Knowing when to say "when"

Thanks to the success of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson stories, one would be safe saying that the series is the very foundation of the mystery genre. Mystery fans all have their favorite series novelists (some of mine include Sue Grafton, Lillian Jackson Braun, Rett MacPherson and Carolyn Hart). From Agatha Christie’s Miss Marple to Steve Hamilton’s Alex McKnight, readers who love a good puzzle have a multitude of settings and characters they can return to again and again, some cozy and comfortable, some more edgy and tragic. Once readers find a family of characters and setting they enjoy, picking up a new installment in the series is like sitting down with an old friend and catching up on each others' lives over a cappuccino.

When I began planning the “Page One” series, my first task was to determine the arc of the protagonist’s story. How many books would it take to tell that story effectively and keep readers interested? While I knew how I wanted the series to end, I didn’t have a good feel for when it would end until after the publication of my second book in the “Page One” series. As I outlined the plot for the third book, “Page One: Whiteout,” I sensed that this installment would complete the story of Robin Hamilton. As the novel progressed on paper, it felt natural for Robin to finally move forward in her search for closure following the murder of her fiancé.

That doesn’t mean my fans feel the same way. I’ve heard from many who want more Robin Hamilton, which is a gratifying experience, but, as a writer, I would be doing the “Page One” series a disservice if I continued it beyond its logical conclusion – the resolution of her immediate grieving process. Now it is time for her to rebuild her shattered life, something that requires her to “get back in the game” and once again leave the comfort of her home in the Upper Peninsula, which is the heart and soul of the series. How many times have you read a 10-book series that should have ended with the eighth book? I didn’t want that to happen to Robin.

Starting a new writing endeavor also keeps an author fresh, forcing her out of her comfort zone. Yes, even we get comfortable with our settings and characters. Starting something new is daunting in a lot of ways, but there are so many stories in my head that want to be told. Silencing those voices would be the equivalent of extinguishing my creative “candle.” Just which voice will emerge into a fully-developed novel is part of the fun.