Planning a SS Sequel
One might think that laying out a sequel to other stories would be fairly simple. You have the world plotted out already, right? And since you've already written three stories set in your future, in your world, things should flow right on out on the screen, right?
Nope, nothing's gonna be that easy.
Inheritance, my first accepted tale takes place sometime years after my second, Heartcry. My current project is a tie to both of these, and the planned lead-in to a possible novel set farther along. I've gotten the first scene in, written out 500 + odd words to it, and then came to a dead stop. I realized then I should think out what I want to do with it, with the circumstances around it.
It is a sequel. The stories it is a sequel to have been published in, regardless of the awesome quality and level of included talent, a small press market that may make this story difficult to place. To correct this the story will have to totally stand on its own. References to events leading to the story will have to be written in in a manner that will NOT assume that the previous storys have been read. Yet, included lead-in reference sections that will have to be added will have to be written in a way that WILL assume that the first two have been read, and in a way that would not take from the essence of the sequel being able to stand on its own.
I've had 4 stories accepted in all my writing career. This is something that a seasoned professional would think twice about doing! Also . . .
The implications that spin off from Inheritance and from Heartcry are opposite, yet radically similar. That is also what I plan to work into this one, and one of the challenges. So, will this go the way of Eulogy, the story I tried to write twice already and balked at, from the nature of the tale? Na.
I need a deadline. Every one of the stories I have written were for anthologies with specific deadlines. I've written 5 this year, and 4 have found homes, with the 5th still in the process. Each has taken two-three weeks to write, and made it in just under the wire. Will not haveing a deadline stop this from being written? Na.
I can do it. Maybe it can be a possibility for Asimov's. Maybe somewhere else.
We'll see.
Nope, nothing's gonna be that easy.
Inheritance, my first accepted tale takes place sometime years after my second, Heartcry. My current project is a tie to both of these, and the planned lead-in to a possible novel set farther along. I've gotten the first scene in, written out 500 + odd words to it, and then came to a dead stop. I realized then I should think out what I want to do with it, with the circumstances around it.
It is a sequel. The stories it is a sequel to have been published in, regardless of the awesome quality and level of included talent, a small press market that may make this story difficult to place. To correct this the story will have to totally stand on its own. References to events leading to the story will have to be written in in a manner that will NOT assume that the previous storys have been read. Yet, included lead-in reference sections that will have to be added will have to be written in a way that WILL assume that the first two have been read, and in a way that would not take from the essence of the sequel being able to stand on its own.
I've had 4 stories accepted in all my writing career. This is something that a seasoned professional would think twice about doing! Also . . .
The implications that spin off from Inheritance and from Heartcry are opposite, yet radically similar. That is also what I plan to work into this one, and one of the challenges. So, will this go the way of Eulogy, the story I tried to write twice already and balked at, from the nature of the tale? Na.
I need a deadline. Every one of the stories I have written were for anthologies with specific deadlines. I've written 5 this year, and 4 have found homes, with the 5th still in the process. Each has taken two-three weeks to write, and made it in just under the wire. Will not haveing a deadline stop this from being written? Na.
I can do it. Maybe it can be a possibility for Asimov's. Maybe somewhere else.
We'll see.