Writing a trilogy is truly like running a marathon. It’s a slow, steady race to the finish, and pacing yourself is the key to not burning out and staying on track. I completed a trilogy between 2016 and 2023 (seven years in the making!)—a Chinese fantasy that involves Elemental magic, girls with swords, and political intrigue set in ancient Chinese palaces—and there were multiple times where I felt like it was impossible to wield this behemoth of a story and it simply could not be done. But I got to the end eventually, and here’s what I’ve learnt:

Have a plan, but definitely be ready to change it along the way

I’m by no means a great plotter. In fact, before my foray into fantasy, I was very much a pantser—as in, I wrote by the seat of my pants. And it had always worked out for me. Sure, I had to take a few wrong turns to find my way eventually, but it was the method that worked best for me as I love being surprised by my story and my characters.

When writing a trilogy, however, I find it essential to have a more concrete road map that will take me safely from Point A to Point B. I like to think of it as having guide posts along the way to take me up the mountain. But life is more interesting when you take the road less travelled and explore different routes along the way. So that’s how I approach writing a trilogy as well. My outline at the beginning is vastly different from the one I have at the end, and that allows me the space to explore new ideas that pop up along the way organically and that may serve the story better.

Have at least an idea how your series will end

Even though I like to be surprised by my story, I can’t enter it without at least having an inkling of how it will end. Having the ending in mind—or at least a general view of it—helps me stay on track and focus on the central storyline. Once the ending is decided on, it just becomes a question of how to get from beginning to end, and you’re free to discover the story in between.

Daily word count adds up — slow and steady wins the race

As much as I would like to be the kind of writer who can churn out several thousand words every day without fail, I am not. Some days, I manage a mere 300; other days, I power forward with nearly 2,000 words. But I know that as long as I keep going, it doesn’t matter how long I take to get there, because I’ll get there eventually. You only lose when you stop.

Flesh out every character, even the supporting ones — they can help develop your plot

Every character should serve the story in some way or other, be it to assist, thwart, galvanise or guide the main character. There’s so much potential for every character to advance the main plot, bring out a different side or serve as a contrast to the main character.

Know when to withhold and release information to build tension and anticipation

A trilogy is a marathon, and you don’t want to spoil the fun too soon. Release bits of information and take your time to build the connections and relationships between your characters. It will make for a more compelling plot and your characters’ journeys will be more satisfying. Revealing bits of information as the story progresses also keeps the reader on the edge of their seats. It tightens the pacing and keeps the reader turning the pages.

Bonus: Enjoy the process — you’ll miss it thrice as much when you come to the end!

When you’re neck-deep in writing a trilogy, it can seem like you’re never going to get to the finish line. It can feel like you’re mired in a bog, your feet caught in plot holes, your arms flailing in choppy prose. But once you finish that trilogy, you will ache to experience it all over again. You will miss spending time with your characters that you have grown attached to, you will miss being in that world you created, and you will miss writing this story that has taken up possibly years of your life. So enjoy the process, relish it, because you will never get to experience it for the first time ever again. Embrace the bad writing days as much as you welcome the good ones, don’t worry about the final product, and immerse yourself in your story. You’ll reach the end before you know it, and you will look back on your journey fondly. Happy writing!

Joyce Chua is the author of Lambs for Dinner (Straits Times Press, 2013), the Children of the Desert trilogy (Penguin Random House SEA, 2021), Until Morning, and No Room in Neverland (Penguin Random House SEA, 2023). She graduated from the National University of Singapore with a degree in English and is now a personal finance editor by day and author by night. She has spoken at various events including the Singapore Writers Festival and Asian Festival of Children’s Content. Her articles have appeared in Harper’s Bazaar, Her World, The Straits Times, and more. When not writing, she can be found on Instagram, TikTok and Threads at @joycechuawrites.

We are delighted to be hosting four writers in virtual residence, with support from the National Arts Council of Singapore. Joyce Chua, Marylyn Tan, Lisabelle Tay and Jerrold Yam will be in virtual residence from June to December 2024.