Why I don't release a series linearly
- Kim Greyling
- 6 days ago
- 2 min read
At one point or another, we've all heard the saying "absence makes the heart grow fonder" - and I find this especially true when it comes to writing. While I never intentionally set out to start a new series, before I had completed the current one, I found I needed a break from the characters. A palette cleanser if you will; Let me explain.
Sometimes, when we get too close to a subject, we can't see the answers staring us right in the face. This is especially true when trying to create a cohesive plot, not just only over one book, but an entire series too. If I kept writing the same series, what I realised was I was either creating plot holes for myself, or creating unnecessarily complex plots which didn't make for a great reading or writing experience. Then, I started noticing that other authors do this too. Karina Halle and Rebecca Yarros are my two favourite examples of multi genre authors, for a similar reason to what I just outlined. And well, I can see now why they do it.
What I didn't expect when I started jumping between series, was being able to finally crack the one code I had been dying to get right since I started writing; juggling two manuscripts at once. By now, I have a pretty solid timeline I follow when writing a book. I go through a few round of self edits, developmental edits, beta feedback and copy edits. In this process, there are moments where I'm waiting for other people's feedback. This became the perfect opportunity for me to start drafting a new book. What I found when I came back to the manuscript I was waiting for feedback on, was excitement. A new passion for the story and it made my whole perspective on the story stronger. While I understand that this process won't always work for everyone, I'm thrilled to have finally found something that works really well for me.