The Age Old Question of Sequels

As I reread the outlines for novels I was working on last year, I’m faced with the question of which novels to prioritize, and whether or not one of the novels being a sequel to one I have already published means it should be written first. Do I owe my loyalty to that project, or should I put it (temporarily) on the back burner to explore new novels? This all got me thinking about sequels in general, and I thought I would share my thoughts with all of you. 

I am no stranger to writing books with sequels (looking at you, The Cora Anthology), and in fact, three of the novels I’m working on right now are a trilogy. Personally, I like sequels, since they’re like long chapters: I can explore a lot of themes and scenes with the characters, and I’m not limited to the word count of one book. Another nice thing about writing sequels is that the characters develop such a familiarity with each other, and by the time you get to the second (and third and fourth…) book, you don’t need to show that building to the same degree that you do in the first novel. And if you’re smart with when you decide that you’re doing a sequel, you can plot the outline all the way through, as long as you know where the books break. That’s actually how I plotted the outlines for Healing x3 Part One and Part Two, but Part Three was added later, so I’m still plotting that outline now.

I will say, though, as a person working on eight novels right now, the idea of doing standalones is a lot more appealing, because once I finish one of those standalone novels, I get to stop thinking about that project and its universe. Now, that’s not to say that my cowboy novel won’t get a sequel, but as of right now, I get to step away from it when I’m done with the fifty seven chapters. There’s also a sense of completion with standalones that novels with sequels coming don’t have. Sure, you finished book one in the series, but there’s two more coming that need to be done for the series to feel completed. With a single novel, once it’s done, it’s done, and it’s easier to feel proud of something that feels whole like that. 

Then there’s the question of spinoffs, or novels using some of the characters from a novel to write another one. I have less experience with this, but I intend on doing a couple (again, looking at you, The Cora Anthology). See, I love stories that have a very established universe, and I think writing spinoffs is a way to add to that. This is also a really good way to give backstory on some of the side characters that didn’t get their chance at fame in the main books of the series. I think spinoffs give another sense of realness to the world that the story is set in, and I love that. Give me all of the juicy details about the side characters, and why they are the way they are. One thing I will say about spinoffs, however, is that they are definitely for the diehard fans of a series, and are not likely to be the reason someone discovers you as an author. But if you’re reading this, you’re probably one of my diehard fans, so I do have spinoffs coming for you. And thank you for sticking around. 

In conclusion, I think I’m a sequel writer, but there are standalone novels in production right now, so keep an eye out for updates on that.

That's all for now, folks!

-C

Creating My Own Comfort Characters

Now that I’m back to writing, I’ve been reunited with what I affectionately call my Book Boyfriends, or the male love interests of my stories. And I have to say, I missed them. Which is crazy, because I know they aren’t real people, but when you imagine conversations with these fictional characters, and spend hours plotting their backstories and trying to make them feel as real as possible, they start to become a person in your head. Being reunited with my Book Boyfriends has got me thinking about comfort characters, and how it feels to create them for yourself. 

As a person with chronic illnesses and a keyboard, I quickly created characters that brought me comfort while I wrote about my experiences with my illnesses and the support I wish I had from a partner. In fact, I often say that writing “Love Through Agony”, my novel about my endometriosis, helped me cope and survive my diagnosis, and a big part of that comes down to Tobias, the male lead. It’s impossible not to deeply connect with a character that is hearing all of your thoughts and knowing just the perfect thing to say in response to it. 

Having the ability to write my own characters and make them perfect for me is something that I love being able to do, since I know that no matter what I do with a project, I can always go back and read their stories, and almost hangout with them. I spend so much time working on projects that it’s nice to be able to go back and enjoy the characters I’ve created, and it makes all of my hours of labour feel more worth it, since I get something out of it, too. 

Something else I love about writing my own comfort characters is that I can write whatever I want with them. And I don’t even need to use it in my novels, either. If there’s a scene or a conversation I want to write with that character, I can do it, and nobody needs to see it. Granted, most of those scenes end up in the novels because making my female characters suffer is one of the other joys of writing, but I have the option of keeping those sweet moments to myself. 

Even if I ever stop publishing my writing, I’m certain that I will keep writing my Book Boyfriends, because truthfully, I don’t think I could walk away from them if I tried. And that’s how I know I’ve written good comfort characters.

That's all for now, folks!

-C

 

Short Chapters vs. Long Chapters

 As I return to writing, I’m rereading the projects I was working on before I took a break, and one major difference between the two projects I’m reading is that one of them is averaging around four pages a chapter, whereas the other one is eight to ten pages a chapter. That got me thinking about the pros and cons to both, and I thought I would share them with you from a writer’s perspective. 

First, we’ll start with the short chapters. I can’t deny that they are quicker to write, especially when I’m really in the zone. It’s two or three big scenes, and then the chapter is over. I think they’re easier to grind out when I’m short on time, and I think they’re easier to walk away from and come back to, which is something I have to do quite frequently. Not only are they quicker to write, they’re also quicker to edit, which as a person who hates editing my own work, I appreciate. That being said, I actually haven’t really edited the short chapters, but I can only imagine that they’re going to go a lot quicker than the ones that are twelve pages. 

  

Although there are definitely benefits to the short chapters, they do mean I have to be very quick to the point of the scenes, and it’s hard for me to add extra scenes spontaneously, which I love doing. It’s similar to being limited to word count for a project, and I don’t like that. I like being able to go off on tangents and add scenes, since I think it keeps the project as fun as possible for me to write, because there’s a degree of mystery as to what I’m actually writing that day. And even though there’s less scenes in each chapter, there’s still the same amount of scenes in the novel, and that means that the project with short chapters that I mentioned earlier has fifty seven chapters. I’m not currently writing that project with deadlines, but I have in the past, and if you’re trying to finish a novel by a certain date and have chapters due every day or two, it’s quite intimidating. 

Second, we can talk about long chapters. I’m a sucker for writing long chapters, since I feel like it gives me the most creative freedom to follow wherever my heart takes me. In contrast to the short chapters, my longer ones average about five scenes per chapter, and I feel like I’m able to accomplish so much in those ten pages. To me, writing long chapters takes the pressure off of having to censor myself just for the sake of keeping the chapter short. I also prefer them in the sense that it feels like the story is moving forward faster, just because there’s more scenes per chapter. 

However, as I’ve mentioned, I’m not a huge fan of editing my own work, so editing these long chapters is not something I love doing. It’s more time consuming, and when you’re editing between three and five chapters at a time, it’s a lot for my little brain. Again, not that I’m currently writing with deadlines, but they are harder to get done with a short turnaround (looking at you, June of 2022, where I had chapters due every three days for one project, and every four for another…we’ll get into that another time). Longer chapters aren’t bad to take a break from writing if necessary, but it is harder to keep track of everything that has happened in each chapter. 

I know there’s quite the debate in the reading community (BookTok, especially) about whether short chapters or long chapters are preferred, and honestly, I’m in the middle. I think if long chapters are written well, and have a lot of action in them, then they’re superior. But if there isn’t enough action in the chapters, I think short chapters are better, since it breaks up the slower momentum of the story. I’d love to hear your thoughts on this, so feel free to leave a comment. 

That's all for now, folks!

-C