“Series” is a poorly chosen name for this approach (since it already has a commonly used meaning – a number of books connected by characters and events – and that is not what is being talked about here). What this author is calling a “series” could be referred to less confusingly as a plot strand.
I’ve used this technique, without having heard of it, and combined it with the Seven Point System popularised by Dan Wells (Google for it, he has a series of excellent videos on YouTube), so that each strand is developing in a logical way. A spreadsheet (or a big piece of paper, if you’re old-school) is all you need to use this.
Originally shared by Deborah Teramis Christian
If, like me, you have ever struggled with plot in a book you’re writing, here’s a new(ish) paradigm for thinking of story-things that might be very useful. I’m intrigued by this approach and am going to give it a try with some WIPs. http://www.betternovelproject.com/blog/series-outline/
Totally agree with your comment, Mike Reeves-McMillan , re “series” being a mis-nomer for this method, and a needless re-definition of a common term. I translate it to “story threads”, which is philosophically very close to your term “strands.” But yeah, the concept itself is, I think, a useful paradigm.
Totally agree with your comment, Mike Reeves-McMillan , re “series” being a mis-nomer for this method, and a needless re-definition of a common term. I translate it to “story threads”, which is philosophically very close to your term “strands.” But yeah, the concept itself is, I think, a useful paradigm.