new life in a place that is vastly different from what she has ever known.

But Sophie still has secrets, and they’re buried deep in her memory for good reason: The answers are dangerous and in high-demand. What is her true identity, and why was she hidden among humans? The truth could mean life or death—and time is running out.

It's a fantastic read, so get your copy today on release day! Congrats to Shannon!

Review Drive for Possession and Surrender Begins Today!

Okay, so there is a Review Drive going on -- starting today!

The How:
1. Leave a review for Possession or Surrender (or both!) on either Amazon or Goodreads (or both!).

2. Fill out the form on my Facebook page HERE.

The What You Win:
1. This week, there are two options: a signed copy of STRUCK by Jennifer Bosworth or a signed copy of SHADOW AND BONE by Leigh Bardugo.

2. Each week, two new novels will be up for grabs. Giveaways run from Monday - Friday until October 26. That's four weeks of giveaways -- and plenty of time to get your hands on a copy of either Possession or Surrender and leave a review!

The Technicalities:
1. If you've left a review in the past, you can enter to win now. Just fill out the form.

2. You do not need to leave a positive review to enter.

3. Text reviews are not required, but highly encouraged.

4. Only open to US and Canadian mailing addresses.

So yeah. That's all there is. Hopefully, you can help spread the word about the Review Drive, and in fact, I've made that easy for you! Tweet, Facebook, blog, whatever you want to do. And that'll earn you entries for this month-long giveaway for a prize package of amazing YA contemporary novels.

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Hope

Okay, so this is going to be a cryptic post. I guess I could be sorry for that, and this is not necessarily my story -- but I know enough authors and I've watched enough journeys to relate. Maybe you can too.

Okay, so imagine yourself on this path:
1. You write a book. It's a good book. People read it and tell you so.
2. You query the book, and you manage to get a literary agent. And your literary agent manages to get you a book deal.

OR

2. You decide to publish the book yourself.

3. You now have a book out in the wild.
4. You blog.
5. You promote your book and yourself.
6. You do signings, events, speak to library groups, book clubs, the works.
7. This next step could involve any number of things. Blog tours. Scavenger hunts. Conventions. Teaching classes. Facebook pages. Tweeting.

But still, your book isn't doing as much as other books. It's not selling as well as your friend's books, or books that are similar to yours, or whatever whatever.

You might feel like all is lost. That no one will ever buy another one of your books. That your agent or publisher will drop you, or that you won't be able to write something people will read.

I'm here to say it's not true. Your first book does not define your career. Even the first series does not determine whether there will be a second.

Only YOU can define that.

So don't give up hope.

Gretchen McNeil Talks TEN

Okay, so today we've got the fantabulous Gretchen McNeil on the blog! She's a super-talented author, and one of my bacon sisters. Don't worry if you don't know what that means. Just read the answer to my last question.

But first, let's talk TEN.

About THE BOOK:
The Twitter version: tell us about your book in 140 characters or less:
Ten teens trapped on an island with a serial killer. Mayhem ensues. (BRILLIANT.)

About THE AUTHOR:
Have you always wanted to be a writer?
Nope. Growing up I wanted to be an opera singer. I pursued that career for many years – including a BA and a MM degree – but it didn't work out. I started writing about five years ago.

What made you decide to go that “extra step” and seek publication?
Well, I'd written a novel that I thought was awesome (it wasn't) and I thought, "Why else would I be writing if not for publication?"

Quick! You’ve been chosen to go on Survivor. What luxury item do you take?
Stilettos. (Ah, yes. Gretchen is the shoe lover I wish I could be.)

And the most important of all: bacon or chocolate?
Elana, you know this answer to the question is ALWAYS bacon. (See? Bacon sisters!)

You need to get this book! Don't believe me? Perhaps you'll believe CHRISTOPHER PIKE???

"TEN is a real page turner! Gretchen McNeil knows how to plot a thriller: Her setup is flawless and the suspense kept me on the edge of my seat." – Christopher Pike, #1 New York Times bestselling author of the THIRST series and REMEMBER ME

So get TEN today. You won't be sorry.

Thank You and a Winner

Okay, so Thursday was awesome for me! Thank you so much to everyone who pinned the cover of ABANDON, who tweeted about it, who posted it on Facebook, or who left a comment somewhere. You are amazing!

It's been a fun ride, that's for sure.

And there's the winner of the $50 Amazon gift card! It's Gabrielle Carolina!

Congrats! Please email me at elanajohnson@gmail(dot)com to claim your prize.

And in case you missed the cover, you can find it here.

The Cover of ABANDON!!

That's right! The third and final installment in the Possession trilogy now has a face! And here it is!

I especially LOVE the tagline "broken by control." It's just so perfect on so many levels.

So what do you think??

ALSO:
I'm running a Pinterest contest for the cover. I want to get 500 pins (or repins) over the next two days. If we can get that many, I'll pick someone who pinned the cover to win a $50 Amazon gift card. 

It's so easy to do this. All you have to do is CLICK HERE and select one of your boards to pin the cover to. That's it!

Don't have a Pinterest board yet? Put it on your Tumblr page. Your Facebook page. Your twitter stream. I'll count those too! Just be sure to tag me (@ElanaJ on twitter, Possession by Elana Johnson on Facebook).

Cue the muppet flailing!

Things I Wish Someone Had Told Me Long Ago

Dude, so here's the deal. Every step I take along this publishing road teaches me something I wish someone had told me earlier. And of course there are two sides to every one of these. I'm not saying them absolutely. I'm just giving you my general experiences with things I've learned in the past 18 months since having a book published.

Here's my top three, and maybe if you're coming down the road after me, this will help you.

1. Don't be in a hurry to publish. It's one of those things that once you do, you can't ever undo. Being unpublished is full of possibilities. Being published is full of numbers, full of what you've sold before, which indicates what a publisher thinks you can sell in the future.

There is no rush to publish. Take your time getting your manuscript right. Take your time soaking in the endless possibilities.

2. Enjoy writing what you want to write. When you're unpublished, you have the option to write whatever you want, whenever you want. Published authors should have this option too, but sometimes that's not always the case. Sometimes what we want to write is already over. Or not ready to be born. Or too similar to something our publishing house already has. Or whatever.

And there's great pressure to write the next publishable thing. There's the constant worry of, "Is this good enough to be published? Is this unique enough to be published? Is this my next published book?"

And if not, then what? Do I have the time to explore other options? Time to revise it?

And what happened to the luxury of writing some terrible-awful-no-good book just because *I* like it? Did I sign it away when I printed my name on that publishing contract? Maybe. Or maybe I just don't need to sleep more than 4 hours tonight.

So enjoy every minute you have writing what you want to write. Enjoy the days, weeks, and months it takes to get that book you love in the condition it needs to be in. Or not getting it there. Whatever you want to do.

That's the beauty of being the unpublished writer.

3.  Surround yourself with those who really care. I've learned that those that really care about you don't care about your publishing status. They don't care if you have an agent, a publishing contract, the lead title marketing plan, or thousands of followers on any of the social media sites. 

They care about you because of you. The book/publishing thing is secondary, or even tertiary, or maybe not even on the map. 

Those are the people you want around you. Find them. Do what it takes to keep them. You won't have time for the other kind down the road anyway.

So there you go! A few things that, looking back on the road I've travelled, I wish someone had mentioned these things in big, bold letters. 

What do you think? Are you in a hurry to publish? Why or why not? Do you write what you want to write? Why or why not? Have you found those that really care about you? 

Ten! Ten! Ten!

Okay, so today is September 18. It's a Tuesday. Lots of books come out on Tuesdays. But today is the super-awesome release of TEN by Gretchen McNeil.

You should go buy it. If they don't have it at your bookstore, ask them to order it for you (see how to join Gretchen's Army of TEN here).

About TEN: Shhhh!
Don't spread the word! Three-day weekend. House party.
White Rock House on Henry Island.
You do not want to miss it.

It was supposed to be the weekend of their lives—three days on Henry Island at an exclusive house party. Best friends Meg and Minnie each have their own reasons for wanting to be there, which involve their school's most eligible bachelor, T. J. Fletcher, and look forward to three glorious days of boys, bonding, and fun-filled luxury.

But what they expect is definitely not what they get, and what starts out as fun turns dark and twisted after the discovery of a DVD with a sinister message: Vengeance is mine.

Suddenly, people are dying, and with a storm raging outside, the teens are cut off from the rest of the world. No electricity, no phones, no internet, and a ferry that isn't scheduled to return for three days. As the deaths become more violent and the teens turn on each other, can Meg find the killer before more people die? Or is the killer closer to her than she could ever imagine?

You can see if Gretchen will be in your neck of the woods here.

I'm so excited for TEN to be out in the wild! Be sure to drop Gretchen a note of congrats!