The Cure by Patricia Bowen
Is There Safety in Sequels… for Readers and Writers?
Many authors write sequels and series. Readers who enjoy a certain
character or recurring plot theme gravitate to them in confidence
their tastes will be satisfied. They’re a mixed blessing for
writers. Each book in a series typically has to have its own tale and
stand on its own without having to read the preceding one. Yet
threads must hold them together, such as common characters, or a
story line that spans shared time or place. And, from a market
perspective, readers might balk if buying book four in a series
requires purchasing the preceding three.
I’ve encountered this challenge while embarking on writing my first
trilogy. Its main plot theme revolves around the discovery of a cure
for Alzheimer’s disease in 2058. A doctor on a medical research
team needs extensive, long-term test results for their new drug, and
instead of putting it through years of clinical trials, he
time-travels back to 2018 to start his longitudinal study there.
Thus, by the time the drug is ready for market, it will have forty
years of history on its efficacy. No spoilers here, so without giving
away the plot details, book one, The Cure, takes place in 2018, with
some flashbacks and flash forwards for character backstory. Book two,
Legacy of The Cure, to be published in Spring 2020, is active in
2035-38. And book three, Fulfillment of The Cure, to be published by
early 2021, will take place in 2060.
I’ve drafted a matrix for myself to show how the characters will
move through the story over time. I’ve also shown the draft to
fellow writers to get a sense of the plot line’s credibility, and
am tweaking it as the story evolves during the writing and revision
processes.
My challenges in writing three books tied together with one major
thread are many. How much of the story has to be ‘rehashed’, how
much backstory told from one book to the next, so the reader is
grounded with pertinent details? Which of the details are the
most pertinent, and which have no bearing on the current (second or
third) book?
While one or more characters may stay in the trilogy for the entire
forty-plus year span, they may or may not always be the protagonists.
New characters must be brought in to keep the story fresh and
interesting and they may overshadow the others with their status and
actions. Will readers stay with the book-to-book plot if characters
they’ve been rooting for are diminished or totally gone?
Finally, how to not be predictable with where the story is going and
how it will end. With the timeline and significant backstory already
known in book one, The Cure, I believe it’s important to give
readers unexpected events, and relationships, and plot twists that
make them want to keep turning the pages through the entire trilogy.
Heck, I need those unexpected things too, to make me want to keep
writing.
If you have certain preferences of things you like to see, or not
see, in sequels, whether related to plot or character, drop me a line
at woodsgal@hotmail.com.
You might make my job easier, and your reading more enjoyable.
TWO
PEOPLE HARBORING SECRETS...
A
stranger from the future comes to Paige’s cabin in rural Georgia
with a treatment for her early onset Alzheimer’s disease. He
bargains with the skeptical patient to give her The Cure if she’ll
conduct a longitudinal study for him, proving his drug’s efficacy
to a future world full of clients that need it. Faced with her dire
diagnosis, he might be her only hope. She grapples with the side
effects of his offer and learns to suppress her own dangerous truth:
trust no one.
Seldom
lucky in love, Paige finds herself competing with her best friend for
his attention, knowing there can be no good end for their stolen
moments of passion. Can she stay under the radar of the medical and
legal communities to carry out his requests? And how will their
complicated pasts bring them together physically, emotionally and
professionally in a successful, if unethical, partnership?
Many
lives will be changed, but at what cost… and to whom?
Patricia Bowen writes novels, novellas and short stories, mostly
about women with complicated lives. She’s been a copywriter,
business owner, coach, marketing manager, and held corporate jobs in
international business. She pens gardening articles for her local
newspaper, and grants to support her local library. Her recent
writing has appeared in the Table for Two anthology, The Sun
magazine, and earned honourable mention in several contests. The Cure
is her first full published work of fiction.
website is www.patriciabowen.com
Twitter @WoodsgalWrites
Facebook @WoodsgalWrites
