I recently read two series of books by an author who wrote another series of books that I like. The first series that I read by her has only 4 books in it, and I enjoyed each one. The books have the same two characters throughout, and there's good plot pacing, dialogue, and characterization. I was really sorry to read the fourth book, especially when I learned that she didn't plan on writing any more in the series.
The second series that I read had 5 books. The first three were good, but the last two felt like a rush job. The plot was moving along, and then the ending just...happened. Now, I realize that writing probably has a learning curve, just like everything else, and this series ended long before she started her other two series.
So the question is, how long should authors hold on to a character? Some authors make their mark with one character and twenty-plus books, while others create dozens of characters. Is it more likely that a character will get "stale" and plot will suffer if the character appears in multiple books? In other words, is one's writing craft at risk just because one is using the same characters? Or is it more about the learning curve?
** Note: I'm not going to name the author, both because I don't think it's fair, and because this really could be about anyone. **
