Let’s Talk About Sequels Part 1
Some opening thoughts about sequels and a couple of announcements! 🌸
Hey Story Crafters!
I wasn’t feeling well last weekend, so I wasn’t able to send out a post like I originally planned. I ended up binge-watching several movies—as one does while on bed (or couch) rest—and a couple in particular got me thinking about sequels: 22 Jump Street and Shrek 2.
Now, the type of humor in the Jump Street movies isn’t my cup of tea. (I don’t tend to like comedy movies, or at least live action ones, in general. On the manga/anime side, Gintama, Gekkan Shoujo Nozaki-kun, and Sakamoto desu ga? have the kind of humor I enjoy.) I stumbled into 21 Jump Street by way of autoplay after dozing off, and then stuck through to the end of the second one out of a combination of morbid curiosity and just being in a haze of unwell. By the end of it I wanted to watch a movie with a more satisfying sequel, and hopped over to Shrek and Shrek 2.
Before we talk about the elements that make up a satisfying sequel, let’s take a look at the transition or lead-in to the sequel—in other words, the first work’s ending. When a work has series potential, the ending will leave the reader or viewer with a sense of anticipation (“What happens next?”) that the sequel is expected to fulfill.
This can be played out in a couple of ways:
Cliffhanger. It’s clear that the first work’s ending is a pause to build up tension for the sequel. At the end of 21 Jump Street, Schmidt and Jenko are told they’ll be undercover in a college for their next assignment. A couple of book examples include For the Wolf by Hannah Whitten, which ends with a character getting sent to another world; and Godkiller by Hannah Kaner, where the main character (MC)—presumed dead by the other characters—regains consciousness and prepares to continue on her quest.
Setting the expectation of progression. This can be through:
Time: The MC gets older, usually by a year. Think the Percy Jackson & the Olympians series by Rick Riordan, where the next book is the next year at camp. Or just any series where the MC needs to progress through grade levels at school, etc.
Life milestones: Yes, this technically falls under “time,” but I made it separate because the mental/emotional stakes are a little different. The MC or MCs achieve a life goal in one work, with the expectation that another life goal will be the focus of the sequel. This happens in Shrek, where the happily ever after is achieved (relationship-wise = the marriage to true love), and leads into Shrek 2, where the MC’s focus is on keeping or making the happily ever after work (a.k.a. actual married life post-honeymoon phase).
These are just a couple of techniques that came to mind. Feel free to share others you can think of in the comments!
An exception to the sequel lead-in
An exception to the sequel lead-in is the mystery genre, whodunits especially. Think of detective characters like Sherlock Holmes, Hercule Poirot, or Benoit Blanc (from the Knives Out movies)—they don’t tend to experience the kind of character arc we expect in most fiction. These characters are brilliant investigators who don’t usually experience any internal change; instead, they’re placed at the scene of a new crime or mystery to solve. We’re less concerned about learning to care about the detective character, and more interested in finding out how the victim over there ended up with a knife in his back when the room is sealed and there isn’t a blade in sight.
That’s not to say mystery novels can’t have MCs with character arcs (Vera Vixen from the Shady Hollow series comes to mind). It’s just not as much of an expectation for them.
We’ll stop here for this post. Stay tuned for future discussions about sequels!
Now, onto a couple of announcements.
New posting schedule
Due to changes in my work schedule, The Writer’s Corner will be updating every other week!
#RevPit 2024: #MeetTheEditors
This week, all participating #RevPit editors will be hosting live chat sessions on Reddit so authors can get to know them! I’ll be hosting my session this Thursday, March 7, at 6 p.m. ET. Even if you’re not participating in #RevPit 2024, please feel free to drop in!
If you’re looking for an editor, this session is a great way to learn more about me, and to see if we’ll work well together! I’m interested in working with authors of:
Fantasy
Dark Fantasy
Science Fiction
Horror
though I’ve also worked on cozy mysteries too. I’m open to working in most genres if an author and I fit well together, so please get in touch if you’re interested in working with me!
For the #RevPit 2024 contest schedule, please visit https://reviseresub.com/annual-contest/schedule. You can also find more information about the #RevPit contest, and ways to stay up-to-date with the contest on social media.
I’m still not too familiar with Reddit, and I’m equal parts excited and nervous about my session. As a sort of icebreaker, I plan to have this small LEGO built by Thursday.
I’ll share pics of the finished build during my Meet the Editor session!
I hope to chat with some of you on Thursday! 😊
Best,
Leah
Interested in learning more about me, and the kind of energy I’ll bring to a writer-editor relationship? Subscribe to this newsletter (it’s free!).