Working with sequels
For me, when it comes to writing nothing is worse than working on the sequel. Especially if people loved the first work that you are basing your sequel on. There is a lot of pressure, hoping that you don’t disappoint the fans you have while attracting new readers to your work. I’ve come across this several times while writing. To date I have four characters that have been blessed with sequels; Xerri, Amythist, Mika, and Sarah. Some of these sequels have been published, some haven’t. Yet, each of them had their own troubles to deal with.
Xerri was the easiest while Sarah was (and still is) the hardest. There are some rules I have learned while writing a series. These rules have been mainly for my short stories, especially those concerning Amythist and Mika, but I have found that they are useful when writing longer works.
1) Assume the reader hasn’t read your other works. Don’t write a story that you MUST read story A before reading story B. You’ll lose readers that way.
2) Don’t get crazy about details. Amythist lost her lover to a demon. It comes up, since most of her stories are dealing with revenge, but I don’t explain everything. If a reader wants to know how it happened, they can go to my website and look it up. Also, don’t explain everything. Does knowing exactly how Amythist lost her lover help the plot any? No. Then leave it out. I can easily say, “Memories of the past assaulted Amythist, making it hard to breath. ‘Dalli,’ she whispered. Her heart ached, but she couldn’t focus on that now. She had work to do.” See what I mean. No need to go into it. The reader knows that something in her past hurt her, but they don’t need to know exactly what.
3) Be consistent. Make sure the same rules apply in every story. Readers will be able to tell if you change something, especially if Sarah was a werewolf in one story and a weresquirrel in another.
4) This is the most important one. Pay close attention….
Have fun!
You just created an awesome character and a world for them to live in. Play with it. See what can happen. Nothing is off limits!
Heather Kuehl
Promises to Keep, available 3/7/10 from Eternal Press
Summary
Starlette is on a mission, and nothing will get in her way.
Starlette DeFore knows that her father is alive, even though her family buried him ten years ago. When a faerie confirms this she travels toCharleston , South Carolina
Will Starlette, a mere mortal, have the strength needed to finish her quest and save her father?
Starlette is on a mission, and nothing will get in her way.
Starlette DeFore knows that her father is alive, even though her family buried him ten years ago. When a faerie confirms this she travels to
Will Starlette, a mere mortal, have the strength needed to finish her quest and save her father?
Excerpt
I heard Sivad scream my name as mud rose up and cut off my words. It enveloped me, filling my mouth with gritty swamp muck and submersing me. I rolled around frantically, trying to get free of the mess and gulp some air. I felt something near me in the water, and my body stilled as a voice came to my ears.
“I’ll decide when you can breathe, just as I can decide whether you will live or die.”
The voice was soft and deceptively pleasing, like a viper hiding in the grass. I struggled, my hands at my mouth trying to scoop away the muck that was choking me. The voice laughed, a tinkling of bells, and I had the image of a dark-haired woman sitting in a throne room made of onyx. Her gossamer dress clung to her, accenting all her curves. She looked like a seductive goddess, and I knew that was how she liked to be seen. Dreashae’s dark eyes burned into mine, and I wondered how I could see all this if I was under water in a swamp with mud trying to smother me. I reached up and felt my hand rise above the water, the cool night air brushing across it. Then the world went black as the ground swallowed me. I struggled and fought to get free, but my body was slow. The mud clogged my lungs as I tried to gasp for breath. Darkness opened its gates, and I gladly walked in.
I heard Sivad scream my name as mud rose up and cut off my words. It enveloped me, filling my mouth with gritty swamp muck and submersing me. I rolled around frantically, trying to get free of the mess and gulp some air. I felt something near me in the water, and my body stilled as a voice came to my ears.
“I’ll decide when you can breathe, just as I can decide whether you will live or die.”
The voice was soft and deceptively pleasing, like a viper hiding in the grass. I struggled, my hands at my mouth trying to scoop away the muck that was choking me. The voice laughed, a tinkling of bells, and I had the image of a dark-haired woman sitting in a throne room made of onyx. Her gossamer dress clung to her, accenting all her curves. She looked like a seductive goddess, and I knew that was how she liked to be seen. Dreashae’s dark eyes burned into mine, and I wondered how I could see all this if I was under water in a swamp with mud trying to smother me. I reached up and felt my hand rise above the water, the cool night air brushing across it. Then the world went black as the ground swallowed me. I struggled and fought to get free, but my body was slow. The mud clogged my lungs as I tried to gasp for breath. Darkness opened its gates, and I gladly walked in.
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