The Writers Page
Anna Michelle Page
A serialized character helps create an audience, which easily leads writers to write sequels to their novels. When the novel is worth reading, fans will return again and again to read your next installment. Positives create more positives.
Despite that, I warn writers to second guess the sequel.
Why?
You invested months, maybe even years, devoted to a character you believe in. Letting go is hard. If only, through a sequel, we could keep this person alive in one story after another.
That makes sense. If you love them, the readers will too.
Unfortunately, most characters fail to carry a sequel. They are best as a standalone novel, their story told in one complete compilation. The undeniable urge to keep this character alive can be powerful, but are they proven? Is your character a hit?
Consider Harry Potter by Rowling, Bosch by Connelly, and The X Man by Hurwitz. These characters endear themselves to the readers’ lives, demanding a compelling story to continue, which led to a series that captivates readers, and continues to do so.
Have you written a character with a compelling story that demands readers to return again? If you have, then write a sequel once the book proves itself on the shelves of readers. If your novel becomes a best seller, if readers beg for a new novel, then, and only then, has your character earned a spot as a series.
Let’s say the novel hasn’t earned its due on reader’s shelves, or in the bookstores, but you still want to write a sequel. Great. Write a sequel, but do it for your own entertainment, knowing it may not sell as you hope. Who knows, tomorrow’s generation may pick up your first book and demand a second.
