Professional Development – The nuts and bolts of writing series fiction
13 October @ 10:00 - 11:30 BST
Join Author Vaseem Khan as he leads this session covering the essentials of writing series fiction, i.e. fiction that features returning characters and settings.
We will explore examples of brilliant series across different genres such as crime, fantasy and romance, and examine the key ingredients that make such fiction successful. The session will detail how to create narrative arcs that ‘grow’ your characters, how to develop overarching themes, and the elements of world-building that make readers consistently come back for more. We will also discuss what agents and editors are currently looking for in new series pitches.
#SoAatHome Professional Development events – free for SoA Members
All #SoAatHome Professional Development sessions continue to be free for members. However, for non-members, the price is £35 including VAT.
Not a member? sign up here with our special #SoAatHome offer and get 20% off for the first year – use code SOAATHOME20.
Programme
- Welcome, introductions and housekeeping from Lilly Brend-Fish – Events & Engagement Manager, SoA (3 mins)
- Presentation by Vaseem Khan (60 mins)
- Comfort Break (5 mins)
- Q&A with audience (20 mins)
- Summary and closing comments (2 mins)
What will this session cover?
- What makes for brilliant series fiction, across different genres?
- How to create evolving narrative arcs for your characters
- How to write self-contained plots in each series outing
- The importance of overarching themes
- How to create a world that readers want to revisit
- What do agents and editors want in series fiction?
Who is this session for?
This session is for authors currently writing or contemplating writing series or episodic fiction i.e. fiction with recurring characters and/or settings.
Send us your questions
If you would like to send questions in advance, email LBrendfish@societyofauthors.org with ‘Writing series fiction’ in the subject header. We will prioritise questions sent in advance and answer as many as we can from the audience on the day.
SoA Fundraising Bookshop
Browse our virtual Bookshop.org store featuring books by authors and speakers taking part in our events programme. When you make a purchase using our affiliate links, a percentage will go to the Society of Authors’ Access Fund, giving authors support for travel, subsistence, childcare or access needs for events, residencies, and retreats.
The Line-up
Vaseem Khan
Vaseem Khan is the author of several award-winning crime series including the Baby Ganesh Agency novels, set in modern Mumbai, and the Malabar House historical series, set in 1950s Bombay. His debut, The Unexpected Inheritance of Inspector Chopra, was selected by the Sunday Times as one of the 40 best crime novels published 2015-2020. Midnight at Malabar House, the first Malabar House novel, won the Crime Writers’ Association Historical Dagger. He is also the author of Quantum of Menace, the first in a series featuring Q from the world of James Bond.
Website: http://vaseemkhan.com | Instagram: @vaseemkhanwriter | X:@VaseemKhanUK
Need to know
Accessibility
- Attendees will have the option to turn on the live transcript, to watch with subtitles
- If you require BSL interpretation for this event, please email events@societyofauthors.org
Before the event
- Once registered, you will be sent a confirmation email with the Zoom link
- If the confirmation email doesn’t arrive in your inbox, please check your junk/spam email folder
- Please add events@societyofauthors.org to your Safe Senders list so you receive our confirmation and reminder emails
During the event
- This online event will take place on Zoom Webinar; you will not be visible on screen but will be able to ask questions via the Q&A function or interact via the chat box
- This event will be recorded but you won’t be on screen
- Attendees have the option to turn on the live transcript
- This event is 90 minutes
After the event
- The hashtag for this event: #SoAatHome
- SoA Members and paid attendees of this event will be able to catch the recording on our Vimeo channel (password protected) or members can access via the SoA website.
Booking
SoA Members: Please use the ‘Register – SoA Members’ form below and provide your details, including your membership number. If you’re unsure of your SoA ID, please email info@societyofauthors.org.
Non-members: Choose one of the two ticket options below, complete the registration form, then fill out the billing info to finalise your payment.
For event or registration questions, email events@societyofauthors.org.
SoA Members – Free
Non-Members – £35
Accordion Content
Access 20% off your first year of membership of the SoA with discount code SOAATHOME20
The Society of Authors is the UK’s biggest trade union for authors – representing more than 12,000 writers, illustrators, translators and other creative practitioners.
Our subscription rate is just £137 per year (£97 concessionary) which equates to just under £12 per month (or £8 per month concessionary).
As an SoA member, you’ll get:
- Access to all our #SoAatHome events for free including the Professional Development sessions usually charged at £35 from Feb 2025
- Access to all our Feel Good Friday and Industry Insider events which are usually charged £5 from Feb 2025
- Access all #SoAatHome Vimeo professional development recordings so you can catch up in your own time
- Access Unlimited one-to-one professional advice
- Membership of our online and real-world professional networks and special interest groups
- A range of member-only discounts, including books, insurance and travel
- And much more
‘It was a surprisingly lovely way to meet fellow writers in a friendly, warm surrounding perfectly hosted by the SoA staff. Thank you for all the introductions, the welcome and the nourishment!’ – attendee from SoA in Person: Autumn New Members’ Party 2024
JOIN NOW | PRICING
Accordion Content
Giving authors support for travel, subsistence, childcare or access needs for events, residencies, and retreats
Every contribution helps us ensure that these needs and costs aren’t barriers to authors wishing to access events.
If you are in a position to help, please donate via the link below. If you are an author facing access issues, please click here to see if we can help.
DONATE NOW
Register - SoA Member
Please use the booking form to register for this event.
Please email events@societyofauthors.org if you have any questions
