Advice Quote by Juliet Marillier
“My advice to aspiring writers of fantasy trilogies or series is that each book needs two main plots. There's the 'big story', the over-arching grand plot of the entire series, and there is the complete-in-itself, one-book plot.”
About This Quote
Source Interview: Writing Fantasy Series, Juliet Marillier, 2018
A successful fantasy series balances an overarching saga with distinct, self‑contained stories in each book.
In simple terms: Each book needs a big series plot and its own story.
Key Takeaway
Plan both series arc and individual book plot.
Themes
storytelling
structure
fantasy
Mood
inspirational
practical
Type
creative
instructional
When to use this quote
- author workshops
- outline sessions
- editing
- reader feedback
Key Concepts
plotting
character arcs
world‑building
Questions to Reflect On
- How do you keep the series cohesive?
- What makes a single‑book plot satisfying?
A Different Perspective
Focusing on both levels can dilute focus if not managed.
![“It takes about a year to write an opera for me, but not a really a year of writing. I'm touring at the same time, and I'm playing, sometimes doing smaller projects.[The opera] Akhnaten fits in with Gandhi and Einstein, so that forms a trilogy in a way.I picked people who were these kind of larger…” quote by Philip Glass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/20d/philip-glass-14533_admirable_it-takes-about-a-year-to-write-an-opera_444252.jpg)
![“[A]s you partake of the world's bill of fare, that's darned good advice to follow. Do a lot of spitting out the hot air. And be careful what you swallow.” quote by Dr. Seuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/da8/dr-seuss-1224_advice_a-s-you-partake-of-the-world-s-bill-of-f_6806.jpg)
