Just out here having a good cry because I can't believe this series is mine.
Helga
@helganr.bsky.social
💻 Psychological Thriller / Mystery / Horror Writer ✍🏼(WIP: 4M+ Words), Multi-Book Series 📝Status: Draft 5 (Full Series Rewrite)
I need to give myself more grace. Every task for my WIP series gets multiplied across every book because I'm developing them in tandem. Then I wonder why I can't move faster. Because every task, as small as it is, gets multiplied exponentially. Every single time. Been this way for seven years. 😅
The way this song sends me when I think about everything the antagonist-ally gives in this series. I'm just going to listen to this song on loop until my feelings on this subside, which will never never. www.youtube.com/watch?v=ik7T...
I Gave You All
YouTube video by Mumford & Sons - Topic
youtube.com
Just found the flow back into Series 1 and I just remembered how much I fucking love this series.
Woman Crying: I Love You So Much
ALT: Woman Crying: I Love You So Much
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Going to be a grown up and just start working. Starting with mister "I hail from the dark side" aka the antagonist-ally in my series. www.youtube.com/watch?v=nJN0...
MUSE - The Dark Side (Lyrics)
YouTube video by Liquid Sounds
youtube.com
I have to be really excited about what I'm doing to think it's not work. Enter...music.
I've also been avoiding character work...because, well, it's work.
Once I can have a clean current draft for each book and a solid game plan for each character in the series, I can finally start the rewrite. Because I wanted to start the rewrite June and we're now in the first week of August. I've been super distracted AND the work is taking longer than I thought.
Stay Focused!
ALT: Stay Focused!
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So I'm going to clear my agenda and just focus on my WIP series for the week. I basically have two goals. The first is to clean up the draft for each book in my series in prep for the rewrite. The second is to finish brainstorming full character arcs for each supporting character in the series.
I've gotten to the point where all my projects have a long list of bullet points to do.
Man Holds 'No' Sign
ALT: Man Holds 'No' Sign
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The advice to not split your time among multiple projects is interesting. These past two weeks I dove into some business ventures and realized they distracted me from my main project. But working on standalone novels a few months ago paid off as it has really improved my WIP series. So it depends.
Somehow Bluesky has decided to let me back after trying to force age verification on me for weeks.
Stanley Hudson's 'Boy Please' Poker Face
ALT: Stanley Hudson's 'Boy Please' Poker Face
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IDK. IDK. IDK. IDK. IDK. IDK. IDK. IDK. IDK. IDK. IDK. IDK. IDK. IDK. IDK. IDK.
Dexter Idk
ALT: Dexter Idk
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At the time, I thought the slight re-ordering of the books fixed the problem, but now I can see I have to revert to the original order and address the empty slot in S2. *big sigh* I mean the quick solution is to figure out how to add a protagonist-less side quest to S2 and make it work. But--
Kevin Hart: I Just Don't Know How To Do It
ALT: Kevin Hart: I Just Don't Know How To Do It
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Took me about a year away from Season 2 of my WIP-series to realize that there is a book slotted in there that should be pushed into the next season. Leaving an empty slot in S2. 😒 Now, I have the original book from S2 that filled the space. Problem is, it was more of a side quest so I removed it.
I even gave a full arc to a character who exists only in the negative space of Book 1. I know. I need to be stopped. I can character arc any character.
Sherlock Yasin: Stop It, Get Some Help
ALT: Sherlock Yasin: Stop It, Get Some Help
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I have this obsessive need to know all my characters down to the bone. Grueling work, but once it's done, it's THE most satisfying thing in the world. It's like, finally, I get to really build this story with the full character palette.
Even the minor character with the least amount of narrative space (literally just 4 tiny beats to his role in the story) got a complete arc. 🫠 I know, I know...
I'll See Myself Out
ALT: I'll See Myself Out
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Book 1 has 20 characters, including minor ones. This has been a long journey. 😅
Down to fixing the character arcs for the last three minor characters in Book 1. So close to being done! 🥹
My absolute favorite part of writing is constructing character arcs. Book-level arcs. Season-level arcs. Series-level arcs. Arcs revealed through backstory or separate timelines. I’m addicted to finding every possible function for an arc: twists, mystery, romance, deeper character meaning, etc.
Snoopy Dancing to Music - OBSESSED
ALT: Snoopy Dancing to Music - OBSESSED
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I would need an entire Ted Talk to explain it, but I thought my problem was "too many characters" or "too much structure for secondary characters." It wasn't. The fix was making every arc and interaction count, revealing things once at the right moment, and cutting repeated beats.
Interesting timing too because I just watched a YouTube video where a writer talked about quitting their debut novel over similar issues: Too many characters, thinking everyone needed an arc, too much bloat, etc. I was like, "Girl. Same." Except, I came up with a solution. Definitely never give up!
Finally figured out my issue with characters. I make them super functional in all kinds of ways, but I often end up proving their function too many times, which bloats the story. The answer? Use one meaningful beat instead of several to accomplish the goal. Cuts the narrative weight dramatically.
I can't believe the S3 antagonist made it to Book 1. I've cut him from drafts and added him back so many times. He's been gone for multiple drafts so imagine my surprise when he weasled his way into the rewrite! The protagonist is in so much danger. What's new? www.youtube.com/watch?v=SM8P...
Seven Devils
YouTube video by Florence + The Machine - Topic
youtube.com
The way I'm seeding in the Season 2 antagonist, Season 3 antagonist, and series antagonist (*among* other notable antagonistic figures) into Book 1 is wild. Always keep your eyes peeled when you're reading Book 1 to any of my series. There is so much more going on than you can ever imagine. 👀
Speed Ishowspeed
ALT: Speed Ishowspeed
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These are not actually character profiles in the traditional sense. They are more like maps that outline how each character functions and transforms, per act, across the book. In Book 1, character arcs have the same "surprise" factor as the murder mystery so I'm painstakingly sculpting each arc.