Unfinished Series

As a reader, this used to bother me a lot. There would be series that I LOVED but the author didn't finish them. As I became a more knowledgeable reader (and began to write seriously), I began to understand that the author's didn't finish the series because of market restraints -- they weren't being paid enough for the books, or the publisher dropped the series.

I still fervently believed that series should be finished, though I began to think that the time might come when I would be on the other side of the fence and be more cynical and money might rule.

That time has come. I can't afford to write things that don't sell. My mentor spent about four months and 200 pages fleshing out a wonderful paranormal/reincarnation/thriller series that didn't sell and has vowed to never do that again. I'm sorry this time came and that more of the shininess of being a published writer has rubbed off (and, believe me, I tried to keep that honeymoon of the first book golden as long as I could).

So, if series aren't finished, then I shrug my shoulders, as a reader and writer. It isn't always satisfying making up endings for the stories because you know, as the reader, that what you imagined might not be even near what the writer had envisioned.

I recently read an-end-of-the-series book where the author or the publisher had gotten tired of the idea and the series was wrapped up in an epilogue that I didn't care for. Better, even, a Dear Reader letter telling us that the series was done instead of this epilogue. Years passed in the epilogue, yet the current story wasn't mentioned. I will have to give some thought to the technique of such since I can't pinpoint all that bothered me about it. I didn't like the epilogue to the end of the Harry Potter series, either.

So, I hope you will learn to live with some of your series not being finished. It's sad and hard but the real world drives this business.

Take care and enjoy the stories you read today.
Robin