Who Will Write the First Blockbuster Serial Novel or Memoir?

And how Charles Dickens’s working notes can help

“Charles Dickens’ Cat Extinguishing the Candle,” illustration from Anecdotes of Animals and Birds (1880)—based on a story that one night, after Dickens had worked himself to the point of exhaustion and had fallen asleep (which he often did), his beloved cat turned out light for him (alternate view: said cat is causing mischief, distracting the great writer from finishing his work)

There hasn’t yet been a blockbuster serial novel or memoir on Substack, one that draws a million readers, makes publishing houses rethink the industry, and gives writers unprecedented agency. Notice I said yet.

It’s going to happen. How do I know? Because there’s a ridiculous number of extremely talented writers—many with MFAs, prestigious awards, fellowships, and publications—who aren’t getting the readership and attention they deserve.

It’s only a matter of time before one of them learns the serial form and blows our minds, helping serial novels and memoirs regain the popularity they enjoyed during their heyday in nineteenth-century England in the process.

Why do I want this? As many of you know, I’m a serialization junkie. I love it as a form. It was part of my doctoral dissertation for my PhD in literature. In my creative writing courses, I’ve taught MFA students about serial novels for over a decade. I also want writers to have more control over our careers and incomes, which serializing on Substack and other platforms allows. Let’s take advantage.

To create the conditions for a blockbuster serial novel or memoir, you can’t just post the chapters of a manuscript intended to appear in a single volume and expect readers to be entranced. Serialization is a different medium. It requires a different writing process and approach, particularly if you post as you go rather than working with a full manuscript.

In the Prep-Your-Novel/Memoir series, I introduced you to the Event Ladder. It’s loosely based on Charles Dickens’s working notes, which he used to map his serializations. (Yes, I have, in fact, spent time at Pierpont Morgan Library in New York, holding his notes in my gloved hands.)

Dickens masterfully serialized more than a dozen novels—eight with word counts over 300,000. (The typical contemporary novel is 80,000 words.) His serialization of Bleak House sold 35,000 copies per installment. (The same can be done on Substack—I’m certain.)

How?

He had a system. His system changed over time, but he eventually lit on a single process that centered on a bare-bones event ladder.

Working Notes for Dombey and Son

Working notes for Dombey and Son transcribed

When planning his novels, he divided the page in half. On the right was the event that defined each chapter—the moment when the narrative changes and the characters are forced to act. On the left were his notes, his “Mems:”—memoranda. (Remember, a chapter isn’t the equivalent of an installment. Dickens’s installments included multiple chapters.)

His notes included a symbol key of strikethroughs, underlines, double underlines, and slashes only he knew the meaning of. He was a reporter in his younger years and used an almost indecipherable shorthand.

The Tavistock Letter—a sample of Charles Dickens’s shorthand (courtesy of the Picture Art Collection / Alamy Stock Photo)

(Here’s a great article about how a tech support specialist from California deciphered the famous “Tavistock Letter” after 163 years of it being a mystery.)

Dickens’s system reminds us that each installment must have a major event (or events). And, no, having tea, driving, and meeting someone aren’t major events.

If you’re a writer who prefers literary/character-driven stories above genre/plot-driven stories, stay with me. There’s no need to choose. Plot is the critical moments in the story when the situation changes, information is gathered, a discovery is made, etc. It’s what characters do in the situations they’re in. In other words, plot is character. (We’ll look at character-driven serial novels, e.g., North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell.)

The Event Ladder acts similarly to Dickens’s working notes. It’s a non-outline for those who hate the very idea of outlines. It allows you to see your novel or memoir as a whole yet still consider each installment and make changes as you go. Even if you write your installments sequentially in the same document, it’s hard to consider how readers will receive each one. The Event Ladder allows you to view what you have on a macro and micro level.

The Running Plot Narrative can be used in addition to the Event Ladder/your working notes. It’s a way of telling yourself your story as you write. You can do it before you begin (in the pre-writing stage) and along the way as needed.

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The Running Plot Narrative

The Running Plot Narrative is for those who’ve either done the Event Ladder or have a manuscript written with an eye toward traditional publication that they want to serialize.

In the Running Plot Narrative, you don’t outline; you tell a story. Doing so

• gives you distance from what you’ve written and

• allows you to check the momentum of the overall work.

Try not to default to synopsis mode. Really tell your story as if you’re telling it to someone else.

Example

This Running Plot Narrative is taken from a serialization. Notice the errors and fragments. Remember, the Running Plot Narrative isn’t supposed to be perfect.

• Setup that includes want or need

  Opens with Melissa at her desk grading papers experiencing a wave of grief. School is out. The children are gone. Seems like everyone is gone. She can hear the occasional teacher and voices because her hearing is so acute. She’s there late lesson planning and grading to avoid thinking of her father, but her thoughts keep intruding. 911 call. The CD and CD player are in her bag. The grief is overwhelming and often comes out as sighing. It’s because she’s resisting it, Lisel said. She feels it worse when not working. Best with the children. Or when focused on paper at her desk. Worst home alone. And, oddly, with James.

• Action (the character does or says something to try to get it)

  She’s startled by a knock on her door. Her hearing is acute but usually she’s not so easily jarred. Todd pokes his head in and says the principal wants to see her. The wave of grief intensifies. Todd: Drink? Melissa: No. Todd: Going to see him? Points to her ring finger. On it is the twist tie her fiancé gave her in lieu of a ring. He’s working on it and said he’s going to surprise her with the best. Todd leaves. She goes back to grading and thinks about how she might stay like that, just to keep the grief at bay. Doesn’t want to disrupt the moment of respite. The phone ringing startles her. The secretary says the principal wants to see her. She says she knows.

• Conflict (something prevents the character from getting it)

  As she’s getting her bag together, she sees her headphones and the CD player with the CD of the 911 recording in her bag. Considers listening. Pulls out headphones. She hears someone behind her. This time, she’s not startled. She turns and sees Darius. He’s sweet and adorable and loves her. She says they missed him today. Darius’s older brother appears in the doorway behind him. He’s intimidating. He asks her to mark Darius present. Grief wave. 911 call. Darius’s brother says he’ll be held back and asks for leniency. She refuses. Darius’s brother keeps telling her she’s smug. He threatens her. She leaves her bag and the CD player and the headphones and tries to usher them out of the room. He storms off. Darius lingers. Darius’s brother yells for him to follow. Darius hugs her legs and runs off.

In a book manuscript, we’d trace the result of the conflict and the character’s reaction, but this is serialization, so we end on the climax.

The Event Ladder and Running Plot Narrative aren’t prescriptive. They’re meant for you to adapt and use whatever works for you. Just be sure to get out there and serialize. We need you.

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