Series that Move Sideways: Part II

A while back I talked about how ongoing series handle moving forward. Some have a long term plan, while others make it up as they go along. Some constantly raise the stakes, others hit the reset button over and over.

I looked at what I considered the big three major categories for series progression: Upward, Reset, and Sideways. Upward Progression being something that starts small, but the stakes tend to get bigger. If planned out ahead of time, this works really well, but if you’re constantly having to produce more and always needing to outdo yourself… well, you’ve seen where the Marvel Movies went after Endgame…

Reset Progression tries to keep the status quo overall, like James Bond or The Simpsons. These kind of series don’t care where you start, and usually you could jump to any entry in any order. In the case of Star Trek, they had to fight to have any kind of ongoing consequences, and it wasn’t until Deep Space Nine that they embraced the idea of a series arc.

But there is also Sideways Progression. I often see this as spinoffs, sometimes taking a minor character and giving them a starring role. But in these cases it’s often just to create a whole new series with a familiar character, with not much connection between the two.

When I was writing the third Get Lost novel, Lost Lives, I wanted it to be a satisfying conclusion to the series. Aaaaand I also didn’t want it to be the end.

The problem, as I saw it, was what the audience would expect next. Given the attention I’d given the Terran situation and the Terran Colony Fleet, they’d probably want to see more of how that situation developed. Also, there are some big revelations made by the Order that I think people would want to know more about.

And I want to tell you. I really do. Just not yet.

See, the Protectorate is a HUGE place, full of potential. And despite the fact that humanity makes up only a small part of it, the Saga so far focuses heavily on the Terran situation.

If I was to continue with Moss’s story, my greatest fear was that I’d have to progress Upward. My even greater fear was that it would progress Upward the way Pirates of the Caribbean did.

Ugh. Please no.

Then I considered progressing Sideways. I could have Moss go to another part of the Protectorate and start a new adventure, not connected to the Terran situation at all, and slightly connected to the Order’s revelations, in order to progress that plot a bit. But it would be a whole new adventure arc that would stand on its own.

But that would feel a bit like hitting the reboot button.

Then it occurred to me that I could shift the focus completely. As a supporting character in the Get Lost Saga, Helena Lambinon never really had a chance to stand out. She was the reader proxy, the one who didn’t know what was going on so it could be explained.

Why not give her a chance to take the spotlight?

Without getting into any spoilers for Lost Lives, I will say that Hel ends up in the perfect position to have her own adventures, along with Violet. They also have enough of a connection to the Order to have them tied into the long-term arc going on in the background.

But that wasn’t enough. This was a chance to really branch out and explore the larger Protectorate, even if it would still mostly take place in the Void.

So, I’ve set up a situation in which Hel and Violet have been separated by a surprise attack. In fact, Hel is left adrift in space until she’s rescued. Now all she wants is to find out what happened to Violet.

But to do so, she needs a ship. And to get a ship, she needs to be part of a crew.

A wacky crew.

But not too wacky.

Maybe more odd than wacky.

Come on, you know how I write by now 😉

Point is, Hel’s going to be on a very unusual ship with a very unusual crew and a highly irregular captain who is sorta the opposite of Maurice Foote. Her quest to find Violet is going to lead her to a whole new kind of adventure AND tie in with the mysterious group the Order warned them about.

Which begs the question… what about Moss? Won’t he be in the series?

Not right away, no. This is a chance for Hel to shine and meet new people. But that doesn’t mean I’ve forgotten about Moss. Far from it.

See, it’s possible that I might have this trilogy focus on Hel… and perhaps the next trilogy focus on another set of characters from the series… the former crew of the Hydrus. Because they have an unusual situation all their own to explore.

And then, perhaps, bring the three sets of stories together for a final trilogy tying them together.

It’s a thought. Something to consider.

But at the same time, I see this series as having an almost Discworld-like potential, where familiar characters and locations can be revisited and new characters and locations explored.

At least it gives me something to look forward to… for the future!