I'm currently working on a novel series and I'm wondering what the right amount of time between the Main Character getting sabotaged by the main Antagonist and the return/revenge of the Main Character? Currently the sabotage happens about 1/4 of the way into the second book and the return happens near the end. It ends in a cliffhanger that leads into the third book where the revenge takes place. I'm wondering if I should stretch out the time between the two, maybe expand on what happens to the Main Character and those left under the Main Antagonist's rule after the backstabbing. I want to build the suspense right without having the whole thing climax early in the third book and have nowhere to go from there.
Er... so what happens in book 1? If there isn't much conflict between the protag and antag in book 1 it could be in danger of being a 'setting up' book, which is a common flaw of unpublished trilogies. Have you thought about making books 1-3 into a single standalone novel? Often when writers think they need 3 books to tell a story, they're really just being wordy, taking too much time on the world building and exposition and stretching the plot too thin. Condense as much as you can and ask yourself whether you really do have enough story for 3 books.
The first book deals with the Main Character rising through the ranks and is dealing with a different Antagonist than in the second book. The Main Antagonist in Books 2-3 is actually painted to be a Protagonist in the first book, touting the Main Character as "The next big thing" and pushing him straight to the top. There are hints throughout the first book that all is not what it seems with the future Main Antagonist. The second book is set up to continue "all is normal" like the end of the first book until the unexpected turn from Protagonist to Antagonist. I did this so the first book can stand alone if necessary. I have thought about condensing the books but I'm worried about rushing the plot or trying to fit too much story in one book.
I would say to just write the story and let it come out as it does. However, from the way you described it, it seems like the MC revenge would probably be the climax of the book, so I would suggest having that towards the end and have the rest of the book about the characters struggles of trying to achieve that (or whatever else you have planned for the main part of the novel).
