How to Write a Trilogy - Part 1: Learning the First Steps
I don’t know about you, but when I invest in a character, a cast of characters, or a world, I gobble up everything written about them. And if it’s a trilogy, I’m head over heels gone—but I’m super picky about book two. It’s got to hold me and deliver all the deliciousness of book one, but with higher stakes (emotional and physical) and deepen emotional investment. If it doesn’t do that, I DNF with no apologies.
Today, let’s talk about the big-picture things you need to consider if you’re planning to write a trilogy so your readers don’t drop off halfway through. It all starts with understanding the kind of trilogy you’re writing.
Three Common Trilogy Structures
Before you dive in, it’s important to decide how you want to build your trilogy. This will impact everything from pacing to character development to how you structure each book.
1. One Global Story Arc with Individual Book Arcs (Dynamic Trilogy)
Sometimes called a Dynamic Trilogy, this is the most traditional form—and arguably the most common in today’s commercial fiction.
It’s a single overarching story told in three acts:
Book 1 = Act I
Book 2 = Act II
Book 3 = Act III
Each book has its own complete arc—character growth, emotional beats, and plot resolution—but they also serve a bigger, evolving story.
Must be read in order.
Great for deeply character-driven stories or epic speculative fiction narratives with major transformational arcs.
Examples : The Summer I Turned Pretty by Jenny Han, The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins and Shadow and Bone By Leigh Bardugo
2. Connected Standalone Trilogy
In this type of trilogy, each book tells its own complete story with a different main character, time period, or plot. What ties them together is a unifying theme, concept, or world.
Can often be read out of order
Ideal for theme-driven writers or those wanting to explore a concept from multiple angles
Example: The Graceling Realm Series by Kristin Cashore and The Broken Earth Trilogy by N.K. Jemisin
3. One Epic Story Split into Three Volumes (Single Arc Trilogy)
This structure reads more like a massive novel that’s been split into three parts. There are few (if any) standalone arcs in each book—just natural pauses in a continuous story. Resolution comes only at the very end.
Absolutely must be read in order
Best suited for large-scale epic fantasies with intricate plots and worldbuilding
Example: The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien
Character-Driven vs. Theme-Driven Trilogies
As you explore these categories, consider what’s truly driving your trilogy—your answer will help guide which structure fits best.
Character-Driven Trilogies
These follow a character arc (or relationship arc) over the course of the series. We expect evolution—emotionally, physically, and psychologically. The main character(s) start with one worldview and end in another, for better or worse.
Character-driven trilogies often lend themselves to Dynamic Stories or Epic Stories split into three volumes (though I must say those are rare finds in today’s publishing market).
Examples:
The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo trilogy by Stieg Larsson
The Summer I Turned Pretty by Jenny Han
Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo
Common traits:
Personal transformation of the character holds the narrative throughline across the series
External plot reflects internal change
Emotional stakes drive the action
Theme-Driven Trilogies
These don’t have to follow a single character’s growth. Instead, they’re connected by a central idea, concept, or question. They often explore different perspectives, timelines, or protagonists while deepening the theme.
Theme-driven stories lend themselves well to standalone-style trilogies that are conceptually linked.
Examples:
The Broken Earth Trilogy by N.K. Jemisin
The Cursebreaker Series by Brigid Kemmerer
The Montague Siblings Series by Mackenzi Lee
Common traits:
Each book may focus on a different protagonist, group, or era
The theme evolves or deepens with each installment
Often explores social, moral, political, or philosophical questions
What Kind of Trilogy Are You Writing?
Before you get too deep into planning your world, characters, and conflicts take a moment to zoom out.
What kind of trilogy do you actually want to write?
Is it one sweeping, continuous tale? A set of stories bound by a big idea? A hero’s emotional odyssey stretched over three acts? Following a romantic couple through conflict to see if they get their HEA?
This is where you get to be both curious and strategic.
Start by asking:
Do I want to follow one main character (or relationship) through all three books?
Is the heart of my trilogy a central idea or theme I want to explore from multiple angles?
Am I telling one big story or three smaller ones that speak to each other?
There’s no wrong answer—just different roads.
Pro tip: Read widely in your genre.
Grab a few trilogies you love (or maybe haven’t read yet) and study how they’re structured.
Where does each book begin and end?
How do the stakes escalate?
Does each book stand alone or does it function like one act in a larger story?
Whether you're writing a gritty space opera, a romantasy slow burn, or a generational saga about magical secrets and long-buried shame, understanding your trilogy's shape early will save you pain later (hello, book two rewrite or the dreaded DNF).
The clearer you are on the type of trilogy you’re writing, the better you can deliver what readers love most: emotionally resonate stories they can’t put down.
