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(Originally posted December 3, 2013.  Couldn’t resist putting this one after the one about a sequel.  This post had more meat to it since I was promoting Allure of the Gypsies for it’s debut.)

So, here I am sitting around during the first week of my book’s debut thinking about what to write.  Yesterday, was the big debut and rushing around to submit to all my listed marketing sites.  Then it struck me that a question I asked during Prodigy of Rainbow Tower‘s debut was never asked:

What do you look for in the third book of a series?

Some people might not realize how a third book differs from a second book or the finale of a trilogy.  Obviously, you can’t give full closure like the ending of a trilogy, so that answers that difference.  The trick comes in when comparing it to a sequel.

To be honest, part two can be cleaner than the third book.  You have direct plotlines and foreshadowing to work off of.  The world is still being explored and you can move out from the initial setting, so there’s still a freshness for the author to depend on.  Same goes for the characters.  They’re still in early development and the second book is where you can throw in a good amount of shake ups.  Betrayals, deaths, failures, victories, and the whole bag of tricks to make that sequel even bigger than the first . . . then what?

Here’s where the third book will find a problem.  It has two books to live up to while forging its own niche in the series.  You can pull out some of the tricks from the second book, but too many and you doom the entire series.  There’s a lot riding on this third book and it could easily end up larger than the previous ones.  At this point, you may find some subplots are running their course and need to come to a conclusion.  Introducing a new character and removing an old one can be helpful too.  You need shock events without making them seem strained.

You also need to think more about the future of the series on this one.  Think of the reader dating your series:

1. First book is the blind date where you’re getting to know each other.  Might not be smooth, but you can put on a good enough show for a return.
2. Second book is the big second date where you give it your best and try to give the reader more of what they liked during the first book.  Also, add stuff that they hinted they wanted.
3. Third book is the nerve-wracking date where you consider putting out.  By ‘putting out’, I mean revealing the big story and grabbing hold of the reader for the true roller coaster.

I hope that analogy makes sense.  So, what do people think about the third book of an on-going series?