“Nor the Summers As Golden: Writing Multivolume Works”, 2012-03-02 (; backlinks):
Gene Wolfe on the depth and ending of novel series
A short essay by SF author Gene Wolfe on the challenges of writing a multi-volume novel series like his Book of the New Sun/Book of the Long Sun.
In a good multi-volume work, each volume must stand on its own, but also progress the overall plot while maintaining a sense of realism and consistent quality, despite the difficulty of sustaining the writing effort over years or even decades.
Can the author do this? And can the character or content support such a long acquaintance by either author or reader?
And most importantly, can it leave the reader feeling that it was all worthwhile, that he has seen the most important parts of the characters’ lives, that they have earned their ending (whatever it is) and that while they may be rewarded, somehow, the rest of their lives will not be as meaningful ‘nor the summers as golden’?