Sam Winchester

Personally, I prefer series. I like to be able to build characters over the course of more than one book. For instance, my first novel deals with two men whose lives change because of a terrorist attack on their workplace. The next one shows, two years later, how they're coming to terms with killing some of those terrorists.

I have a few stand-alones on the go, of course. When I finish my fourth novel in the series, I'm going to take a break and write a stand-alone to keep everything fresh.

What's the general consensus around here: series or stand-alone?

Sam.

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Modest Me

I would rather read a series because they are more fun.. For one thing youve grown to love the character more than if it was a stand alone.. Plus, I like it when they make references to earlier books- Its like an inside joke.

I would rather write a stand alone- lets face it, I haven't got the patience nor the planning for the work it takes to keep together a series.

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Sunny Rabbiera

I do both actually, and there are benefits to both.
I have done awesome one shots in my time, and some decent series too
or have parts of the series that can stand on their own without needing the rest of the series, sometimes this approach is the best if you got some side stories going on that might muck up the rest of the story.

Non Serviam

Stand-alones that allow room for a sequel.

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Tiamat10

I think I like both, but I can't really say for sure. I have one book written (and waiting to be edited) that's the start of a series. I don't know if I can keep up writing it without losing my momentum because I haven't started the second yet. Also, since I've never published a novel before, I know if I try to publish that first, I'll have more trouble. So, I'm in process of writing a stand-alone and I'm enjoying that, too.

As for reading, I prefer to read a series, provided I like the characters enough to stay interested in them.

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"I think I did pretty well, considering I started out with nothing but a bunch of blank paper."
- Steve Martin

PageOfCups

That's a hard one. I love to find stand alones (a rare breed in the fantasy genre as far as I know), but that's only because I'm living on a studant budget and can't afford to get all neurotic about a series (not that it stops me ).

As for writing, what I'm writing now started life as a stand alone but the story wouldn't stop growing so now it's going to have three or four parts depending on how wild my imagination decides to run again. It happens every time I start something like this.