Prequels and Sequels

[lucky-E-leven]

Alright, you smart smut writers. I've only posted two stories here so far and still haven't figured out how the readers work. (Is this as futile a task as it seems?)

One of my stories has received a large amount of positive feedback and most of it included requests to continue the story or at the very least write more about those two characters.

I have seen in many places that some people continuously use the same characters, but do not necessarily follow a chronological order or borrow from other stories including them. How does this work for you? (Feedback/responses & also Do you find yourself constantly {re}defining the characters?)

My dilemma stems from the want to fill in the gray areas of my character's pasts without that taking over the fun stuff. But in my mind, a sequel should be loosely tied to the story before it and operate on an entirely different plot (thus standing alone).

A friend, here at lit, has suggested a prequel for the purpose of providing background and a sequel to continue the lives of the characters from the first story on.

Are sequels more like a chapter by chapter continuation? or are they separate stories including the original characters?

Are prequels just plain stupid and unnecessary?

If a sequel is written, how much does the reader expect the initial story line to be followed or maintained?

~lucky

 

[Carl East]

Being a writer of several series I can only tell you what I've done in the past. I have always used the same characters but placed them in different settings and yes I've generally followed on from where I left off and it works for me.

Have fun writing, that's the main thing.

Carl

 

[Colleen Thomas]

Hey Lucky,

I have two series posted, one two part story and one pair of stories with the same characters, but totally un related stroies except for the characters.

If your original story wasleft open at a place wehre another story would naturally follow then a part two is fine. If it wasn't then I would suggest writing a "pre quel" but not trying to tie it in with the first story. The same could be done with a second story that isn't neccissarily a sequel, but a kind of further adventures of.

Neither of the stories I wrote was intended to have a part two and I think it shows. In my opinion writing a story with succssive episodes in two or more character's lives should be a planned event and not a spontaneous one or one linked to feedback. Tell more of their story, but don't try to write Joyride Part II.

-Colly

 

[OldnotDead]

Hey, Lucky,

Mostly echoing Colly on this one. I have enjoyed 'serial' stories from a number of writers. Some were of the chapter variety where each was a continuation of an overall plot. Others were separate, stand alone pieces that used the same characters again.

I do not think that one or the other makes for a better or worse situation. I do appreciate, however, some clue, like Chapter indications, that a story is really tied to another. That way I can go back to the first one if I choose.

I cannot remember which author, but one of them put a brief comment at the beginning of each story that each story stood alone, but there were others about the same characters and that if you had a real urge to read them in order, the sequence was listed in her profile. I thought that was a nice touch that showed some consideration.

As far as choosing to do it, though, and whether a prequel or sequel, should all rest with you. Inside you are the additional stories for those characters. Write what YOU want. I remember reading some comments from a biographer of one of my favorite authors. He related how his publisher begged him to write a second story involving a specific character. He said it was about 1/3 written for months and he could not move it forward. It was never finished. On another occasion, he came up with a plot that involved a repeat of a previously used character. This time the story was written in under two weeks. He then threw away the partly written one, saying THAT character did not want another story.

 

[lucky-E-leven]

Hey Lucky,

If your original story wasleft open at a place wehre another story would naturally follow then a part two is fine. If it wasn't then I would suggest writing a "pre quel" but not trying to tie it in with the first story. The same could be done with a second story that isn't neccissarily a sequel, but a kind of further adventures of.

I don't think there's any way for a prequel to work as the initial story was their first meeting and therefore any background would be on them individually. I don't see how that can work and be very interesting or sexy.

Neither of the stories I wrote was intended to have a part two and I think it shows. In my opinion writing a story with succssive episodes in two or more character's lives should be a planned event and not a spontaneous one or one linked to feedback. Tell more of their story, but don't try to write Joyride Part II.

This is my worry. I didn't plan any continuation and therefore might be grasping at straws to continue it in the same manner as the original. However, the first six pages of new ideas for these particular characters flew on screen in very short order which leads me to believe the characters have a little bit more living to do. (And how did you know that was the story? Sneak)

Thanks Colly, and for the record, I don't think either of your series' is lacking anything, nor do they appear to have been forcibly contrived into a series. The stand alone aspect of each piece is tremendous, but I must admit that I am way too linear to read something out of sequence and therefore had the benefit of the first story that inspired such continuations. Tainted input from me as always...

~lucky

 

[Guest]

 

[lucky-E-leven]

Hey, Lucky,

Mostly echoing Colly on this one. I have enjoyed 'serial' stories from a number of writers. Some were of the chapter variety where each was a continuation of an overall plot. Others were separate, stand alone pieces that used the same characters again.

I do not think that one or the other makes for a better or worse situation. I do appreciate, however, some clue, like Chapter indications, that a story is really tied to another. That way I can go back to the first one if I choose.

I cannot remember which author, but one of them put a brief comment at the beginning of each story that each story stood alone, but there were others about the same characters and that if you had a real urge to read them in order, the sequence was listed in her profile. I thought that was a nice touch that showed some consideration.

As far as choosing to do it, though, and whether a prequel or sequel, should all rest with you. Inside you are the additional stories for those characters. Write what YOU want. I remember reading some comments from a biographer of one of my favorite authors. He related how his publisher begged him to write a second story involving a specific character. He said it was about 1/3 written for months and he could not move it forward. It was never finished. On another occasion, he came up with a plot that involved a repeat of a previously used character. This time the story was written in under two weeks. He then threw away the partly written one, saying THAT character did not want another story.

OnD,

Thanks for taking the time and for providing such useful info. I can totally relate to the feeling that a character just did not warrant another story. Normally, I did not reach this opinion until having completed many pages of it and hitting a brick wall in the middle. This has happened to me three times recently, but it wasn't until just a few days ago that I finally realized that I had lost my verve for the story or one of the characters and had a piece of trash on my hands. Good to know professionals wind up in the same spot.

I also thought the idea of linking the stories to one another in a header or other method was very thoughtful. I'm leaning in the direction of mixing a little of the two methods together. I love the characters and see a great deal of potential for developing them even further, hopefully allowing a bit more intimacy between them and the reader. I think I'll try an approach that continues with the same characters and their base interests from the original story, but shows them in an entirely different set of circumstances with a stand alone plot. I think I'll save my chapter ideas for a novel/novella or for an idea that I intend to continue from the start.

Again, thank you so much. I'm feeling inspired and have tons of new ideas now. As well as 5 pages of deleting to handle But this is not a bad thing, because it will open up at least ten to fifteen pages of potential.

~lucky

 

[lucky-E-leven]

Lucky,

Good advice from all, but if you ever figure out the readers here, please let me know; I sure as hell can't. Lots of views, few votes (but good scores) paltry feedback. If you write long stories, you'll probably see the same.

No, wait, forget what I said. With an AV like that you'll have tons of feedback along with proposals for marriage to... well subjects that aren't allowed here.

Lime

LOL! Mwah, Lime!

The story in question is six and a half lit pages long and has received the same treatment you described above. My scores have been good but the better they get, the more it gets tanked in subsequent days. No big deal, I've had some very respected authors say that it had merit here and there, which means more to me than any votes.

Maybe for the rest of the Lit readers, I should post this AV in between each paragraph so that they may tolerate the length of my story (which I now realize wasn't entirely necessary, but it was my cherry popper here and I still love it).

Funny you say that. Comments on my av's have probably outweighed the feedback on two stories ten times over. LOL

~lucky

I prefer indecent proposals over marriage proposals...personal aside.

 

[Boxlicker101]

Most of my stories have one ongoing character and his experiences with a series of other persons. The stories subsequent to the first are not sequels and are not related except that they all have the same subject and we all know what that subject is. Sometimes I write a story that is a sequel to an earlier one or two and I reference the original one enough to let readers know about the earler story. They all stand alone; the mentions are mostly to attract readers to the other stories.

 

[Guest]

Hello Darling. I have six stories that are numbered as chapters but I think after the first each one can be read alone or in any order. Either the third or fourth tells of an experience of my "elevator girl" before she got into sex work. At some point I found it easy to give her a regular lover, outside "work". I'm finally working on a new story. The setup of her elevator car allows me to tell new stories in the same setting but with different clients, costumes, toys, fetishes, etc. After the fact, I think that was clever of me. Actually, knowing his work and reading what he said on another thread, I think Gauche has done something similar with his stories that turned out to be a series.

I wasn't sure what I was doing when I wrote the first story but the others came easily, and I like that I can write 'chapters' out of order. I was thinking I should resubmit the first story and put an explanation at the beginning that the order doesn't really matter.

I can see you writing stories about your bike gals, either of them, that take place in the past. I do hope you continue their exploits.

Perdita

 

[minsue]

I can see you writing stories about your bike gals, either of them, that take place in the past. I do hope you continue their exploits.

Perdita

Hear! Hear!

 

[Just_John1]

A challenge for you Lucky

Most of my stories have ended up becoming series. It wasn't intended that way it just works out. Either I really like the character or the plot or I just don't feel like I'm done yet. The thing I've noticed and I think it was Killer Muffin that got me thinking about this a while back when she said that you should never use the word said in any story when dealing with Dialog.

I took that a step farther and try to work the run down of what happened in the last chapter as part of the story I'm writing. I guess the best example IMHO in my works was in Libby and John Chapter 3. I used a reminiscance scene (sp I know but its late and I'm too lazy to look it up right now) to remind the reader what happened in the last story and also to lead into the first sex scene of the new story.

Its really alot harder than it sounds, at least it is to me... but its a fun challenge.

So perhaps you work the prequel into the sequel as well? Sounds pretty stupid now that I read this.

Trying to be helpful

JJ1

 

[lucky-E-leven]

It's good to know I'm not the only sap that falls in love with characters and can't seem to let them go.

Box: I like the premise of a recurring character and am motivated to give your work a read and see how it works for me. I'm afraid, though, that I'd feel restricted/bound by a constant repeat character. Most of my joy in writing comes from creating a new entity with real dynamics and attempting to mesh her with someone else of different elemental make up.

Perdita: (my love) Thanks for the input. I would love to write a series that could stand alone in its parts but would also read well through any different combination and continue a single character's thought processes. I've yet to build a character on the more free-flowing or promiscuous level that I'm happy with though and thus it is difficult, in my mind, to handle a sporadic chain of events with a monogamous couple (damn chronology). But the seed has been planted and I'll no doubt be dreaming of elevators, toys and a sexy mistress this evening.

Mindy:

Just John: I don't think it's stupid at all, but it is hard as hell you're right about that. My original intent was to write a sequel-type story peppered with recalls of the past and other such things but find I'm a bit too detail oriented for such brief recounts. (i.e. there was so much history that there wasn't much room for sex...and you know that sells about as well as a beastiality story containing 13 year olds, around here.) Anyway, I think I'll go on with a continuation, as sequel doesn't seem the right word anymore, and see if there is a need for more of their pasts then. If so...another story idea has taken on a life of its own long before I ever had the chance to fret about it.