Writing Tips from Wings of Fire
Wings of Fire is probably hands down my favorite long-running Scholastic series. Sure, I enjoyed 39 Clues and Spirit Animals and Infinity Ring. They all had their place in my reading life. But I still read Wings of Fire to this day. Even more importantly, even though Tui T. Suthland is on book eleven, and the series has spanned eight years, it hasn't decreased in quality at all.
(For a quick overview, Wings of Fire is about a world of dragons. It focuses on groups of young dragons who have to fulfill different prophesies.)
That's why it's the perfect thing to look at for today's writing tips. How has she managed to keep the series alive without it going downhill, becoming formulaic, or losing reader's interest? That's what we're going to examine in this post.
1- New Characters
Each book in the Wings of Fire (hereafter abbreviated to WoF) has a different main character. I think it's one of the things that makes it interesting even after eleven books. We're not still with the same character as book one. Each new book brings a new character to get inside the head of, learn about, and fall in love with. (Because I do. Every time.) It keeps a reader's interest because we're always getting new thoughts, opinions, and ideas on the conflict.
Have you ever considered writing a series where each book has a new POV? Especially if it's going to be a long series, it might be good for you and future readers to have different characters to meet in different books. Plus, you can explore more about those other fascinating characters that might not be the main character in book one, but takes a leading role in book two.
2- Change It Up
Another thing that makes it remain interesting is that every five books has a different story arc. The first five were about the prophesied dragonettes freeing the world from the evil queens that ruled it. The second book is about a new set of young dragons trying to stop an evil dragon from taking over anew. And the newest set she's just started are about a whole new land they just discovered. Changing the storyline keeps the content fresh and exciting.
A long running series doesn't have to have the same plot the whole time. The good guys can only fight the same bad guy so long before it becomes kind of boring. You also don't want to have a plot that's formulaic and easy to guess. Consider adding different storylines, villains, or stakes to maintain interest.
3- Interesting World
It's a world inhabited by dragons. That's the best part of the whole series. But I love how much thought the author put into this world. Everything is designed with the dragons and their powers in mind. Different dragons have different needs and live in different areas. They have wing, arm, and ear jewelry. And, one of my favorite details, there are things called scavengers they keep as pets (which are actually humans). It's fascinating seeing how she's designed this world.
If you want to have a long series, or any series really, you want to have a world that's interesting enough to want to keep exploring it, even when the book is done. It doesn't even have to be a fantasy or sci-fi world. There are some realistic fiction books that have such lush settings I want to go live there.
4- Humor
These books always make me laugh. The dragonettes are so funny and sarcastic. Peril especially always makes me laugh. Somehow she managed to make them all so relatable and funny in their own ways, without ever feeling too similar to one another.
It's a theory of mine that anything that makes you laugh will stick in your mind better. That's not the only criteria, but I often notice that something that makes me laugh will make me like it more. Not everything has to be funny, it's true. But a well placed joke, bit of sarcasm or dry humor can bring a little light to any story. (There are jokes in the Lord of the Rings, even.)
5- Real Stakes
A lot of people, er, dragons, get hurt, killed, and terribly scarred over the course of these books. While it might not be gory, they don't shy away from having real stakes of death, whether that's physical, spiritual, or emotional. Sure, all the main characters survive, but it is a kid's series, so what do you expect?
I've often said that kid's book should have just as much stakes and peril as older ones. Maybe toned down for a younger audience, but kids have a lot more understanding than we give them credit for. No matter what age range your series is for, it never hurts to show that what the characters do has real consequences, even ones they might not think.
Have you read WoF? What's one of your favorite long running series? Tell me in the comments.
Suggested Posts:
Comments
Post a Comment