The definition of a sequel is the 'published, broadcast or recorded work that continues the story or develops the theme of an earlier one.'
So we must have continuity. If I were a clever little writer girl I would've written The Gaia Effect trilogy as one long book then split it into three and gone aha! Look at how awesome my continuity is. But I didn't, so I haven't and I can't.
Not only am I attempting to write a sequel nearly three years after the first book was written, I am also pushing myself to be a winner by doing it through NaNoWriMo. Because we all know there's nothing like pressure to reach a daily word count to keep you highly focused, motivated and on track. Ahem.
Well, it's day 13 and I should be on something ridiculous like 21667 words. I'm looking at 9693 and my own inner personal target had been 1000 a day so it should look more like 13000. Clearly, everything is going very well.
In my rough draft of 16 pages, I currently have at least 5 pages of me typing in caps, vomiting out my inner questioning monologue. This is a good thing because my memory is terrible at the moment so there could be some excellent gems of story development in there. Or at least some highly critical, pertinent points that I must not forget to include.
In addition, I may have made a rather large error today. I re-read the reviews I've received for The Gaia Effect and made a note of everything everyone asked for. Now I am really bricking the sequel. It's not something I can just sit down and write. I have a duty to the characters I've already created, the world they inhabit and the events that have proceeded. I can't just go in there, willy-nilly, and turn everything on its head. I have to try and emulate the same style, the same pace, the same atmosphere. And most importantly of all continue to avoid all the dystopian tropes.
No pressure then.
Nice post - it is something a few people (and movie series) struggle with I reckon. There seems to be almost always a lesser favourite (or dud) in a series. I suppose once you figure out which one that is, then you focus on improving it as much as you can. Good luck with the writing.
ReplyDeleteThanks Cindy - one writing day at a time!
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