I’ve never really wanted to write a trilogy. It almost seems like an epidemic amongst indie writers. Whatever I want to say, I want to express it in one single, powerful volume. Each of my books is definitive, and requires no follow-up or sequel, which is what I prefer. And yet, as I was writing my second and third books, I realized something . . . I was writing a trilogy whether I meant to or not.
I’ve now released my three novels, “Decline”, “Mya”, and “The Underside of Wars” (Check them out on Amazon!). They vary widely in subject. Aside from a few easter eggs (which I only added after my realization), there’s no physical, corporeal relationship between the actions or characters of each book. “Decline” is set post-apocalypse, and is a quiet and intense adventure surrounding one lonely survivor. “Mya” follows the devastating trials of the titular Mya and her unlikely beau, Colin, during a time of great tribulation for their adopted city. Finally, “The Underside of Wars” is a story about an aging, alcoholic and adulterous writer whose vices are an albatross on his life.
Although it was initially unintentional, this is a trilogy. If I had to set them out chronologically, it would start with “Mya”, then “Underside of Wars”, and finally, “Decline”. But what holds them together if there’s no direct correlation? They all deal with apocalypse, in a literal or figurative sense: “Decline” is set after a literal apocalypse, “Mya” is a figurative, metaphoric, and surreal apocalypse, and “Underside” deals chiefly with the main character’s personal apocalypse.
When I subsequently realized how closely connected the books felt, it made them richer for me as a writer. It also makes me wonder if I missed an opportunity to expressly identify them as a trilogy, thus creating more momentum and desire to continue reading beyond the first and 2nd books. Perhaps I should rebrand them. What do you think?
And yes, I also realize I’ve needlessly disparaged trilogies and trilogy writers, then myself for unknowingly being one. Either that, or I’m admitting that I repeat myself a lot.
Whirlpool of Crows 