Writing a sequel but don't want it to be chapter 2

[Captain_Ron]

I'm wondering how other authors approach multiple stories about the same characters but decide not to use chapters.

I'd like each story to be able to stand on it's own so the readers won't need to go through all the previous stories to enjoy the latest one, but I'd also like to build and develop the characters as time goes on.

Should I make reference to the older stories, say in an author's note at the beginning saying something like "This story happens after blah, blah, blah, you don't need to read it but it gives more background" or should I skip the note and just put enough references to the previous adventures in each story (so situations and motivations make sense) and let the reader to discover the other stories on their own.

Or should I just write "Ch 2" and be done with it saving me the work of having to reintroduce my characters each time.

 

[NOIRTRASH]

Ed McBain did it with his 87th Precinct books. Each book features all or most of the cast, but each book sticks to one or a few of the cast. The idea was to make the 1st or last novel places to start the collection.

 

[Kantarii]

I write multiple chapter stories. I tend to use small hints and references from the previous chapter incase the reader isn't or hasn't followed the storyline. It's almost impossible for me to not do that.

I have used my "transvestite" character in many of my stories I have on Literotica and not on Lit. I ended up creating a totally different title and slightly changing the character's name Keirra-> Kira &
Amanda -> Ashleigh. Overall, in my eyes, the main "transvestite" character in my stories is me, or at the very least an extension of myself in my stories.

I'm probably not the first to do this type of thing in writing, and I'm sure I will not be the last one either. My chapters in An Erotic Story of Lust (not posted on Literorica are stand alone chapters. Technically, if I posted that story on Lit, I could give each chapter a different title using the same characters and no one would be the wiser. However, if I did that, I would probably put them in different story categories to help avoid confusion, too. But, as the story stands, I would never do that since I like multiple chapters for my stories.

 

[NotWise]

I'm wondering how other authors approach multiple stories about the same characters but decide not to use chapters.

I have a sequel to my editor now. The first story was called "His Father's Lover." the sequel will be "His Father's Lover: The Gift." There will be no more.

I think the sequel stands alone, though there are some details a reader won't understand without reading the first story. I intend to put a note at the end of the sequel to point it to the first story. So far I think I've found that any note I put at the beginning of the story needs to draw readers in, not to point them elsewhere. I don't want the readers to click away and not come back.

 

[Captain_Ron]

I have a sequel to my editor now. The first story was called "His Father's Lover." the sequel will be "His Father's Lover: The Gift." There will be no more.

I think the sequel stands alone, though there are some details a reader won't understand without reading the first story. I intend to put a note at the end of the sequel to point it to the first story. So far I think I've found that any note I put at the beginning of the story needs to draw readers in, not to point them elsewhere. I don't want the readers to click away and not come back.

Note at the end sounds interesting, I hadn't thought of that. Like you said, I don't want a reader to see the first line and figure they need to read something else first and never come back.

 

[sr71plt]

I did it with a series of five interrelated stories for a winter holidays contest here once. The way I handled it was to construct the titles so that all of the stories would run in order, starting with "Second Chance" (https://www.literotica.com/s/second-chance-11)

 

[Captain_Ron]

I write multiple chapter stories. I tend to use small hints and references from the previous chapter incase the reader isn't or hasn't followed the storyline. It's almost impossible for me to not do that.

I have used my "transvestite" character in many of my stories I have on Literotica and not on Lit. I ended up creating a totally different title and slightly changing the character's name Keirra-> Kira &
Amanda -> Ashleigh. Overall, in my eyes, the main "transvestite" character in my stories is me, or at the very least an extension of myself in my stories.

I'm probably not the first to do this type of thing in writing, and I'm sure I will not be the last one either. My chapters in An Erotic Story of Lust (not posted on Literorica are stand alone chapters. Technically, if I posted that story on Lit, I could give each chapter a different title using the same characters and no one would be the wiser. However, if I did that, I would probably put them in different story categories to help avoid confusion, too. But, as the story stands, I would never do that since I like multiple chapters for my stories.

I see from your stories that the chapters are posted soon after each other. Do you finish all chapters before submitting them? If I do another chapter story I may do it that way so the readers are left waiting forever. I'm a fairly slow writer.

 

[Carnal_Flower]

I'm writing a "sequel" at the moment I don't intend to be a chapter. I'll just put a note at the beg saying its a sequel to blah blah but that's it. Its a complete stand alone story that you don't need to know anything about. If the story continued in any way I would definitely make it chaptered, but its not.

I don't reintroduce or recap at all. Don't need to.

It sounds like you are writing a chaptered series, if you find you have to make the links. In that case, why not make it Ch. 2, etc?

I'm wondering how other authors approach multiple stories about the same characters but decide not to use chapters.

I'd like each story to be able to stand on it's own so the readers won't need to go through all the previous stories to enjoy the latest one, but I'd also like to build and develop the characters as time goes on.

Should I make reference to the older stories, say in an author's note at the beginning saying something like "This story happens after blah, blah, blah, you don't need to read it but it gives more background" or should I skip the note and just put enough references to the previous adventures in each story (so situations and motivations make sense) and let the reader to discover the other stories on their own.

Or should I just write "Ch 2" and be done with it saving me the work of having to reintroduce my characters each time.

 

[RelentlessOnanism]

I realise you are trying to write a series of stories that don't have to be read sequentially, but it is quite irritating if you read a story and then the author suggests other stories with the same characters, but then you have to find those stories. At least if they are in chapters, all the stories are in the same place. Sequentially numbered stories are easier and more accessible for the reader.

 

[StrangeTamer]

I just submitted my first story and even though it's a stand alone story I still labeled it Rebirth: Ch. 01 Mindy's Awakening, that way if I want to write a continuation I can. I will write shorter stories with the same characters and label them Rebirth: bla bla bla That way they will be all grouped together and the continuations should be in order.

 

[Kantarii]

I see from your stories that the chapters are posted soon after each other. Do you finish all chapters before submitting them? If I do another chapter story I may do it that way so the readers are left waiting forever. I'm a fairly slow writer.

Sometimes it seems that I write pretty quickly. But, that is because the chapters are much shorter.

My Brother's Ghost was the hardest story for me to write. Not because of it's complexity, but because I can personally relate to the story from my life experience. I've had that story written in my head for years, just never had the courage to type it out and post it.

The Diablo Masquerade was written and posted in my blogs on AFF. So when I came to Lit, I actually wanted to post that story first, but didn't; electing to write and post My Brother's Ghost first.

A Slut's Triangle is the storyline I'm currently working on. It seems like I am posting pretty quick, but what I actually do is work on 1-2 chapters at a time, keep the chapters short and post them fairly close together to keep the reader interested. It is a formula that works for me. Then, I take a short mental break and work on the next couple of chapters.

I have a weird way of working on writing my stories. I like to write the entire dialogue for each chapter first, then go back and paint the story and develope my characters I'm trying to create around the dialogue for that chapter. It saves me time writing chapters for my stories that way, but that is my style of writing. I like to know what my characters are going to say and how they are going to interact up front, then I can develope the chapters of my stories around that.

 

[rjordan]

I see from your stories that the chapters are posted soon after each other. Do you finish all chapters before submitting them? If I do another chapter story I may do it that way so the readers are left waiting forever. I'm a fairly slow writer.

What difference does it make if all the stories are self-standing? You don't even have to post them in order! Take a look at Larry McMurtry's Lonesome Dove series with prequels and sequels. The experience is better if you read them all, but they were written and released out of order, and read just fine in almost any order.

Same with Cormac McCarthy's Border Trilogy written over a period of 5 or 6 years.

rj