I have a serious dilemma. Or should I say a series dilemma? Here’s the deal. I just finished the last chapter of Soul of a Vampire. But I think this book might have the potential of being the first in the series. I THINK. If it’s going to be a stand alone, I need to stop it where it is. But if it’s going to be a series, there’s an epilogue I need to write to hint at whose story might come next. I don’t know what to do. Many of you know my story of series writing. I wrote Guardian Vampire and a lot of readers wanted a sequel. But there was no sequel in my brain for it. So I wrote the Vampires’ Curse (Libby Fox) trilogy to please readers who liked series. It just doesn’t sell well. If it weren’t for Guardian Vampire and Haunted Lake, my sales would be TERRIBLE. Those two have always been my best sellers. And they’re stand alones. And they’re getting some age on them, so the momentum is slowing down. The only reason I hesitate to write a sequel to SoaV is because I was going to work on the book my husband thought of next. But I could put it off and write the sequel, then come back to the other one. However, I don’t want to disappoint my husband by putting off “his” book. Oh, what to do!
On the eating situation I was talking about earlier, I found that I can eat fish without the gag reflex taking over. I actually had for supper…sushi (not the raw kind), a few olives, and cheese & crackers. So I won’t have to revert to popcorn for supper again. LOL
Is there any way you could work on the two books at same time? One weekdays, one at the weekend, for example.
I tried to comment on the last post, but my net went. Again. Lol. I’m the same about certain textures – I can find the smallest piece of corn in a sandwich (and not eat the sandwich because of it); I’m like the princess and the pea except with food – although I eat way more variety now than I did before I had kids. Still, I get these phases where I just can’t find anything I can eat. I can only eat steamed or roasted veg, preferably with parsley sauce though. Fish is great – it’s something I have trouble with – so you probably won’t fade away from malnutrition. π My doc always recommended grapes and chocolate when I was ill, so take that as you will. Lol.
I’ve never been really good at working on two books at the same time. I barely find the time to work on one. If I didn’t have a full time job, I’m sure I could do it. I even abandoned the Christian romance I was writing because I couldn’t find time to write it, and I didn’t want to write JUST that because it was going to be under another name. *sigh*
I’m like that, too, about finding stuff in my food I don’t want. Bleh. One piece of gristle in my meat always made me stop eating. Grapes and chocolate, huh? I might have to FORCE myself to eat that. Hahahahaha.
Tell hubby to write his own book and write whatever you’re motivated to write. π
LOL, Kait. He has great ideas, but he’s not a writer. His idea for the book is really awesome, too. I loved the way we brainstormed on the way to Florida back in May. I’m seriously thinking of asking him to give me some ideas about the sequel. π
I just finished my WiP yesterday. And it will be the first in a connected series. I really wanted to write the next one now, but I thought a break from that “world”(even though it’s the real world;)) would be good. So, I’m planning out a different, standalone, novel right now. And will write that sequel next.
I have problems with certain textures of food too. Not so much meat, although my daughter(who is only 5) seems to. It’s usually a battle to get her to eat just about any kind of meat, although sometimes she will do chicken. Mine seems to be more bread. Sometimes, I just can’t swallow it.
Fallon, I wouldn’t mind writing my husband’s book first, then going back to the sequel. The problem is readers will sometimes bug you to death about when a sequel is coming out. If I could write faster (translates to if I could quit my job and write for a living), I wouldn’t worry about it. I’m still pondering….
I’m the opposite. Bread is the only thing that’s always constant with me. I love bread, all kinds of bread. I don’t like chicken very much at all. If it’s cooked just exactly right, I can eat it, but I would rather have beef. Except right now when fish is about the only meat I can tolerate.
Sounds like you’re inspired to write that series. You know what to do.
*smiles sheepishly*
Well you know what I think about the sequel but I will comment here as well. Let the epilogue go for now and just work on your edits. If there is still a potential sequel bugging you then go ahead and write your epilogue to bring in the next book. If it’s not there don’t force it. There is nothing worse than a writer writing a sequel or series because the fans want it but the author just doesn’t feel it.
Of course, if you don’t do a sequel right now who’s to say you can’t write one later? You don’t have to give a glimpse that there might be another book. Just write it later if you want and then you can just allude to the previous book that it’s from the same series. You can do a prologue recapping the previous book if you need to.
Remember, just write what’s in your heart. It’s your story to write so write what you want to write. π
Very well said, Anya. I really don’t HAVE to write that epilogue to still write the series. But it could be a teaser if I decided to do it for sure. But you’re right…I should work on the edits first and see how I feel after my read through. Then I can also take suggestions from my other beta readers. And, really, hubby probably won’t care that much if I decide to put his book off a few months. If only I could do this full time, I would have so much more time to work on various writing projects! It can get so frustrating sometimes.
I say write the epilogue for yourself to save for later… if it’s not included with your book right now, so be it. But leave it open for later… and get all of your ideas down. If you’re like me, you need to write them down or you’ll go to sleep and forget. LOL. You can always add it to the e-books in a later edition. Write what you had planned to write for your next project. Just write. π
I probably do need to go ahead and write the epilogue just in case. I could definitely add it later to the ebooks. Just not to the print version. I might wait a bit and see how well received the book is before deciding on the sequel.
I’d write the epilogue – just in case – as you said above. But…what it would come down to, for me, is which story wants to come out? (sounds sort of funny, but that’s how my brain works…lol)
I want to write a series for some other characters from The Third Fate – but for now…historical has taken over. LOL. We’ll see what happens after I get my scatter brain back in order here in the next few weeks.
I may just write the epilogue, then take it out and store it somewhere if I can’t decide what to do before publishing. If I write the epilogue and DON’T do the sequel, it will leave something hanging. And the bad thing is both stories want to come out. I don’t have a clear picture of the sequel yet, but I know WHOSE story it will be and a little about it.
At least you didn’t leave anything hanging so that people are saying “what happens next, hurry and tell me!” You should probably pursue historical if that’s what’s calling to you. You’re very good at writing it. π
Don’t write the epilogue. If your readers want a sequel, they’ll let you know and you can decide what to do. But once you tack on an epilogue, YOU’RE now committed to writing the next chapter whether you want to or not.
Your sweet spot seems to be stand alones, so unless you’re highly motivated to write a sequel, don’t. You could always retool the sequel idea into another standalone.
Hmmm, a differing opinion. And it also makes sense. I could later write the sequel even if I don’t do the epilogue. But if I write the epilogue then I’m committed to the sequel. Hey, another idea. The epilogue I was thinking of could really be in the first chapter of the sequel…if I do it. Thanks, Andrew!
You do that voodoo that you do so well!
I’m on the don’t put the epilouge in, save it for the second book or as a teaser on your blog to announce the coming of the second blog. I like teasers, I’ve been thinking about doing teasers for my current WIP to drum up some anticipation for the book before it comes out, but enough about me, I’m boring.
Keep your epilouge for yourself that way your not pushed into possibly working on something when you’d rather be working on something else. That’s my two cents/sense. Hubbard out! Wheeee
Hubbard, you’re such a tease. LOL. I’m leaning toward saving the epilogue for later. I might see what kind of early sales I get on SoaV to help determine what I’ll do.
I meant second book not second blog
I knew what you meant. I read your mind.
HA! I am now wearing a colander with four wire-coat hangers each decorated with different coloured yarn hanging like fabricy tendrils upon my head! Read my mind now!
Gee, thanks for blocking me, Hubbard. Now I’ll have to guess…er…never mind.
I agree with the don’t write the epilogue sentiment. I made the horrible mistake (and boxed myself in) to write that third book in one of my series because of it. I never would have written it if I wasn’t trapped. Once your fans expect it, you get very nice but persistent emails reminding you that there are people out there waiting for the next book, and if your heart isn’t in it, it just sucks. For a while, I was beginning to hate writing and had to take a month off to recover. Writing something because you have to is draining.
If you leave off the epilogue, you can write the sequel or not write it, and no one will bug you either way.
That’s just my opinion. Whatever you decide, I’ll support you. π
I will bow to your greater experience, Ruth. I know you’ve been through just about everything an author can go through. I think I’m just going to see how well the book is received. Like I told Andrew, I can always use the idea for the epilogue in the first chapter of the sequel if I write it.