1. Not the Admin

    Not the Admin Banned

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    A Trilogy of Trilogies?

    Discussion in 'Plot Development' started by Not the Admin, Aug 17, 2011.

    Hello,

    I'm not so sure if making this thread is completely legitimate regarding the rules of the board. If not, feel free to tell me and/or delete this. Anyways, my question is about plot:

    How can I effectively make a single goal be reached at the end of nine books? These books would then be split up into three separate trilogies with their own end goal, and each book with their own ending goal. I guess my trouble is coming up with something that I can center all of the books around without making each book specifically about this goal, and still make them readable. If anyone can lend any advice, that would be splendid. If you have questions, ask away, and message me if you need help with something of your own.

    Thanks a bundle.
     
  2. DBock

    DBock New Member

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    That's very possible (and very ambitious).

    What you need to do is come up with three things that make your goal happen and then break those three things up into three books. Like for example if you have a fictional tale of flying to jupiter you could have three trilogies about going to Mars, Then Io and then finally Jupiter and each trilogy discussing the trials and tribulations of the astronauts.

    make sense?
     
  3. Not the Admin

    Not the Admin Banned

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    This does make sense. Thank you very much! :D
     
  4. Mikeyface

    Mikeyface New Member

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    Good god. Are you sure you want to take that on? It sounds more of a conceptual piece than anything else. I'm not saying that wouldn't get some ink if you pulled it off, given that I can't think of a single relevant example of that happening.

    Star Wars got close, and we all know how well that went last time.

    Additionally, you better crank up something truly epic for scale. I-- I'm flabbergasted. 9 books?!

    Good luck :)
     
  5. walshy12238

    walshy12238 New Member

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    Far out, 9 books?
    I guess that DBock sums it up pretty nicely. If you want an overall goal, slpit it into three stages, and then split those three stages into three stages each. That's how I'd go about it, but I really have no idea how anyone could possibly do it though; the sheer prospect of writing a triliogy in the first place is a lot, let alone three trilogies that follow the same overall goal.
    I guess Harry Potter almost did it though. Almost.
    In any case, good luck!
     
  6. DBock

    DBock New Member

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    Right on with star wars.

    Those two trilogies are the Rise and Fall of the Empire right? (And in theory the third trilogy would be the government that follows.

    That said --- The First Trilogy is the RISE of the empire to power.
    The second Trilogy is the FALL of the empire.

    One long arc of story but two trilogies to make it happen. :)
     
  7. Mikeyface

    Mikeyface New Member

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    Too bad that the second trilogy was entirely unnecessary and brought zilch to the table for story. Albeit, it's told out of order, but Galactic senates do not a story make.
     
  8. walshy12238

    walshy12238 New Member

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    I liked the second trilogy (RISE of the empire), but I guess I was younger and didn't really grasp how it didn't exactly add to the plot.
    I wonder if I'm the only one...
     
  9. The-Joker

    The-Joker Contributor Contributor

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    I wouldn't recommend writing a nine part series simply because you want to write a nine part series. From your original post, it seems you aren't clear about the basic plot yet. I'd rather come up with a general outline(Concept, conflict and conclusion). And then see how many books the tale could be spread over. Self-prescribing an ennealogy( yes, that's nine books) for a story you know very little about, could hamper the natural growth of that story. And all for what?

    Your first objective should be to write a marketable first book. Ambitions for a long series might hurt this goal.
     
  10. Not the Admin

    Not the Admin Banned

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    I do have a basic outline in my head for what's going to happen in each book, and each trilogy, and eventually the end, as well as my main protagonists of the first book flushed out pretty well. My main concern is just that I don't want any of the books to tapper. I don't wanna give any details on it away just because. ;D

    Let's say, time travel? Three kids find a time travel device, they experiment with it in secret and become close friends and learn about each-others past and their demons. The first trilogy is about these kids discovering many new things about this machine, it's past and future essentially, while trying to stop three key events in history from being changed. In the fourth book, the kids are essentially grown up. Mid 20's? They have reformed a once lost organization of time travelers (Or rather are working on doing so, as to revolve the trilogy around this) to stop changes in the timeline. This second trilogy will center around these kids, this new organization, and a "evil" group of "Bad" time travelers trying to change history. In the end, both factions are again destroyed like the first time, and all of the members of the organization go into hiding. Now throughout this entire series so far there are three "deities" if you will. The computer savy one receives letters of advice from himself in various points of time. The cool, collected leader-esq character consistently sees a man who's face is always in shadow who seems to know a little too much about them, and also tries to make it apparent that fate is liquid. Then -Insert Female Protagonist Name-'s deitie is -Insert Motif/symbolism-. Which sets up the final trilogy to be against an unknown entity I've named "The Shroud". Pretty much, a much larger and paranormal threat than in the previous books, thus making the last and final trilogy much more dark and mature. (Did I mention that the kids are now grown up and have children? And that the leader-esq character and -Insert Female Name- have a kinda love thing going on throughout the series? AND they will probably pick up other members along the way...) I digress. They eventually do three important things and defeat this "Shroud", and then leave the time machine as they had found it. Suffice to say, an ending that ends as the beginning begins sounds intriguing to me. My friend wanted me to end it as a kid having a dream, but... ;D

    So anyways, rough I know, but could definitely be flushed out, and of course I am simply going to focus on each book alone rather than the series in itself. I just want to formulate what will happen throughout.
     
  11. Not the Admin

    Not the Admin Banned

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    an*

    as they had found* it.

    an*

    Edit: LOL Sorry.
     

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