Everything You Wanted to Know About Continuities but Were Afraid to Ask
By Chris Green (w/a Crystal Green) and Judy Duarte

Romantic gossip. Family troubles. Town tribulations.

Sound like a soap opera? True, the best serials contain these addictive elements, if not more. But most romance readers know they can read their own category soap operas---continuities. You may be familiar with the term because a lot of Harlequin Silhouette best sellers are of this variety: Montana Mavericks, The Coltons, Lone Star Country Club. Not only do these series titles sell like hotcakes, they attract a loyal following that can spawn years and years of stories that take place in the same towns.

If you check the eHarlequin boards (www.eharlequin.com), you’ll see for yourself. The continuity message boards are full of fervent fans casting their votes for their favorite super couples and story lines; they clamor for more installments. Why are these books so popular? Holly Jacobs, author of Dad Today, Groom Tomorrow (08/03), a Silhouette Romance, has a theory. “You get to return to the ‘worlds’ you know, re-meet the characters you love. There’s appeal in the familiar.” Carm, another loyal reader, agrees. She feels that you can relate to the location and characters, that you know everything will “end up perfect in spite of the characters’ flaws.” She adds that you can explore connected relationships and see the families grow and the friendships last. All in all, there seems to be an added layer of comfort in continuities, and that’s why the fans adore them.

A solid fan base? A ready-to-be-written story? For an author, this might sound like a good deal. However, not everyone can write a continuity because they’re invitation only, meaning that a Harlequin Silhouette author must receive an offer to produce one. Whether she’s a new author who shows promise or an established writer who’s free for an assignment, the designated work-for-hire employee must wait for “the call.” Her advance is paid in three installments: upon signing the contract, upon having a synopsis approved, and upon having their manuscript approved.

But the most interesting challenge is in writing the continuity. Once the offer has been accepted, the author is sent a bible that details the plot, the back story, a list of secondary characters, a description of the town or setting, and a short synopsis of each book in the continuity. Within that short synopsis, the author is given a description of the hero and heroine, as well as their goals, motivations, and conflicts. What’s left to write? you ask. Plenty. The author needs to use a good deal of creativity to make those characters likable, to create a believable story and to remain true to the continuity plot.

While writing a regular book, many authors hole up in their offices, spending many lonely hours with the characters they’ve created. But when writing a book in a continuity series, the author is not alone. Along with the bible, the author is provided contact information for the other writers taking part in the series. The authors must work together to ensure each story stays true to the continuity elements. And it is oftentimes in the midst of emails that a hole or problem in the bible is found and fixed.

There are many reasons an author may turn down the opportunity to write a continuity. The deadlines are often incompatible with other projects the writer is working on. Authors often have to work with an editor whose likes and dislikes are unfamiliar. And some writers find it difficult to bond with characters he or she did not create.

Other authors find a continuity invitation an honor, as well as a creative exercise that allows them to grow as writers. They weave in marvelous back stories for their characters, while adding secondary characters that make the story shine. And afterward, they can sit back, knowing the continuity series will broaden their readership.

Continuities aren’t offered to everyone. But who knows? Maybe one day your agent or editor will call out of the blue and say, “You’ve been offered a continuity."

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Double Destiny, a July release from Judy Duarte and Crystal Green, is a July Montana Mavericks continuity from Silhouette. Visit their sites at www.judyduarte.com and www.crystal-green.com.