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Source: https://writers.stackexchange.com/a/17174
License name: CC BY-SA 3.0
License URL: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/

Source: https://writers.stackexchange.com/a/17174
License name: CC BY-SA 3.0
License URL: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/

> I realize that I am probably getting way ahead of myself in planning book 3 when I haven't even finished book 1

Not necessarily. I would actually recommend that you know _exactly_ how things will turn out before you begin. As to your question:

> Should I use up good ideas within a book that I'm already planning on writing that wouldn't be utilized to their full effectiveness, or save those ideas to use them fully in a book I may never write?

A lot of this depends on the ideas you have. Are they worldbuilding details that are 'cool,' but don't really add anything to the novel? Make absolutely sure you need them in the first place. If you do, and they would be squashed down in the first book, by all means put them in the second or third book. If your writing requires something, let it expand to its full power. Don't let your writing suffer just to save on size. (Also, don't let your writing suffer through lack of cutting down on size through editing. But that's another topic.)

So it comes down to this:

**1. Know what you are going to write.** Get it all planned out now. I know from personal experience, that you don't want to be doing this when you're in the middle of writing.

**2. Determine exactly what you need.** If the ideas actually contribute something to the novel, or can be made to contribute something, yes, you can use them. If not, mention them as brief worldbuilding details, and leave it at that.

**3. Let your writing dictate the size/number of your novels.** The writing is what's powerful here. If your writing would be more powerful in one novel, write one. If you feel it would be more powerful in two or three novels, write two or three. It may be a good idea to get opinions from your friends too - as an author, you will naturally be biased towards including everything, even if you don't need it.

Original score: 5