Recently, I’ve had 2 betas going through two different WIP’s. One is starting on the white one and the other just finished the Red one.
As my beta finished my Red
WIP, he made an interesting comment.
He said that the way that I set up the ending made it perfect to follow
up with a sequel.
I’ve never been fond of sequels, especially in my own
writing. I always thought that if their
story is over, then why would you come back later to invade on their privacy
again? I like to think that once my story
is over and my characters get a satisfying ending, I don’t want to imagine that
they have any more conflict. Yet, that’s
not true in real life. Even when we get
everything we want, a degree, a house, marriage, etc, then we always think that
everything is going to be perfect.
But once I finished the Red
WIP, I still felt like there was more of the story to tell. Not for my Main Characters, but for some of
the minor ones who hadn't gotten enough time in the sun. And perhaps that’s why the story ended like
it did. A part of me knew that something
more would happen. In fact, when I finished the story, I had to add an epilogue, just because it didn't feel finished yet. That's when I understood.
Now, I’m more willing to give sequels a second chance, because
I understand why an author might be inclined to write one. And there have been several sequels that I’ve
read that ended up improving the story.
I know this post is a little short, but it's because I want to hear your thoughts. Do characters deserve their
privacy after the story’s told? Do
sequels give them a second chance? How
do you feel about sequels?
I don't think that characters "deserve" privacy no. They're your creation and if people have fallen in love with them then there's nothing wrong in continuing on.
ReplyDeleteI suppose the question is whether you think you've got a good enough continuation for them. If it's contrived then stopping may be a good idea. Otherwise I say go for it!
You bring up a good point. I think there are moments when I forget that my characters are just characters: people that I've created. There are those moments when I start thinking that they're real people.
DeleteInteresting thoughts. I didn't have much option - the original version of my fantasy novel was fairly short. But as time went on it grew and grew and grew until I realised that it was not just one book any more. So one book became two. But there's a time gap (so choosing where to split was easy). For a long time I was convinced the story ended there but recently I've had inklings about what happens next. So, #3 may well start to take shape soon. My book 1 beta readers are all keen on the idea of book 2 - some are already reading it, so I suspect sequels are generally popular. Personally, I like them. If I find a character I warm to then I'll happily spend as much time as possible in their company.
ReplyDeleteThanks for your insight! I've definitely learned that there is an advantage to sequels, especially where we're already invested in the characters and the world. And it's like catching up with an old friend when the next book rolls out.
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