*Written with Veridion Smart

 There’s a moment that every long-form writer reaches often without realizing it at first - when the story quietly shifts hands. You may have begun with a plan. A plot outline. A destination clearly marked on the map.

But then, one day, a character says something you didn’t expect. Or refuses to do what you told them to do. Or walks straight off the page and into territory you never intended to explore. And that’s when you know: You’re no longer writing a single book.

You’re building a series.

The difference between writing a book and writing a series is really simple, but putting it into effect isn’t. Here’s why – and I’m just learning this as I go along, writing Book Two, JOURNEY OF THE HEART, in my Whispers Through Time series.

When you write one book, you’re responsible for everything. The pacing. The arc. The emotional resolution. But a series is different. A series isn’t just about story. It’s about relationship. You’re not only asking, what happens next? You’re asking, who are these people becoming?

Characters in a series don’t exist to serve plot alone. They evolve, carry memory, and grow consequences. They remember what they’ve survived, and they react accordingly. That’s when they begin to feel alive.

The first time I ever had characters push back, it scared me to death. It happened while I was writing WHISPERS THROUGH TIME, and I had no intention of Sierra ever returning to her former lover, Hunter. But…they insisted…and it was a good thing.

Writers sometimes worry when a character ‘takes over,’ as if it means losing control. In truth, it means the opposite. It means you’ve written them honestly enough that they now have something I think of as 'internal logic.' They have emotional continuity. And they have a moral compass to live by, even if it’s sometimes flawed.

At that point, forcing them into predetermined actions often weakens the story. Listening to them strengthens it. Some of the most resonant moments in a series happen when the author steps back and lets the character lead, even if it means rewriting what you thought you knew.

You must trust the Long Arc. Series writing demands patience. Remember: not every question needs an answer in the first book. Not every wound heals immediately. Not every truth is revealed all at once.

Readers who love a series aren’t just following events; they’re committing to lives. They want to walk alongside characters as they stumble, grow, resist, and change. Letting characters guide the story allows that long arc to unfold naturally, without rushing toward closure that hasn’t been earned yet.

If you let go, just enough, you still steer the ship. You still choose the waters. But, sometimes, the wind knows where it needs to go.

When characters begin to speak more clearly than your outline, that’s not chaos. It’s craft maturing. It’s the sign of a story deep enough to sustain more than one telling. And that’s when a series stops being a project…

…and starts becoming a World.

*If you haven't read WHISPERS THROUGH TIME yet, you can purchase it in either print or e-book at several online retail bookstores. One such outlet is: https://www.amazon.com/Whispers-Through-Rosetta-Diane-Hoessli-ebook/dp/B098278M38/