Friday, April 27, 2012

YA Indie Carnival: Sequels

This week at the Carnival we are discussing sequels.  Some posts may be on reviewing them or reading them.  I am going to talk about writing them because I used to write single-titles.  My first YA book turned into a trilogy.  Is it harder to write a series?

I don't think harder is the right word.  There are different problems that come with writing a series.  I think most people expect sequels to suck.  Maybe because they usually do.  Twilight comes to mind.  I loved the first book in that series, but as each one came along I was less and less inspired by them.  Star Wars (yes, I know it's a movie) was so incredible.  The follow-up was a little less great.  I still enjoyed them, but I would say the first is my favorite. 

It's hard to keep a series going.  In the case of Vampires Rule, I had way too much to fit into one book.  It had to become a series.  Although I hope people like the sequels, I suspect they will be compared to the first and found lacking in some way.  To me, sequels are great because your characters have a chance to grow.  By the end of the Rule series, I think my main character Jack will be a different person in some aspects.  At least I hope he will.

The Witch-Hunt series is a different sort of series.  Each book can stand alone.  They each have different characters and a new game to play. 

The problems with writing a series vary from writer to writer.  When it comes to me, I think the hardest thing is keeping everything going.  Sometimes I feel like a juggler with too many balls in the air.  LOL

Anyway, feel free to click on the awesome authors below and see what they had to say on the subject.


Laura A. H. Elliott author of Winnemucca & 13 on Halloween, Book 1 in the Teen Halloween Series2.Bryna Butler, author Midnight Guardian series
3.Heather Self4.T. R. Graves, Author of The Warrior Series
5.Suzy Turner, author of The Raven Saga6.Cheri Schmidt, author of the Fateful Trilogy
7.Rachel Coles, author of Into The Ruins, geek mom blog 8.K. C. Blake, author of Vampires Rule and Crushed
9.Patti Larsen, The Hunted series and The Hayle Coven series10.Amy Maurer Jones, Author of The Soul Quest Trilogy
11.Dani Snell's Refracted Light Reviews 12.Fisher Amelie, author of The Understorey
13.M. Leighton, Blood Like Poison Series, Madly, The Reaping 14.Cidney Swanson, author of Rippler
15.Gwenn Wright, author of Filter16.Melissa Pearl, Author of The Time Spirit Trilogy
17.Heather M. White, author of The Destiny Saga18.Courtney Cole Writes
19.Liz Long | Just another writer on the loose.20.Ella James

No comments: