Just skip the third book!
So the first book I downloaded onto my Kindle was one that I've been waiting for YEARS to read. It was the third book from a series called Almost Sisters, written by three LDS authors, and I've been waiting because I didn't want to pay shipping and handling charges to order it online. (how cheap am I?)
So the series is about three women who meet at BYU Education week when they are in their early 20's. These women live in different cities and states and so they correspond over the years via letters and email. They share their challenges and their successes with one another and the author addresses some fairly poignant issues such as teen preganancy, gay marriage, and other 'hot' subjects.
These books are simply written so that you feel that you are part of the letter writing and reading--you become attached to these women and their struggles over their 25 year friendship. You find yourself worrying about them. I came to really care about a couple of these characters so imagine my disappointment when I got the third book and couldn't give two hoots about any of them until about 3/4 of the way through the book. The characters had no substance--they were flat; there was no development; very little changing; very little progressing.
And then I got to thinking about the third book in a number of other series I've read and came to the conclusion that the authors should skip the third book and either end at the second or progress to the fourth.
May I submit the following examples:
1. Mockingjay by Susanne Collins
The Hunger Games was stellar! Catching Fire was almost as good as Hunger Games, but Mockingjay just stunk! I couldn't have been more disappointed!
2. Eclipse by Stephenie Meyer
As a cheerleader for Team Jacob, even I found Jacob's constant fawning over Bella rather nauseating. And don't even get me started about how much of a tease Bella was...I mean really...what was she thinking when she gave Jacob that big smoocheroo?! What a nasty girl!!
3. Voyager (Outlander Series) by Diana Gabaldon
I read this book many, many moons ago. It was a series that I absolutely could not get enough of. Until this book. After countless situations where Jaime escaped certain death, and after repeated unhygienic coupling sessions between husband and wife in the most ridiculous circumstances (such as immediately after surviving a battle with bows and arrows where they were horribly outnumbered and death was imminent) I had had enough. In over 11 years I have not been able to pick up the next book in the series and continue on this adventure with characters I absolutely adored! And just FYI, I own the entire series!
4. Prisoner of Azkaban by JK Rowling
Okay, you got me. I liked this one. Hated the movie though--didn't do the book justice.
See...it seems that the third book is typically the 'flop' book. Why is this? Is the author burnt out? Sick of the characters? Lacking inspiration? What? Why?
Honestly, I don't have a theory about why this is but I would like to offer some advice to future authors....
Skip The Third Book!!
So the series is about three women who meet at BYU Education week when they are in their early 20's. These women live in different cities and states and so they correspond over the years via letters and email. They share their challenges and their successes with one another and the author addresses some fairly poignant issues such as teen preganancy, gay marriage, and other 'hot' subjects.
These books are simply written so that you feel that you are part of the letter writing and reading--you become attached to these women and their struggles over their 25 year friendship. You find yourself worrying about them. I came to really care about a couple of these characters so imagine my disappointment when I got the third book and couldn't give two hoots about any of them until about 3/4 of the way through the book. The characters had no substance--they were flat; there was no development; very little changing; very little progressing.
And then I got to thinking about the third book in a number of other series I've read and came to the conclusion that the authors should skip the third book and either end at the second or progress to the fourth.
May I submit the following examples:
1. Mockingjay by Susanne Collins
The Hunger Games was stellar! Catching Fire was almost as good as Hunger Games, but Mockingjay just stunk! I couldn't have been more disappointed!
2. Eclipse by Stephenie Meyer
As a cheerleader for Team Jacob, even I found Jacob's constant fawning over Bella rather nauseating. And don't even get me started about how much of a tease Bella was...I mean really...what was she thinking when she gave Jacob that big smoocheroo?! What a nasty girl!!
3. Voyager (Outlander Series) by Diana Gabaldon
I read this book many, many moons ago. It was a series that I absolutely could not get enough of. Until this book. After countless situations where Jaime escaped certain death, and after repeated unhygienic coupling sessions between husband and wife in the most ridiculous circumstances (such as immediately after surviving a battle with bows and arrows where they were horribly outnumbered and death was imminent) I had had enough. In over 11 years I have not been able to pick up the next book in the series and continue on this adventure with characters I absolutely adored! And just FYI, I own the entire series!
4. Prisoner of Azkaban by JK Rowling
Okay, you got me. I liked this one. Hated the movie though--didn't do the book justice.
See...it seems that the third book is typically the 'flop' book. Why is this? Is the author burnt out? Sick of the characters? Lacking inspiration? What? Why?
Honestly, I don't have a theory about why this is but I would like to offer some advice to future authors....
Skip The Third Book!!
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