A boy blinded by fire. A woman raised by wolves. An avowed enemy offers help.
Tricks to Write a Trilogy
I didn’t start out writing a trilogy. It was supposed to be a story and then it got long, longer, and finally ended up enough for three books. Of course, a trilogy isn’t just a story broken into thirds:
A trilogy is a set of three stories that are connected and can be seen either as a single work or as three individual works. … Most involve the same characters or setting
Why is my series structured as multiple trilogies
My series is called Man vs. Nature. It examines seminal times in man’s evolution to explore what went right/wrong and how events moved mankind forward in our development to ‘modern man’. I had intended this to be one book for each event but soon found that was sorely inadequate. There just wasn’t enough time to fully develop the ideas so readers would understand while staying true to fiction characteristics like plot development, characters, and setting. Three books seems to work much better (though Crossroads may end up six).
I have three trilogies so far:
Dawn of Humanity–the birth of man
Book 1 and 2 are published; Book 3 planned for the end of the year
Crossroads–the most resilient species of our genus ever (Homo erectus)
Book 1-3 are completed; Book 4-6 are ideas rolling around in my brain
The Warrior Way–a period in prehistory when humans almost became extinct
Book 1-3 in the planning stages
Why Write a trilogy
Writers must choose what format their story will take. You can write a stand-alone book, a duology/trilogy (or more), a series, or something else I’m not familiar with. One of the most popular formats is the trilogy. Here’s why:
- Readers get to stay with favorite characters while still knowing there’s not a never-ending story.
- Many readers like the long story idea of trilogies.
- The scope of a trilogy offers writers a liberating sense of space and freedom.
- Many people who read one book in a trilogy will then read the rest, which is great for sales!
Tricks for writing trilogies
Here are a few tips for writing trilogies. I don’t necessarily agree with all of them but they are well-accepted tips for writing this format:
- Break the story into three acts.
- Include the same characters, overall theme in each.
- Each book should satisfy readers on its own, be able to stand alone should the reader not want to read the others.
- Book 2 and 3 should briefly summarize events in Book 1/Book 2 so readers understand what happened if they didn’t read them.
- Leave some unanswered questions in Book 1 and 2 but not too many. And, resolve some of those posited in Book 1 and 2 in later books.
- Some writers write all three at once and then publish all at once or with sequential roll-outs. Others write them one at a time. There doesn’t seem to be any right or wrong.
- This is well-suited to genres with longer books like epic fantasy.
- Write Book 1 at your leisure but write Book 2 and 3 on a tight schedule. Readers don’t want to wait forever for the rest of the story.
- Book 3 ends the story with this caveat: Don’t worry if it doesn’t. Write another. It just means you no longer have a trilogy. Now you have a series.
- There is no set way to structure a trilogy. You can make it one long story with stopping points. It can be an extended anthology where each book is only loosely related to the others. It may be character- or plot-driven.
Most popular trilogies
- Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien
- Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
- The African Trilogy by Chinua Achebe
- The Night Trilogy by Elie Wiesel
- The House of Earth by Pearl S. Buck
- The Bill Hodges Trilogy by Stephen King
- The Ultimate Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams
- The Foundation Trilogy by Isaac Asimov
- Unraveling the Veil by D. Wallace Peach
About Laws of Nature
In this second of the Dawn of Humanity trilogy, the first trilogy in the Man vs. Nature saga, Lucy and her eclectic group escape the treacherous tribe that has been hunting them and find a safe haven in the famous Wonderwerk caves in South Africa. Though they don’t know it, they will be the oldest known occupation of caves by humans. They don’t have clothing, fire, or weapons, but the caves keep them warm and food is plentiful. But they can’t stay, not with the rest of the tribe enslaved by an enemy. To free them requires not only the prodigious skills of Lucy’s unique group–which includes a proto-wolf and a female raised by the pack–but others who have no reason to assist her and instinct tells Lucy she shouldn’t trust.
Set 1.8 million years ago in Africa, Lucy and her tribe struggle against the harsh reality of a world ruled by nature, where predators stalk them and a violent new species of man threatens to destroy their world. Only by changing can they prevail. If you ever wondered how earliest man survived but couldn’t get through the academic discussions, this book is for you. Prepare to see this violent and beautiful world in a way you never imagined.
A perfect book for fans of Jean Auel and the Gears!
Purchase Laws of Nature
Title and author: Laws of Nature
Series: Book 2 in the Dawn of Humanity series
Genre: Prehistoric fiction
Editor: The extraordinary Anneli Purchase
Available print or digital) at: Kindle US Kindle UK Kindle CA Kindle AU Kindle India
About Jacqui Murray
Jacqui Murray is the author of the popular prehistoric fiction saga, Man vs. Nature which explores seminal events in man’s evolution one trilogy at a time. She is also the author of the Rowe-Delamagente thrillers and Building a Midshipman, the story of her daughter’s journey from high school to United States Naval Academy. Her non-fiction includes over a hundred books on integrating tech into education, reviews as an Amazon Vine Voice, a columnist for NEA Today, and a freelance journalist on tech ed topics. Look for her next prehistoric fiction, Natural Selection, Winter 2022.
Find Jacqui Murray
Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/Jacqui-Murray/e/B002E78CQQ/
Blog: https://worddreams.wordpress.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jacquimurraywriter/
LinkedIn: http://linkedin.com/in/jacquimurray
Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/askatechteacher
Twitter: http://twitter.com/worddreams
Website: https://jacquimurray.net
Extract from Laws of Nature
Chapter 1
Hunting
South Africa
Lucy
Fresh blood streaked Short-tooth’s muzzle, her golden eyes alert to every movement around her as she munched on Gazelle’s meaty carcass. Each movement made the Cat’s tawny fur ripple over the powerful muscles beneath her skin. She raised her head, chewing slowly while studying the grass field in front of her, especially toward the back where it blended into the forest. She couldn’t see Mammoth but smelled it, close to the Uprights, maybe protecting them. Despite being the size of a boulder, this pachyderm could outrun most predators and would think nothing of crushing them beneath its massive feet.
Short-tooth wasn’t interested in the Uprights. Their bodies had little meat and less fat. Gazelle was more satisfying.
Catripped a slab of fragrant meat from the hind leg. Snarling-dog—to the far side—slapped the ground. He was hungry but wouldn’t eat Gazelle until Short-tooth finished. Cat purred loudly, close to a snarl, and Snarling-dog withdrew, but not far. Carrion-bird overhead tightened its circle and a tiny shrew the size of Short-tooth’s paw waited patiently, out of Cat’s range, eyes bright, nose twitching. A shred from the carcass was all it needed.
None of these creatures mattered to Short-tooth. She was the apex predator in her savannah habitat.
Sticky yellow globs of Mammoth dung slid down Lucy’s back and plopped to the dry thatch. The dung coat was melting under Sun’s intense heat, exactly as Lucy planned. Its purpose was to confuse Short-tooth Cat. The hotter Sun became, the stronger Mammoth’s smell.
Lucy and her young pairmate, Garv, lay motionless, like Snake sleeping, bodies pressed into the prickly grass, oblivious to the feathery feet that scurried over their backs. She and Garv, too, wanted what Short-tooth didn’t consume. They were more patient than Snarling-dog but that didn’t mean they wouldn’t eat first. The first to arrive got the best of the leftovers.
Lucy rubbed her raw eyes, bleary from watching Cat bite, rip, and chew. If Short-tooth knew of their presence, it was not because she saw them. Lucy and Garv blended into the landscape. Their skin was the color of dirt and dry grass, impossible to find if you weren’t looking. No part of their bodies moved except their narrowed eyes as they scanned the surroundings, evaluating each new arrival to the feast. The dominant scents never changed—Snarling-dog, Short-tooth Cat, something decaying in the nearby forest, her pairmate Garv’s sweaty body, and Gazelle’s ripening offal.
Sun’s relentless heat washed over Lucy in waves. Sweat dripped down her face, over her pronounced brow ridge and into her eyes, but for reasons she didn’t understand, despite his fur pelt, Snarling-dog was dry. He reminded Lucy of Ump, her tribe’s Canis member. Even on the hottest days, Ump didn’t sweat. Instead, he panted more.
Today, Snarling-dog panted hard.
Short-tooth raised her feline head, inspecting her habitat as her jaws crunched through the fresh carrion. She reeked of malevolence which meant scavengers like Lucy and Garv willingly waited their turn.
Sun climbed through the cloudless blue sky. The morning haze had burned off long ago. The dew Lucy hadn’t licked off the leaves, Sun’s heat had. Her throat was dry, lips cracked, but that mattered less than securing scavenge. Her tribe was hungry.
Lately, unexpectedly, when Lucy sat quietly as she did now, a tingle deep inside her chest told her Raza, her former pairmate, was in trouble. The first time she experienced this tingle, what Garv called “instinct”, it churned through her body as a current does in a stream. She thought she was sick until Garv explained this was instinct and it warned of danger, not illness. He told her always to listen, but how was she to do that? Raza had been captured by the tribe’s worst enemy, a formidable Upright called Man-who-preys. She didn’t know where they’d taken him. As often as she brushed the feeling away, it returned, each time stronger than the last.
Cat’s yellow eyes snapped open and her methodical jaws slowed. Something caught her interest, maybe Snarling-dog’s impatience or Carrion-bird’s relentless approach. After a warning hiss, Short-tooth shook her big head and pawed her face. A swarm of black flies lifted, buzzed briefly, and then resettled where they’d started, again gorging on the blood and carrion that stuck to Short-tooth’s face
The flies are thicker than usual.
Short-tooth returned to her meal and Lucy sniffed, wondering what drew Cat’s attention. She didn’t expect to see Man-who-preys here, but took nothing for granted. The tall, big-headed, hairless enemy always carried a long stick which he used to kill prey. Sometimes, he didn’t eat the animal, just watched it die. This unpredictability, that he followed no norms, made him more treacherous than other predators.
She inhaled, but didn’t smell his stench so turned her attention back to the hunt.
Carrion-bird floated overhead, feet tucked beneath its sleek body. The longer Cat ate, the more of the huge birds arrived. They thought their powerful sweeping wings, sharp claws, and piercing beaks made them the mightiest among the scavengers. What they didn’t realize was that Lucy and Garv possessed an even greater weapon: They could plan. Before Carrion-bird or Snarling-dog got too close, Lucy and Garv would take what they needed and flee.
They always did.
In the edging forest, Cousin Chimp hooted, the pitch and length describing the location of a tree newly bearing fruit. Leaves rustled as his band raced away. Lucy hoped they would leave enough of the succulent produce for her and Garv.
She hunkered deeper into the tall waving stalks, tracking the other scavengers and noting again how far away the trees were in case she needed to flee. A snake slithered over her foot, through the thatch and out of sight. She and Garv had been motionless for so long, Snake probably viewed them as dirt mounds in its path.
Garv tweaked an eyebrow and Lucy motioned, hands a tight circle in front of her chest, well hidden, “Dull colors, no knobs on snake’s tail—no danger.”
Her kind—Man-who-makes-tools—used a sophisticated blend of communication including body language, hand gestures, facial expressions, mimicking, and vocalization. One of their greatest defenses in this brutal world was the ability to become part of their surroundings. Voices were unusual sounds heard nowhere in nature except from Uprights, mostly the big-headed Man-who-preys. Lucy’s kind occasionally whispered and Tree-men, like Boah who was part of Lucy’s tribe, rarely made any sounds beyond huffs, grunts, howls, and moans. Only Man-who-preys jabbered endlessly.
Lucy’s eyelids drooped. This hunt had started yesterday when Lucy and Garv found the fresh cloven prints of a Gazelle herd. Lucy’s kind ate copious amounts of roots, nuts, fruit, juicy stems, and insects, but only meat gave them the energy to survive their dangerous lives. Because they hunted only dead animals, they depended upon predators to make the kill. Gazelle’s fleshy body always attracted Cat and its cousins, like Short-tooth. They would pick off the injured, and Lucy’s tribe would eat what they left.
Because not enough daylight remained yesterday, Lucy and Garv set out today, at Sun’s first light. They followed the herd while the rest of the tribe—the Tree-man Boah, the child Voi, and the Canis Ump—stayed at the homebase’s cave. Before Sun had traveled far, a snarl and a screech told Lucy a predator claimed its prey. When Carrion-bird and its cousins started to circle, she and Garv knew exactly where to go.
Garv nudged Lucy, the movement so subtle the grass didn’t even move. “Short-tooth is leaving.”
Lucy bit her lip and shot a look at Garv. His face radiated excitement.
She studied Short-tooth, tried to see what Garv saw and finally gestured, “I don’t see anything. Why do you think she’s finished?”
He motioned, one finger moving against his palm, “Instinct.” Nothing else.
But that was enough. Garv had taught her to stalk prey, knap tools, hunt, and protect herself. Because of him, she became an accomplished hunter, never missed a print, a bent frond, the fragrance left on leaves or bark, or any other sign. As partners, they always brought meat to the tribe. Most hunters didn’t.
Garv’s instinct had found more prey than Lucy’s tracking skills or senses ever did. She had no doubt Short-tooth would soon leave.
Cat’s big tongue, as long as Lucy’s forearm, licked the bloody scraps from her muzzle, a sign even to Lucy that she had finished. Lucy shifted to her hands and toes, knees hovering above the ground, prepared for what must come next. Garv did the same, his body hard from the life he lived, senses alert to every noise. Carrion-birds cawed and tightened their circle. On the opposite side of the field, Snarling-dog’s pack bared their canines, tails stiff. Drool dripped from their jowls and their gaze bounced between Cat and the Uprights, knowing from experience the scrawny but agile creatures were vigorous competitors.
You are fast, Snarling-dog, but we are smart. We will always get there first!
Lucy tensed as Short-tooth pushed up to her massive paws, canines red with blood, saliva dripping in strands from her jowls. She yawned, her mouth a dark cavity vast enough to swallow Lucy’s entire head, and ambled off. Lucy and Garv exploded to their feet and sprinted toward the carcass. Their powerful legs churned while nimble hands pulled cutters and stones from the sacks strung around their necks. Lucy’s job was to delay Snarling-dog and Carrion-bird while Garv stripped the carrion.
“Argh!” Lucy roared, waving a leafy branch through the air to make herself bigger to Snarling-dog while Garv attacked the carcass. Ignoring the fetid stench of dung and urine, he swung the sharp cutter and sliced through the hide and then muscle and tendon.
Lucy flung a stone at the lead Snarling-dog. It hit his temple, hard, and he dropped with a squeal. His pack slowed to reassess the upright creature and Lucy threw another stone, this one at the new leader’s eye. He yipped and stumbled, shook his head, and pawed at the blood that oozed from the wound and dribbled down his muzzle.
“Lucy!” Garv tossed an almost pristine haunch to her and then swung his chopper at Gazelle’s ribs. Carrion-bird, well into its death dive, talons extended, screeched its imminent attack.
“Let’s go!” Lucy called, the unexpected sound of her voice meant to startle the scavengers.
She hurled a rock at the lead Carrion-bird. It squawked and withdrew, which slowed the rest of the flock. Lucy grabbed an almost-meatless leg bone. It would be filled with nutritious bloody marrow. Meat secured over her shoulders, she and Garv fled. No one chased them. Why abandon certain meat for an uncertain meal? Lucy raced past a termite mound, noted its location, rounded a boulder bed, and lost sight of the fracas.
Not the scent, though. The tantalizing aroma sailed through the air, announcing to every scavenger around the availability of meat.
A great excerpt and a good explanation of trilogies. Thanks, Robbie for being part of the book blast.
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Hi Darlene, I’m glad you enjoyed this post.
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Oddly, I don’t find a lot written about trilogies. They are a unique critter in the writing world. Thanks for visiting, Darlene!
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I have a feeling many start out with a trilogy in mind and carry on to do a series. xo
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I seem to remember reading somewhere that humans are instinctively drawn to patterns of three?
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That is interesting, Liz. I was told to always go with odd numbers: 1, 3, 5 or 7, never even numbers.
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This was such a great book. Thanks for hosting Jacqui today, Robbie.
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Thanks, Jill! It’s 7 am and I love starting the day with your kind words.
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Hi Jill, I delighted to know you have read it. Thanks for boosting it here.
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So lovely to see Jacqui here in this fabulous post. Toni x
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Thanks, Toni. It seems to be how I write these prehistoric events. Three books for each dramatic occurrence seems just about right.
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Hi Toni, thanks for visiting. This is a great post and I am looking forward to reading Jacqui’s new book.
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Thank you so much for hosting me, Robbie. I love talking about trilogies, something that wasn’t even on my radar a decade ago!
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Hi Jacqui, trilogies certainly seem to be quite popular and are recommended by publishers. I may turn my latest WIP into a trilogy. I have the ideas for all three books, it’s whether this idea will continue to hold my interest once the current book is finished or not that will be the deciding factor.
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Good tips on writing a trilogy. Best wishes to Jacqui, and thanks, Robbie, for hosting her today.
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Thanks, John. And since I don’t watch news anymore (thanks to your concise weekly news post), I have more time for this writing!
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Hahaha. 😊
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My pleasure, John, it’s an entertaining post.
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Yes, it is.
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Great insight, tips and excerpt! Sharing… 🙂
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Thanks, Bette! Can you tell I’m sold on trilogies?
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Thank you, Bette.
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Good tips on writing trilogy, Jacqui! When you do finish Books 4-6 for Crossroads, will you name them series? Thank you for hosting, Robbie.
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That is a good question, Miriam. Probably not, maybe Trilogy 2, but I could easily change my mind. Any suggestions?
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Stick with Trilogy 2 for the continuity, Jacqui!
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A good question, Miriam.
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Jacqui’s really making the rounds today – great to see her book getting so much publicity!
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Through the kindness of efriends. Thanks for stopping by, Teri!
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Hi Teri, all of Jacqui’s posts are different so they are fun to read. Thanks for visiting.
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Wonderful excerpt and looking forward to reading Jacqui.. thanks for hosting Robbie..hugs
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Thanks for visiting, Sally!
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My pleasure, Sally, its a great post.
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Jacqui is all over the blogosphere! I’ve already read the beginning. Thanks for sharing Robbie.
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Thanks to good friends! I am blessed.
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Hi Balroop, thank you for visiting and supporting Jacqui.
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I admire writers who write in series. You did a wonderful job of explaining the process. 🙂
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Thanks, Deb. I didn’t plan to write trilogies, never was terribly interested in them, and then, for whatever reason, they became the perfect vehicle for my stories. Odd, don’t you think?
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The magic of writing. It dictates to us. 🙂
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Hi Debby, I also enjoyed this post and found it informative. Thank you for visiting.
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Thank you Robbie 🙂
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Fascinating perspective. I wondered if you started out with that intention or whether it just evolved. Have you ever thought, no, maybe I’ll just stop at two?
I’ve been fine-tuning my first novel and realized that at one point I thought I’d write a sequel by leaving some questions unanswered. Now, I’ve dealt with most loose ends but left myself enough room if I decide to write a part 2.
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I ask myself that same question often, Pete. I first wrote a too-long story and decided to break it into two. That’s a duology, which is good, but I’d left plot pieces unfinished. So the third book came. Even in my one completed trilogy–Crossroads–I left a hook at the end for another book. Maybe in my heart, I am a writer of series.
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I never know the path the story will take when I start writing, only the destination. Seems my characters have Free Will! Lol
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Hi Deborah, lovely to see you. It is best to go with the flow with writing. I am not sure I could write a series. I always feel my stories are done when I reach the end of a book.
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Every perspective is unique. Some characters need to live on, I guess. The important thing in a series is having an ending to the theme of the current book. To leave it hanging upsets readers; me included. Scarlet O’Hara, “After all, tomorrow is another day.” I threw the thick book across the room! It had taken me a full year to read it! I was 12 years old. LOL
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HI Pete, I can’t think of many books that are just two. It always seem to be a trilogy. I am glad you are making such good progress with your book.
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The book sounds very interesting, Robbie. Thanks for your great review.
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Thanks for visiting!
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Welcome Jacqui
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My pleasure, Kamal, I am glad you enjoyed the post.
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You are always welcome dear Robbie ❤️❤️❤️❤️
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I know I will never get to write a trilogy, but I’m grateful that Jacqui has. 🙂
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Years ago when I first started writing, I never imagined I’d write a trilogy. I mean, why? And then, I knew why!
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Never say never, Norah. I never thought I’d write a book at all and here I am with 9 children’s books and 3 adult ones.
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Maybe a trilogy of picture books. I am thinking of a series of three. 🙂
What you have achieved is amazing, Robbie. Well done.
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A trilogy of children’s books is a great idea, Norah. Thank you for your kind words. I do enjoy creating the Sir Chocolate picture books.
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These are interesting tips on writing trilogies. I do love picking up a trilogy and finding some of the same characters I’m already in love with. Thank you for hosting, Robbie!
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Hi Jan, I like the idea of a trilogy too. It has a defined ending with the third book which attracts my controlling personality. A series is a little to unknown for me.
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Trilogies are nice because they aren’t too many books. Though the one I’ve finished, I couldn’t quite tie off all the lose ends. There may be a sequel!
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