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Home » Archives for Lynette Eason

Lynette Eason

Beyond Book One: The Art of the Fiction Series (part 1)

By Lynette Easonon July 16, 2025
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Let’s talk series. I don’t know about you, but I love to read books in a series. I find myself investing in the characters, the town, and everything else and can’t wait for the next book to come out so I can return to that world. If you’re thinking of writing a series, there are some things to understand and consider before you get started.

The first step is to choose the type of series you plan to write. Are you going episodic or sequential or hybrid? Let’s talk about the differences.

Episodic Series

Definition: An episodic series is a collection of books featuring the same protagonist and/or recurring characters, where each book tells a self-contained story, but with elements that connect them to the larger series.

Key Features:

  • Standalone plots in each book
  • Recurring characters or locations
  • Minimal need to read previous books for context
  • Often used in genres like mystery, detective fiction, and romantic suspense

Examples:

  • Nancy Drew Mysteries (Carolyn Keene): Nancy investigates a different mystery in every installment, with no significant carryover of plot.
  • Jack Reacher Series (Lee Child): Each novel follows Jack Reacher through a new case, often in a new town, with new characters. Readers can jump into any book.
  • Love Inspired Suspense Series (not counting the continuity series which you would definitely want to read in order): While sometimes grouped in small arcs or trilogies, most books are self-contained romantic-suspense stories with recurring settings or themes but different lead characters and plots.

Why write this type of series? Because it:

  • appeals to readers who want flexibility in reading order
  • is ideal for long-running series with a consistent hook
  • is easier to manage with multiple authors or publisher guidelines.

 

Sequential Series

Definition: A sequential series tells a continuous story across multiple books. Each installment builds upon the previous one, often featuring cliffhangers, ongoing character arcs, and a central conflict that escalates throughout the series.

Key Features:

  • One overarching plot spans all or most books.
  • Character development progresses across installments.
  • Books are best read in order.
  • Common in fantasy, science fiction, dystopian, and serialized thrillers.

Examples:

  • The Hunger Games (Suzanne Collins): Follows Katniss Everdeen’s journey through a dystopian rebellion, with events in one book directly affecting the next.
  • Harry Potter Series (J.K. Rowling): Each book follows Harry through one school year, but the story, relationships, and conflicts build toward a final confrontation.
  • Left Behind Series (Tim LaHaye and Jerry B. Jenkins): Chronicles the tribulation period from beginning to end in a linear, progressive fashion.

Why write this kind of series? Because:

  • it encourages deep investment in characters and long-term plots
  • it is deal for exploring complex world-building and high-stakes arcs
  • readers often binge the series in order.

 

Hybrid Series (what I write)

Definition: A hybrid series combines elements of both episodic and sequential storytelling. Each book typically introduces a new lead character or couple with their own story arc; but all books are connected through a shared world, timeline, central event, or overarching thematic thread.

Key Features:

  • Each book focuses on a different protagonist(s)
  • Shared universe or community
  • Overlapping character appearances or events
  • May contain a loosely connected series arc or emotional throughline

Examples:

  • The Riverwood Chronicles: Each book features different main characters (law enforcement officers and survivors of violent crimes), but all are connected by a shared past event and support group called “The Survivors.” The setting and recurring characters create continuity.
  • Romantic Suspense Series (this is what I write): Each book features a new romantic pairing and a new suspense plot but takes place in the same town, organization, or family, creating thematic and relational ties across books.

Why write this kind of series? Because:

  • it offers both familiarity and freshness—readers get new stories but within a beloved world
  • it enables greater flexibility in character focus while maintaining series cohesion
  • it encourages exploration of different viewpoints while building a larger narrative puzzle.

Some think writing an episodic series is easier and new writers should start with that. I don’t agree. You have to track details no matter what, so if you want to write a series, go for it. I started with the big hybrid series and you can too. But having a tracking system will save you a lot of work and a lot of headaches. Trust me. I’m speaking from experience.

How about you? What kind of series are you writing and what drew you to that type?

 

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Category: Writing Craft

Mastering Subtext in Fiction – Part 3

By Lynette Easonon June 18, 2025
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Words can lie. Actions rarely do—unless someone is a really good actor/actress. But taking that element out, there’s a reason for the saying, “Actions speak louder than words.” I talked a lot about subtext in the last two posts. So, let’s dig a little deeper into the topic one more time. For example, a fictional character may say, “I’m fine.” But the tremble in her hands is in direct …

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Category: Craft, Writing Craft

Mastering Subtext in Fiction, Part 2: Subtext in Dialogue

By Lynette Easonon April 9, 2025
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Let’s dig a little deeper into how subtext in dialogue works and what it looks like. In the previous post, I talked about how people rarely say exactly what they mean—especially when under stress or in a sticky situation—or maybe when the truth would hurt someone’s feelings. We dodge, deflect, soften our words, or hide our true feelings behind sarcasm or politeness. Great fictional dialogue works …

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Category: Craft, Writing Craft

Mastering Subtext in Fiction, Part 1: Saying It Without Saying It

By Lynette Easonon March 12, 2025
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Subtext is the hidden layer of meaning beneath the words and actions of a story. It’s what characters don’t say, what emotions they suppress, and what truths are left for the reader to infer, rather than being explicitly stated. Great writing isn’t only about what’s written; it’s also about what’s implied. Readers love engaging with stories where they have to read between the lines, piecing …

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Category: Craft, Creativity, Writing Craft

Point of View #6

By Lynette Easonon February 12, 2025
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Common Pitfalls and How to Fix Them Hello, writer friends, I hope you’ve all had a great holiday and are back at the craft, learning and writing. Before we took some time off, I was writing a lot about point of view (POV). I want to wrap that up with this post, which can serve as a final checklist to ensure that you’ve got this topic down. So feel free to go back and look at your work in progress …

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Category: Writing Craft

What I Am Looking For (Lynette Eason)

By Lynette Easonon January 15, 2025
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(Updates 1/15/2025) Books, books, and more books! Gimme all the books! That’s been my motto for as long as I can remember. I grew up reading whatever I could get my hands on. Mostly mysteries and suspense like Nancy Drew, the Hardy Boys, Sweet Valley High, Alfred Hitchcock, Erle Stanley Gardner, Agatha Christie, C.S. Lewis, and so on. And then, I found Christian fiction in the form of Dee …

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Category: Agency

The Greatest Story Ever Told

By Lynette Easonon December 19, 2024
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Hello, my friends and fellow word-crafters, I’m taking a short break from writing posts on craft to celebrate the season of Christmas and offer you a bit of encouragement. As writers, we are in the business of storytelling—crafting worlds, creating characters, and weaving plots that resonate with readers. Or, if we’re nonfiction writers, putting together words that offer help, advice, and hope for …

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Category: Inspiration, Personal

Point of View #5

By Lynette Easonon December 4, 2024
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We’re back and still talking about point of view because, let’s face it, it can be a hard thing to grasp. So, in review, last time we talked about: Get rid of “distance” words—words that can disconnect the reader from the story. Use strong, vivid verbs, not passive verbs like was and were. Ditch tags like “she thought,” “he pondered,” “she mused,” and so on Now, let’s continue the list: …

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Category: Writing Craft

Point of View #4

By Lynette Easonon November 13, 2024
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Last time I talked about Deep Point of View. Now, let’s jump into some practical tips for application. Eliminate “Distance” Words Eliminate “distance” words like “saw,” “heard,” “felt,” “thought,” “wondered,” “noticed,” and so on. Is there ever a time you’d use those? Of course, but for now, let’s try not to use them. I call them “distance” words because they distance the reader from …

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Category: Craft, Writing Craft

Point of View #3

By Lynette Easonon October 24, 2024
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I’m back to talk a little more about point of view, continuing to build on what I talked about in the last post. If you’ll remember, last time I dissected POV into three different types—the ones most often in fiction. Today, in this last post on point of view, let’s dig a little deeper and talk in depth about deep point of view since this is the preferred POV in fiction writing. Someone asked why …

Read morePoint of View #3
Category: Craft, Writing Craft
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