Writing an ongoing story is a different animal than writing a stand-alone novel or short story. And it's not as simple as "What's the next big story?" How do you keep your whole cast of characters involved, including supporting cast? How do you build up to new stories without just pulling them out of the air? And how do you keep readers wanting to stick with every new story, whether novel in a series, comic book issue, or sequence of short stories?
Well, it's as difficult at ABC.
Wait, don't I mean as easy as ABC? Oh, I wish I did.
This is one of the toughest lessons any writer can devote himself, herself, or themself to. This is the kind of narrative goodness that keeps a series from being one stand-alone after the other that allows readers to skip out on a few steps (losing you cash from book and comic sales). This is the art part that makes readers have to stick around for the long haul.
The best ongoing narratives have done this well for years without every showing off the mechanics off it. (Perhaps that's why so many folks are unaware of this type of storytelling, because it was so invisible to the reader/viewer.)
Soap operas.
Yes, those soap operas.
But we'll get in to that shortly. Let's get to a few definitions for now:A Plot -- your main narrative story for the current book or issue or episode
B Plot -- the secondary, just below the surface plot that can and should complicate the A Plot (and in some cases become the new A Plot for the next book or issue or episode)
C Plot -- the more subtle, often reserved for the support cast story that can keep your minor characters busy will still having some bearing on future A Plots or even interactions with the current A Plot.
Got those definitions? Good. Let's get down to brass tacks.
Do I really need B and C Plots?
The simple answer is no, you don't. James Bond has gone on for years without B and C Plots that unify the series. So have pulp heroes like Doc Savage and The Shadow.
But, more and more, contemporary series are looking to unify their novels with multi-layered plots that form the glue between books. (Look no further than the ongoing romance between Hermione and Ron in Harry Potter or the build up to the season finale in shows like Wayward Pines and In the Dark. And if you're looking to write an ongoing comic, then it's a skill you'll definitely need to master. (Peter David's legendary run on Hulk and Aquaman are prime examples of this kind of storytelling done super-effectively.)
A typical example from the past has been to let the B plot graduate to the next A plot when that one resolves (for example, at the end of the novel or comic book issue or arc). Then the C plot graduates to a new B plot. And finally a new C plot is introduced.
For example, P.I. Samantha finds the killer (A plot), but her new lover (B plot) is found beside a dead body, and she must determine and prove her innocence. Meanwhile, that pesky noise she heard on her phone line (C plot) does indeed turn out to be a wire tap that she must look into while trying to save her lover. And so on and so forth.
But, as I said, that's just the typical pattern of the past. Many modern writers are switching up this paint by numbers formula by doing all kinds of cool change-ups.
- Letting the C plot skip the B plot and letting the B plot simmer for another issue, arc, or novel.
- Having the C plot resolve along with the A plot and introducing a new one for the next story.
- Bumping the B down to a C to create a sort of "plot red herring."
However, a failure to be consciously aware of and intentionally working your varying plot levels can and will cause your stories to seem disjointed, linked only by a consistency of character, but not story. That doesn't mean your books won't sell -- look no further than 007 or thousands of pages of pulp stories.
But, if you want to give your readers a special reason to keep reading, it's perhaps best not to expect to come fresh each time. A caveat, just like with classic comic writing, you'll need to be able recap in a subtle way to bring new readers up to date, but if you can do that while giving your ongoing readers an enhanced story experience, then that's a win-win for both you and the regular reader.
A strong example of this is Kim Harrison's The Hollows series. The romantic subplots weave from novel to novel, and characters who were allies can become enemies and back again. Any reader can begin with any novel, but the reader who began at the first will have a deeper immersive experience into the lives of the character her, she, or they have come to know (and maybe even love).
What if I'm not the only writer on a series?
Well, I'm glad you asked. That's when a strong story bible comes into play. My best stories written for others have been those properties that provided a detailed story bible for me to build from.
A detailed story bible includes (at the very least):
- the biographical history and likes dislikes of the main character
- the biographical history and likes/dislikes of the key secondary characters
- a cursory look at the history of the tertiary characters as it pertains to the main character (and possible key secondary characters)
- key regular locations and how they relate to the key characters
- any ongoing relationship entanglements, romantic or platonic
- any ongoing traumas or issues in the lives of the main and key secondary characters for contributing writers to build from
Now, that's just a start. And to be fair, I've received story bibles with all this and much more than I would ever need, but I've also received story bibles with hardly anything I really needed other than a description of the character and choice or weapons.
But, hopefully, can see how a detailed story bible can help keep all contributing writers working together to tell the same ongoing story instead of separate, unrelated "Elsewords" tales.
So, don't be afraid to ask for a story bible. And be a bit leary of anyone who doesn't have one handy (unless there is already a strong body of work to show off this info).
Examples from my work
Rather than just talking out of my... um, hat, I'll provide few examples from my own stories.
When I wrote for Lance Star Sky Ranger 4, it was a character I didn't not know or own, so I grew dependent on the info I could get from Bobby Nash, who owned the character. Thankfully, Bobby provided lots of detailed story info, and was open to me bringing in new elements into the work. He allowed me to introduce a femme fatale into Lance's narrative, and each story I've written with Lance, I've included her because they have an ongoing story together the other writers can also reference. Each story builds on the subplot introduced in the first story where I make it clear that she has her eyes set on Lance. Eventually, Monique San Diablo's grandchild will feature in some of the new contemporary based stories I'm working on.
Rick Ruby of The Ruby Files has one of the most detailed story bibles I've ever put together, because Rick's world is so "nexus-y." He is the intersecting point of so many worlds that it required more detail to keep it straight. In that story bible, Bobby Nash (Rick's co-creator) and I outlined his relationships with the four women in his life (an informant, a society girl trying to get him to settle down, his secretary, and his true love than can never be thanks to race relations in the 1930s), and his past with the police and those on the other side of the law. That way, each writer who has fully read the story bible can come in anywhere and build on those stories. On way Bobby and I keep those stories fluid but locked is by (1) only allowing the two of us to make major changes and (2) keeping the story bible updated as significant changes occur.
Fishnet Angel is the closest prose example to ongoing comic book scripting I have (other than my actual comic book scripting of course). In her first story, I introduce Andi (FA's girlfriend). When Mark has to become Fishnet Angel in order to save her, the real story begins. In the second Fishnet Angel tale, Mark (now Marcia) and Andi are having some issues, and he's tired of being treated like the super heroine he now is. Letting that build from an C-plot to and B-plot occurs in the third story, where Fishnet Angel is captured by a villain and must determine how to save Andi again in spite of their clearly crumbling relationship. To fulfill a prophecy, the hero discovers that she is pregnant by a fellow deity from the time she was kidnapped. The next story jumps to the future where FA is visiting a former friend turned priest to get some kind of closure and determine who he/she is now after all this. The next story jumps to the future, after she has given her child to Andi and her new husband to raise as their own in order to prevent the prophecy from coming true. Rife and B and C plots, I tell you.
Let's put all this into practice in a real world example. We'll make a quick, little "Mad Libs" here to help us:
Book One
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Main Character: Jeannie Davenport, a retired investigative journalist
Regular Cast: Doug Davenport, her ex-husband; Granger Hoffner, her "assistant" helping her re-organize all the mess left over after the divorce; Sophia Albright, her grand-daughter who is pursuing her own career in journalism
A-Plot: Granger finds the dead body of his landlord in his apartment and needs Jeannie's help to prove his innocence.
B-Plot: Doug is ramping up a new lawsuit to get more money since she was always the primary breadwinner in their family.
C-Plot: Sophia thinks there's something creepy at her college with the trustees in charge of scholarship funding.
Obviously the bulk of the plot and the action will be centered around Jeannie looking for clues and trying to prove Granger's innocence and find the real killer. In the middle of all that, once the killer finds out she's onto him/her/they, he/she/they begin to target Jeannie and those near her.
Meanwhile, just every now and then, we see small conversations between Sophia and and Jeannie where Sophia is asking for advice about how to proceed to look into improprieties regarding scholarship mismanagement.
In the end, Jeannie solves the mystery. The true killer is revealed, and everyone is safe. But, it looks like Doug's case is stronger than Jeannie could have guessed, and she could be looking at a large loss.
Book Two
Regular Cast: Introducing Brad Trent, Sophia's new boyfriend from college
A-Plot: While at court for a pre-hearing on the suit, Jeannie runs into a friend who is working for the opposing attorney. Two days later, the friend is found dead. Her lover wants to get Jeannie to look into the murder because she thinks someone at the law firm did it. But she must remain secretive or it could affect her defense if it is learned she's investigating the opposing firm for murder.
B-Plot: Sophia enlists the aid of her new boyfriend, Brad, who is at college on a basketball scholarship. Brad agrees to help her.
C-Plot: Doug learns he has cancer and must soon enter chemo.
Obviously the bulk of the plot will be Jeannie, Granger, and Sophia sneaking around to look for clues and keep anyone from finding out. But the more Sophia and Brad look into the scholarship mishandling, the more it looks like someone is using the funds to launder money. Meanwhile, Doug's sickness is causing him to reconsider his anger toward Jeannie because he will need her since she's still the closest "family" he has.
Jeannie solves the crime. The court case about the divorce is pushed until after Doug's chemo. But Brad and Sophia have started to receive threats. Doug has his first chemo with Jeannie (she's a saint, I tell you) by his side.
Book Three
The former C-Plot from Book 1 finally graduates. Brad is run off the road and lies in a coma. Jeannie, Sophia, and Granger believe it was attempted murder and investigate. Doug's chemo makes him rely on Jeannie even more, and the two feel they are becoming close again (though she fears it's just his weakness and need for her).
And so on, and so forth. But you get the point.
There you have it, but as I said at the beginning, it's not easy -- it's difficult. It's difficult because these aren't just plug and play subplots. Your readers will see anything that doesn't feel important quicker than you can write it, and they'll wonder why you're ignoring the real story of your novel, comic, or series of novellas. And you'll also have to make it feel natural in the scope of the main story. It's a great way to give your minor cast members something crucial to do before the B or C plots actually find your main character(s).
I've long said that writing and storytelling is more art than science, and it's just these kind of skills that have convinced me of that. But never fear. With practice and with reading authors who manage their subplots well, keep at it and you'll be a master of that art before you know it.
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