Monday, July 11, 2016

Binge Watching and Binge Reading

I started binge watching TV, when I noticed some of the stations, such as ION, TNT, and others devoted entire days to certain programs, or at least showed one or two episodes each day in a row until the series was completed, such as House, and Judging Amy.

Turns out I found binge-watching so satisfying, I've graduated to borrowing television DVDs from the library, such as  Homeland, The Mentalist, Chicago Fire, and Chicago P.D.. That works even better for me, since usually only a few commercials appear on the lead disc of a series. Last December, I was lucky enough to get a free trial offer for Showtime and I binge watched the entire season of Homeland, which had just been completed. I'm dying to see the new episodes when the series starts up again, but will now need to decide whether to get a subscription to Showtime or wait for the DVD. I'll be more fortunate with Chicago Fire and Chicago P.D., since they're on NBC, a major network. I've digressed a bit here. Anyway, I've heard I'm not the only binge watcher. 

This TV binge-watching of mine reminds me there are also a ton of binge readers. I'd often heard readers like nothing more than to follow a series by a favorite author, and now I better understand that preference. 

For authors, I'm offering some suggestions on how to create a series to hook binge readers: 
  1. Use the same character in each book.
  2. Create a collection or anthology using the same theme as presented in the lead book, as I've done in my Always Young series. I confess to not completing the third of the series, but one of these days it will be ready. I've been sidetracked by a good twin, bad twin book I'd started ages ago and begs to be done first.
  3. Use a certain locale in each book, as I've used in my so-far two book Deerview series, which I might later expand.
  4. Do a spin off by turning a minor character in one book into a major in another, as I've done in my short Perfect Match series.
What about you? Do you binge watch or binge read? Do you like to write or read a book series? If you're an author with a series, please share a link to the first of your series and offer a few sentences about the character or premise.


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2 comments:

authorlindathorne said...

I no longer have time to watch TV because of my day job and my writing and promotion. I make as much of my time as possible for binge reading and yes, I do love series. Your ideas here are great. My book is the first in a series and I'm trying so hard to finish the second. Again, time is the issue. The idea of keeping the setting in the same place is probably wise, but that's where my series varies from your suggestions. I have the same protagonist in every book, but she relocates to a different part of the country in the second one. In the third, and all other future books in the series, the setting will be Nashville, TN where I currently live. If anyone wants to try a new series from the start, check out my website at lindathorne.com. My 2nd book should be out within a year.

Morgan Mandel said...

It seems as long as books have something common tying them together they can be part of a series.