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Q&A Does a first novel in a fantasy trilogy have to end with a va-voom?

I've devised a trilogy on an Earth-similar world experiencing Earth-similar problems. I am nearing the end of the first draft of the first novel. I am not certain how much of a bang needs to happen...

2 answers  ·  posted 6y ago by DPT‭  ·  last activity 4y ago by System‭

#3: Attribution notice added by user avatar System‭ · 2019-12-08T07:00:51Z (over 4 years ago)
Source: https://writers.stackexchange.com/q/30252
License name: CC BY-SA 3.0
License URL: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/
#2: Initial revision by user avatar DPT‭ · 2019-12-08T07:00:51Z (over 4 years ago)
I've devised a trilogy on an Earth-similar world experiencing Earth-similar problems. I am nearing the end of the first draft of the first novel. I am not certain how much of a _bang_ needs to happen in this first installment.

My instincts (and experience reading) say that the first and second novels in a trilogy finish with some excitement and closure (perhaps narrow escape from a deadly threat) but the real climax and resolution is in the third book. I am leaning towards a narrow-escape ending in this manuscript (first book of a trilogy). But I feel like this ending will be forced, and unnatural.

Is this sort of ending necessary for book #1? Are there other sorts of endings that are as effective to encourage people to invest time in the second installment? Please share other effective options....

Thanks.

#1: Imported from external source by user avatar System‭ · 2017-09-17T20:35:13Z (over 6 years ago)
Original score: 3