Create Stand Alone Story Arcs for a Fantasy Fiction Trilogy

The fantasy fiction trilogy is becoming more and more popular in the genre. Series of three or more books dominate the marketplace and succeed in brining fantasy fiction to fans. While a vast multi-book story arc is expected in these fantasy fiction trilogies, it is important to create stand alone novels within the trilogy. Not only do readers expect a satisfying conclusion at the end of each fantasy fiction book, publishers are more apt to take a chance on one book than an entire trilogy.

Stand Alone Fantasy Stories - Create Sub Plot Conflict

The story arc that covers the entire trilogy must wend through each book in the series. This is usually the quest that the main characters undertake to destroy evil or save the world. A fantasy fiction writer might say that each individual book has a sub-plot of the entire epic.

If you have characters who must destroy Evil Bad Guy to save the world, they can still find time to rescue a princess, find a magical amulet, or slay a loathsome dragon. These sub plots should not veer off from the main trilogy story line too drastically.

Stand Alone Fantasy Stories - Introduce New Characters

The first book in a fantasy fiction trilogy should introduce the main characters that will remain in each book until the end of the series. There should also be characters who die off, move away, or are otherwise useful for only one of the books. In each subsequent fantasy book in the series, introduce new characters to keep the action moving. Each of these new characters will have a new goal and new conflicts to overcome.

Stand Alone Fantasy Stories - Achieve Goals

These new characters and their new goals can provide story arcs for each book in the trilogy. While they should intermingle with the entire series plot line, they should be seperate enough to engage the readers in something new. These characters must achieve their goals by the end of the book. Some conflict must be overcome and there must be a neat wrap up of the action.

Stand Alone Fantasy Stories - Constant Character Growth

Throughout the entire fantasy fiction trilogy, there must be a level of constant character growth. With the popularity of character-led fiction, more popular in literary tomes than in speculative genres, it is a good idea to make your characters dynamic. The fighter who is a brute at the beginning of book one should not be a brute at the end of book three. Creating stand alone story arcs that affect the main characters will contribute to their growth and change. These changes may just be what it takes to triumph over evil at the very end.