What is a Spin-Off? How to Write Spin-Offs to Expand Your Book Series

Writers (and readers!) don’t always want to say goodbye to a story when the final page turns. Sometimes a fictional world feels too rich, or a side character too compelling, to leave behind. That’s where a spin-off comes in.

In fiction, a spin-off allows writers to expand a story beyond its original boundaries. It offers a chance to explore new characters, new conflicts, or new perspectives while staying connected to a world readers already love. For writers, spin-offs can be both a creative opportunity and a strategic way to grow a series.

In this post, we’ll explore what a spin-off is in books, how spin-offs differ from sequels and prequels, why authors write them, and how you can decide whether a spin-off is right for your own story.

What is a spin-off?

A spin-off is a story that grows out of an existing novel, series, or fictional universe, but shifts the focus to something new. That “something” might be a different character, a different time period, or a different part of the world.

Unlike a sequel, which continues the main storyline, or a prequel, which tells what happened before, a spin-off tells a related but separate story. It stands on its own while still being connected to the original work. Spin-offs appear in almost every genre, from romance and mystery to fantasy and science fiction.

Think of a spin-off as a creative pivot, or a way to explore another branch of your story tree without rewriting what already exists. The term “spin-off” itself suggests movement: a narrative that spins away from the core while still drawing power from it. A well-written spin-off gives the audience something familiar and something new at the same time.

Spin-offs versus other types of stories

These terms are often confused, so here’s a quick breakdown:

• Sequel: Continues the main story after the original ending. For example, The Girl Who Played with Fire by Stieg Larsson is the sequel to The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo.
• Prequel: Tells events that happened before the original story. Sunrise on the Reaping by Suzanne Collins is a prequel to her original Hunger Games trilogy.
• Retelling: Revisits an existing story, usually from a new angle, voice, or cultural lens. Madeline Miller's Circe, a retelling of Greek mythology, is one example.
• Crossover: Brings together characters or worlds from two or more separate stories into a single narrative. Pride and Prejudice and Zombies by Seth Grahame-Smith mashes up the world of Jane Austen with zombie horror.
• Spin-off: Tells a new story connected to the original. (Check out our examples below!)

A spin-off doesn’t replace the original story, but expands it. It adds depth, context, and sometimes emotional resolution to loose ends the original story couldn’t fully explore.

Types of spin-offs in fiction

Character spin-offs

Character spin-offs focus on a secondary or minor character from the original story and promote them to the protagonist. These stories allow readers to see a familiar face in a deeper, more personal way, often revealing motivations, fears, and growth that weren’t visible before. Readers already know the character, which makes the emotional investment almost immediate.

An example from classic literature is Mark Twain's The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, a spinoff of his book The Adventures of Tom Sawyer. This novel tells a new story, from Huck Finn's perspective, with Huck as the main character. (In contrast, Percival Everett's 2024 novel James is a retelling of the plot of Huckleberry Finn, told from the character Jim's perspective.)

If you're interested in this type of spinoff, you might consider writing a story featuring a beloved side character as the hero. What parts of this character's life can you explore more deeply?

World spin-offs

World or setting spin-offs remain in the same universe but follow entirely different people. Instead of continuing the original cast, these stories explore new corners of the same setting, offering fresh perspectives while preserving familiar rules.

This is common in fantasy and science fiction, where the world itself is rich enough to sustain many storylines. A popular example from television is The Mandalorian, a story set in the Star Wars universe that follows a different cast of characters than the original movies. Similarly, Brandon Sanderson’s Cosmere novels and Rick Riordan’s extended Percy Jackson universe are prime examples of how a shared universe can support multiple stories without exhausting the original narrative.

You can also explore new genres or subgenres when writing a book that is set in the same world. For example, Leigh Bardugo's Six of Crows duology is a spinoff heist story set in the high-fantasy realm of her original Grishaverse novels.

Timeline spin-offs

Timeline spin-offs explore different historical moments in the same universe. These stories may take place before, during, or after the main events and often deepen the lore. Tolkien’s The Silmarillion and George R. R. Martin’s Fire & Blood expand their worlds by focusing on history rather than continuing the same plot.

If your novel or book series involves extensive worldbuilding, this type of spinoff is an excellent way to give readers more insight into your fictional world without bogging down the main narrative.

Why write a spin-off?

Writers often create spin-offs because readers want to spend more time in a world they love. Sometimes a side character sparks unexpected interest, or a brief subplot hints at a much larger story waiting to be told. In other cases, an author may feel creatively drawn to explore unanswered questions or unexplored relationships.

Spin-offs also give writers the freedom to tell new stories without having to start from scratch. Because the world and tone are already established, the writer can focus on fresh conflicts and character journeys. From a publishing perspective, spin-offs can also help grow an audience by offering new entry points into a fictional universe.

A spin-off is a strong choice when readers are deeply invested in your world, when a secondary character clearly has more story potential, or when a new storyline feels emotionally necessary rather than convenient. A spin-off works best when it grows naturally from the original narrative instead of feeling like a marketing decision.

If the new story excites you creatively and offers something meaningful that the original series could not, a spin-off may be the perfect next step. You might write a standalone novella or short story set in the world of your book series, or you may craft an entirely new series, with its own genre or theme!

Tips for writing a successful spin-off

A successful spin-off respects the original story’s tone, rules, and emotional truth. Readers expect consistency, and even small contradictions can break trust. At the same time, the spin-off must be accessible to new readers who may not have read the original series, which means providing enough context without overwhelming them with references.

The spin-off should also stand as a complete story in its own right, with its own narrative arc, emotional stakes, and resolution. Familiarity should be balanced with freshness so that your audience recognizes the world while still feeling surprised. If a former side character becomes the protagonist, they must be fully developed as a lead, with their own flaws, desires, and growth.

One common mistake is relying too heavily on nostalgia, assuming familiarity alone will carry the story. Another is repeating the same plot structure as the original series, which can make the spin-off feel redundant. Some spin-offs also fail because a character is promoted to protagonist without being suited for that role, or because continuity from the original story is ignored or contradicted.

A strong spin-off expands the universe rather than shrinking it, offering readers a new experience within a familiar world.

Ready to write your spin-off novel?

If you’re thinking about writing a spin-off, remember that you’re not just continuing a story; you’re creating new meaning inside an established world. You’re offering readers a chance to return, reconnect, and enjoy reading from a new perspective. A great spin-off doesn’t replace the original. It honors it, deepens it, and sometimes even surpasses it. If you’re ready to explore that next branch of your story tree, your spin-off may already be waiting to be written. Done right, you can craft a spinoff that both new and returning readers love!