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
No comments:
Post a Comment