On Writing a Series

Because I am starting a new book in my Rocky Bluff P.D. series, it's time to refresh my memory on many things--how Rocky Bluff is laid out. It's a beach community with a rocky bluff on the north side. The most expensive and newer homes are up on the bluff.

The town flows upwards from the beach.

A freeway runs over the town and on the other side of the freeway are orange groves and small ranches.

I have an cast of characters in these books that make regular appearances. There's Detectives Doug Milligan and Frank Marshall. Frank has been married a long time to the same woman. Doug is in love with Stacey Milligan who has recently become in charge of investigating vice. She was widowed and has a little boy named Davey and her parents, the Osbornes.

There's also Sergeant Abel Navarro, his wife, Maria, their daughter, Lupita, and a whole slew of Navarro relatives.

Officer Felix Zachary and his school teacher wife, Wendy, have played important parts in the ongoing saga.

There's the Chief of Police, Chief McKenzie.

Ryan Strickland, the Public Information Officer for the department has come a long since the very first book, once a play boy now settled into family life with his wife Barbara and her three boys.

Officer Gordon Butler is one of my favorites. He's been heart-broken by an unfaithful wife, when on the job always goes by the book, but often things don't go quite right for him either at work or in his private life. He'll be starring in the book I'm writing now.

And of course, there's always a new cast of characters--murder victims and the murderer and witnesses and other suspects.

It's very important to keep all these people and places straight. In the beginning with this series, I began writing everything about each person on a file card. As time went on I've added things and made changes as my characters changed.

Even with keeping track, I'm sure I've made mistakes, but so far no reader has called me on it.

When I wrote the first book years ago, I never expected it to become a series. If I'd known, I might have done some things differently.

Though I busy writing a new one now, the next one to be published will appear at after the beginning of next year.

When I'm done writing this one, then I'll have to start on a new Tempe Crabtree book, but at the moment, I have no ideas for that--but the next one is at the publishers waiting for a fall pub date.

And that's just a little bit about writing a series.

Marilyn
http://fictionforyou.com

Comments

Cheryl said…
Oh, I am thrilled to hear that Gordon will be getting the spotlight this time around. I love him!

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