#ArmchairBEA for Friday, May 30th! My Topic of Choice - "THE #TRILOGY" #MG and #YA!

Welcome to Friday's #ArmchairBEA! As you can tell all through this week my posts are later in the day than most. I am a night owl, not by choice, but because of my husband working afternoons. He gets home anywhere from midnight to 2:30am, so needless to say, bedtime for us can be as late as 5:00 or 6:00 AM! By the time he gets home, grabs a bite to eat, we visit and catch up on the day, watch a little TV to relax (I read!), then it's finally bedtime! Therefore, my posts are posted much later than the rest of yours! They DO get done!
Here are the two topics for today:

Topic of Choice

Today is the day to talk about something that you feel we have missed or that you want to spend a little extra time chatting about. Ideas include, but are not limited to: a genre that does not fit into those featured earlier this week; logistics, such as blogging resources, procedures, or advice; or something completely fun with book to movie adaptations or favorite blogging games, features, memes, events, and/or activities. It’s your freebie day to choose what you like!

Middle Grade/Young Adult

Our final genre of discussion is one that we know is a popular one these days: books for the younger crowd, from middle grade to young adult. If you do not normally talk about this genre on your site, maybe you want to feature books that you remember impacting you during this stage in your life. If this is where you tend to gravitate, maybe you want to list your favorites, make recommendations based on genres, or feature some titles that you are excited to read coming later this year.

My Topic of Choice: The Trilogy

My topic is going to be more on the serious side of things today instead of a lighter one. Some of you may hate me after what I have to say, and some may agree with me. Many of you may be thinking the same thing as I am! I am not trying to sway people in what to write with what I have to say here, but I do suggest it. I am not after winning people over to like me or not like me, it's something that has been on my mind a lot lately as I browse through the new/newer books available of late, and I do feel it needs to be addressed. I think this is the perfect medium and time to address this topic. This is of my opinion ONLY. No one has influenced me to say my thoughts, it's just what I think as I see so many trilogies out there. It's eating away at me, and I'm going to get it off my chest and see what some of you think about it, too. 

Trilogies were nice. Trilogies were fun to read. I used to like Trilogies.

Why am I saying the word 'were'?

I hate (hate is a strong word, so I should change it) I do not prefer to read Trilogies anymore, unless it's by a favorite author or authors of mine, or if those authors suggest a Trilogy to me, then I will give it a try, but on my own, I will not read any 'new' authors who write trilogies. I'll get to 'the why' in a moment. Right now I will stick with my tried and true, BEST and FAVORITE authors of mine! I LOVE +Colleen Hoover  +Cora Carmack +K A Tucker (she didn't pop up?). I just realized they are a trio of authors! LOL!!!! Yes, they are known for writing Trilogies, but when they wrote them, trilogies had not taken over the market (saturated it with trilogies is more like it) by Independent Authors who have self published like it has now. It is ALL I seem to run into in almost every book as I browse around.

Why do I not like trilogies anymore, you ask?

With the advent of ebooks, and now the tried and true LOVE of ebooks, (I do love them) and with the success of the trilogy, I believe that is why currently it seems as if almost EVERY new independent author out there who has self published a new book now is part of a trilogy! There is an 'influx' of trilogies! Trilogies have overtaken every style of book written in every genre! Trilogy here, trilogy there, oh, and over there!

Almost every book seems like it is a trilogy, or, it leaves a book hanging open ended with reviews all saying so, and some of the reviews stating things such as "I think this book is going to become part of a trilogy because of the ending, and, the author cannot leave the book that open ended, or, I hope the author writes another book to bring closure to this book'. Those are not specific quotes, but phrases I've seen in reviews. The most common phrase I read in reviews are about leaving open ended books which leaves the readers hanging, wondering, pondering the 'why' the author did that? Since I've been blogging now for 4 years, I have seen how the ebook market has grown. I've been a part of it, too, but now, as I browse through ebooks anymore, before I even go to click on a title, in the back of my mind now I am wondering if this book is going to be part of another trilogy and at the same time I'm hoping it's not going to be, and when the book opens up on Amazon, I see what I expected. It IS a trilogy. Just what I thought. Not a stand alone. A Trilogy. Again. Another Trilogy. It's almost as if it's expected that authors write trilogies now. (I have not heard the Readers crying out for trilogies.) It seems like every new book I click on is Book 1 of 3, Book 2 of 3, Book 3 of 3, or, the best part, it can be read as a stand alone but is a part of a trilogy. Now why would an author write a book that can be read as a stand alone even include it in a trilogy if it doesn't add to the subject matter of the 'supposed trilogy'? This now would be a 'Stand Alone'. If the book can be read as a stand alone, then 'why' is it part of a trilogy??? Or, how about those trilogies that don't even include the same characters or even the same subject from the first book such as what I just mentioned, but even further off from Book One and has nothing in common with Book One? They are completely different! (Ugh! As I shake my head back and forth about a hundred times when I notice that!) 

What happened to ONE book, ONE 'Stand Alone' novel. One story being told? A lot of these books in trilogies ARE stand alone novels, but the author tags them as a 'trilogy' when obviously they are not!

WHY the influx of trilogies? I am so overwhelmed with trilogies, seeing them, having to decide if I want to invest the time, money and energy into a trilogy, (besides my favorite authors), my answer is NO! I do not want to invest my time, money and energy into a trilogy, or a set of three books that don't even have anything to do with each other. HOW is that a trilogy, I ask?

What is this? The decade of Trilogies? Are new authors supposed to write Trilogies? Is there some new type of instruction for writers that they should aim to write the American Trilogy? Okay, that made me laugh because at one time or another almost every one of us reading this has probably dreamt of writing the 'great american novel' of all time! I have! I admit it! Instead, the new authors present to us, the trilogy!

I look at the big publishers books, and I do not see this influx of "ALL" Trilogies by new authors. I see Stand Alone novels, and those are the kind I prefer, and I am speaking for other people here, but I think most people 'do' prefer a stand alone novel, especially with the way we live our lives today. Children, husbands/wives, jobs, trying to have some time to ourselves to indulge in other things as well that they don't typically want to be hooked into reading a trilogy. A series, yes! A trilogy, no. 

You have to admit when you compare the books between the publishers to the independent authors who have self published on Amazon or other places that the trilogy is more popular among that independent authors on Amazon or Smashwords rather than the publishers authors.

My opinion is if a book needs to be longer, so be it, make it longer, but make it ONE book! This one book has an 'end' at the end of it! No cliffhangers, or if a cliffhanger, make it a darned good one, one to think about!

I guess I don't understand (but in a way I do) the 'why' of a Trilogy? Why is the trilogy SO popular among independent authors who have self published their books 'as of late'? Why can't we find new promising debut authors writing Stand Alone novels like they do with the publishers?

My opinion: write ONE book, from there, go on with another stand alone. That is always the way it used to be, and still should be instead of the indie author market being flooded with all these trilogies, or books that can be read as a stand alone but are part of a trilogy (that just blows my mind!) I don't understand it. This can be bad for the independent author because it can send people back to the publishers books looking for stand alone novels because the market is currently saturated with trilogies. Or is this just 'me' who feels this way?

Look at 50 Shade of Gray. How many times, and how many possible ways are there to use ONE pair of handcuffs as you hear the last click of it? Is there character development in this set of three books? Sure! More sex, or different techniques! Do they emerge often enough from those four walls where everything goes for character development to occur inside of three books? I'm not to sure, but I have heard the answer to that is a big 'no' from other people who have read the trilogy. No, I have NOT read that trilogy. Erotica is just not a genre I enjoy reading when there are other genres screaming my name and beckoning me! Pun intended!

Is it because a new author may not have enough confidence in their writing ability, or, are they insuring they get return readers, or appeal to new readers? (This is where you'll probably want to slap me. Go ahead.) Does the new author want to ensure they make more money by writing a trilogy? Sure! Don't we all! It is the same way for other professions, too, for sales people, or any business for that matter, and it is to make money. There is nothing wrong with, it is just the way anyone goes about it. If your trilogy cannot keep ALL of the characters involved throughout, then why is it a trilogy? Or the subject matter. If it changes, then why is it a trilogy? Everyone wants repeat business, but in the other professions besides writing, the trilogy does not exist. One product exists and maybe just in different sizes and shapes, or scents, or many different products exist. However, in the writing profession, is the trilogy truly the way to go about securing REPEAT/RETURN readers? I say this because that is what I am starting to think about when I see so many trilogies, or, only trilogies because every books seems to be a part of a trilogy. I am starting to think, 'Oh, this author wants return readers! They have ensured that with their open ended book!' Perhaps it's in hopes of making more money? Everyone loves to earn more money, and that is okay, but make the books a TRUE trilogy! The definition of the word "Trilogy" is as follows from this Google search HERE:

tril·o·gy

ˈtriləjē/

noun

1. a group of three related novels, plays, films, operas, or albums.

   • (in ancient Greece) a series of three tragedies performed one after the other.
   • a group or series of three related things.

     "a trilogy of cases reflected this development"
   • 
     

From what I am reading in the reviews of trilogies, the authors are NOT staying true to the definition of the word, trilogy. 

Does it have to do with where is the confidence go in writing ONE Stand Alone novel? ONE book, ONE story? ONE novel, so make it a trilogy to cover all bases?

I guess what upsets me so much about some trilogies out there is the next book in the trilogy when it is a completely NEW story or can be read as a Stand Alone! What happened? I thought it was going to be about the same characters? A part two and part three with character development. Where did that go? 

+Melissa Foster is notorious for her OUTSTANDING work as a Stand Alone author! She is a New York Times Best Selling author! She has seven (or maybe 8?) stand alone novels, and now she has gotten into writing 'series' now. She has 3 series, (yes, one of the series IS a trilogy, Snow Sisters, I will admit that, but who knows if she's done writing that series? I say that because of the number of books in her other two series and the fact she has 'never' used the term of trilogy for these three books.) and her other two 'series', The Remingtons and The Bradens goes as far as nine books as of this moment! Look at +Kathy Reichs (I hope that is the right person? Long story, my hard drive in my computer is replaced, but I can't get into Google+ on this computer and I cannot use my computer yet as something needs to be installed first so I can't verify Google+ at this moment so please forgive me if I have chose the wrong person here on Google+) Kathy Reichs has a total of 20 or 21 'Temperance Brennan' books out, and I LOVE Temperance Brennan! (These are the books that the television series, Bones bases it's weekly seasonal shows on). I LOVE Temperance Brennan! I love series! This character has grown from the first novel to now. How about Patricia Cornwell, Janet Evanovich, James Patterson with Alex Cross and his other Co-Authors who write series.

Perhaps this is the FIX to the problem of the trilogy that does not read as a trilogy after all! Perhaps the new authors should be writing a "SERIES" instead of a trilogy! Ta,da! Now that, I would buy and read to my hearts content like I do with the authors I just mentioned!

Thank you for taking the time to read my thoughts!

Laurie

MIDDLE GRADE:

I don't read Middle Grade. I don't have kids that age anymore. I have tried reading them to the kids here in my neighborhood, but when one of the kids misses a chapter or two, come back, they are lost and all the kids are filling him in during which time takes away from how long they can be here, outside, listening to the story! LOL!!! So, I had a fail! I'll try again! Other than that, that is as far a I get with this genre, and I'm not really interested in it.

Thanks!

Laurie

YOUNG ADULT:

Oh! There are some GREAT stories in the YA genre! Wow! The last book I read in this genre is The Fault in Our Stars by John Green, and I had red, swollen eyes for 2 days! It was hard to read it because my eyes were so blurry from crying!

I don't read and review this genre intentionally, and I do turn it down when authors ask me to review it. I just think there are much better reviewers for this genre than myself, bloggers who enjoy this genre much more than I do.

It won't stop me from reading it every now and then! It does happens occasionally that I find a great book in this genre and I have heard great things about some books! I will read those books occasionally, but when I am asked to review this genre, no, I do not. I am 47, I 'just' got done with getting my daughter through this age, and wow! That was NOT easy! Now my son is 16-1/2, and HE is going through it! I cannot read it as a parent - at this time! I am LIVING IT! LOL!!!

Thanks again for taking the time to read what I have to talk about!

Laurie

This does not stop me from reading a YA book the next time an amazing story comes along, though! I don't think I'll EVER forget The Fault in Our Stars! Amazing!!

I review Adult Fiction. I like it more so because it fits my age much better than YA, and it is my choice. . Sometimes I wish we 'could' go back in time (I do enjoy some Time Travel!) and relive our lives in certain places! LOL! Wouldn't that be fun!

Thank you SO much for reading what I have to say today!

Laurie