A Series Book for a Book Series

An excellent tool to add to the kit of any fantasy writer is a “book of books” for the series lore.

I have little concept art sketches, storyboard panels, and almost encyclopedic knowledge of where I want the story to go. I know most of my twists, turns, and plot points out to the last book in the series.

Writing a series is extremely difficult, so having to go back and check lore within the previous books to ensure every point is correct is important, but with a series bible—you can ensure you don’t have to flip pages or search your eBook for the correct city name or plot point.

Speaking of plot, thread resolutions are simplified if you have a beat sheet or step-by-step chain of events to follow outside of the actual book.

A discovery writer may not have such a thing, but I believe using different tools might open that type of writer’s eyes to the benefits of keeping things organized.

I will never tell someone else how to write their story. If you write standing up on one foot, sometimes upside down with an unlit cigarette (never smoke) in your mouth, aligned perfectly to the moon’s position, so be it.

This is facetious—of course—because I compounded four different methods from multiple writers, though every writer tells the reader their process is their own. Sometimes they joke, showing that writing is work, and work you shall.

Still, a series bible isn’t an idea that should be brushed off so lightly.

I think it helps me to know what’s going to happen ten books from this recent one, or seven chapters later than the one you’re currently on.

The series bible might have a language key, maps, races, instruments (in my case), poetry styles for each race when they attack (also my case), or whatever may be unique to your own creation.

It helps to know in the far west mountains, in book seven, the main character will meet a tribe that speaks only in rap flow. Why not know these things?

Purist discovery writers will scoff, and that’s fine. Tools and processes are individual to you, and that’s a beautiful thing I will never denigrate.

This also helps with foreshadowing, making it as subtle as possible without going overboard based on future plot points. If you plan these things out, the impact will be so much tighter than if you had come up with it on the fly, needing to revise it to standards. Seeing as a writer is not stuck in a forward timeline when writing, it helps to know the future.

Not all my books will use a bible of lore, because many of them won’t be set in fantastical settings. Only research into mythologies if supernatural beings are involved will be necessary. I love the supernatural, the stories, and lore of each different culture. They fascinate me to no end. Seeing as most of them are rich with detail, making a separate book won’t make too much difference or sense.

It’s something to keep in mind and try out.

In other aspects of my journey, I’ve chosen to release my novels on Tuesdays, to keep a little of the long-standing tradition alive in the new landscape of the literary world. We can release things on any day we please these days, but there’s something nostalgic about going out and buying a book on a Tuesday, so I thought I’d keep to that paradigm.

My New Year’s resolution for 2025 in writing is to meet deadlines and keep them, so from after this first release, I’ll be releasing over the course of the year after finesse and polish.

I want to make sure I copyedit and prune the prose to be as it should be to tell the best story I can. I’m learning I’m a mix of literary whimsy with a dash of the old pulp ethic.

Quality with quantity, in other words.

I’m looking forward to seeing my progress after five years pass, then ten, etc.

And like anything in writing, whether lore books or keeping it all in your mind, it’s truly up to you.