Writing a novel is like embarking on a road trip. There’s a beginning, middle, end, and—more importantly—a journey occurring all the while. The usual hope is that the end will see the characters in a better place, but the destination can be anywhere as long as the journey logically leads there. Having the freedom to go any place, however, doesn’t mean we should hit the road without any plan at all.
Whether writing detailed outlines or typing off the cuff, a general idea of destination before beginning makes a real difference in the success of the overall journey. Even if some “sightseeing” has to change, some vision of where the story is headed helps decide the best or most necessary routes and avoid what may be time-wasting detours. Knowing the final destination, even without a clear picture of everything that will happen along the way, keeps us in tune with which way stations must be reached to remain on track.
Series writing works much the same way, as there are two main aspects to it. One, the overall journey of the character/plot which will unfurl over the course of the series, and two, the significant points reached in getting there, aka, the arcs of individual books and characters within the series. No matter what happens, no matter if a protagonist progresses or regresses in their development, no matter how a plot twists and turns, a logical major point must be reached by the time a book is done. Over the series, these points combine
