Book two progress is moving forward, and my long-term goal of writing a sci-fi series is well underway. It has been a while since my last update, and I am sorry for the radio silence. I have been working hard behind the scenes, hitting my weekly targets. Following a short writing sprint a few weeks back, the pace has been steady.
I am incredibly excited to announce that Act Two is officially done! Act Three is the shortest section, with only 15 chapters in the current outline, meaning the finish line is in sight. However, at my current writing pace, completing it could still take several months. I have also finished the second set of interludes, allowing me to fully immerse myself in drafting Act Three.
Overall, I am happy with how the narrative is developing. Yet, there is one major dilemma lingering in my mind, and I am completely on the fence about how to proceed.
The Challenges of Writing a Sci-Fi Series
This structural doubt is rooted in the original outline of book one. I always intended to try my hand at writing a sci-fi series, and I wanted Whispers from the Machine to be the start of a broader saga. However, I was also acutely conscious of being a new author. I did not want to set myself up to fail by overcomplicating things.
To hedge my bets, I wrote the first book as a standalone story that possessed the potential to grow into a trilogy. Eventually, I reworked the entire outline to commit fully to writing a sci-fi series.
Book two was originally outlined in that exact same vein: to function as a standalone novel. While I feel the reworked outline bridges the narrative gap well, I still worry about how readers will react to the creative jumps made in this second instalment. This is particularly true regarding the introduction of several new characters.
[ Original Book 1 Outline ]
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(Reworked into a Full Series)
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┌────────────────────┴────────────────────┐
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[ The Book 2 Dilemma ] [ The Alternative Option ]
Stick to the current plan. Extract the continuation elements.
Risk "Middle Book Syndrome". Make Book 2 a true standalone spin-off.
Avoiding Middle Book Syndrome
My main concern is protecting the reader experience. I never want anyone to feel cheated by classic “middle book syndrome”, where a novel exists solely to bridge the gap between books one and three without delivering its own satisfying conclusion.
The draft works well as a direct continuation. However, part of me wonders if I should rework it into a true standalone book within the Stapledon Universe. To achieve this, I would extract all the overarching continuation elements that connect it back to book one. That extracted material would become the foundation for a “true” book two, and I would patch the remaining gaps to ensure the book I have nearly finished stands completely on its own.
For an avid reader, this alternative approach would offer an engaging side-story about the events unfolding around the main narrative, without requiring them to read book one first. It would still deliver the history of what occurred on Stapledon Two, whilst allowing the main sequence to stick to a tighter, closer-knit cast of characters.
Sticking to the Outline and Managing Writing Doubts
Even as I write this post, I remain genuinely unsure. On one hand, spinning it off simplifies the storyline, making the narrative cleaner and far easier to market. On the other hand, the events on Stapledon Two are critical to the overarching lore. Pushing them to the periphery might signal to readers that this history is non-essential, which feels wrong.
Ultimately, my plan is to stick to the original outline for now. I will finish drafting the book exactly as intended. When the manuscript finally reaches the developmental editing stage, this will be my primary question for the editor.
I want an objective professional to tell me if the structure functions seamlessly within the wider narrative arc, or if my worries about writing a sci-fi series structure are unfounded. If they agree with my concerns, I will pull the thread, extract the plot, and rework the main series outline accordingly.
We still have a long way to go. It will be a few months before draft one is complete, followed by another month for my own structural review before the manuscript goes to a developmental editor. For now, the most important thing is to keep drafting and refuse to let creative doubts distract me from the work.
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