The Long and Short of It

I watched Buffy the Vampire
Slayer when it was first on television. It was the first time I’d watched a
show that combined the episodic weekly tale with a long-form, season long story
arc. Whether or not you enjoy fantasy and teenagers killing things, the inclusion
of a “big bad” (Buffy slang for the seasons main villain) made Buffy
a tremendous innovator on TV.  

It was an innovation that impressed, and continues to impress, me. The ability of the writers to maintain the critical pacing of the weeks
mystery, while at the same time building a seasonal arc that culminates at the
right point is a difficult writing feat. Most stories require that a character
to fulfill a certain role to advance the story. But with multiple stories
playing out at the same time the characters actions must serve several
different purposes at once. Accomplishing these goals at all, let alone well,
is something I aspire to. And while I have experimented with this type of
writing before in my Tales from the City of Destiny, I have never tried to do a
true over-arcing long form story across multiple novels. That is until now.

Starting last December, I have gone headlong into plotting
and writing a new five book crime series. I’ll be excited when I can finally
share more details about the series. But until then, I’m asking for inspiration
to help keep my creative juices flowing. What TV shows do you love that combine
short and long form elements and crime or action?

***

Bethany Maines is the author of the Carrie
Mae Mysteries, Wild Waters, Tales
from the City of Destiny and An
Unseen Current.  You can also view the Carrie Mae youtube video
or catch up with her on Twitter and Facebook.