Not Every Story Needs a Sequel

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We authors here at BC are blessed by our readership.

Really! BC has a large, mostly active community of readers and writers, and comments on stories are quite common, which is a wonderful change from the majority of other fiction sites I've seen, even mainstream ones. The community here is supportive of new writers, positive in their outlook on most tales, and generally a great place to be a part of.

Now, having gotten THAT out of the way, on to the point of this blog.

With all our good elements as a community as a whole, we've developed one very exhausting and far from positive trait: clamoring for sequels.

"Great! When's the next part?"

"I hope this is the start of a series!"

"I can't wait to see what happens next!"

None of these seem like a terrible thing, right? But, let's look at it from the perspective of an author (or even prospective one,) and consider the ramifications. You write a short or complete story. You're done with it, you think. How do you answer these comments? Do you tell the truth? Do you say "maybe some day?" Do you ignore them? Or do you give in?

The first option, telling the truth, seems the most obvious, but from personal experience I can tell you doesn't always work. I've received I don't know HOW many PMs informing me of all the reasons why X or Y story needs more parts or another sequel or how something-something should happen because....

That isn't a positive experience for a writer with their own work, and is not the way to get more stories.

Likewise, saying "maybe some day" is just as perilous, since it draws the same responses as well as the occasional "so when is there gonna be more?" question. This is more understandable on stories designed as series or multi-parts that have never been finished, but on one-offs or completed multi-part stories it turns into a huge pain. If 'The Adventures of Petunia the Kumquat Warrior' are complete, why would you write a sequel or make up more events to continue the story? It SAYS 'complete!'

Ignoring the comments does no good either. I may not respond to every comment I get, but that's a far cry from ignoring them: I read every last one, and consider what was said for my next tale (which is why I prefer something a bit more meaty than 'great story!') So, ignoring the comments isn't gonna happen.

After all the issues the above responses can cause, though, giving in is probably the worst one.

Writing is hard work. It doesn't matter if it takes you five weeks to knock out a drabble or you can blast out a 2500 word chapter in 3 hours, it takes sweat, labor, and a lot of thought to tell a good tale. More than that, your heart needs to be in it, because a good, attentive reader can tell when it isn't. That, perhaps, is the greatest danger of giving in and writing another part or a sequel to something you had wanted to call finished: the threat that if your heart isn't in it, you diminish the value of the original work. Readers who begged, pushed, for a sequel now proclaim the story ruined, or berate you in comments. It can be awful.

No matter what answer you make, any kind of response to comments asking for sequels or more of a story that doesn't clearly indicate there will be more are stressful in the extreme, and I've known more than a few people who've considered posting stories here but changed their mind specifically because of their fear of the comments wanting more. It may be unintentional, but spamming comments asking for more more MORE can be detrimental to the author of a story, and even to the number of stories you get on the site.

This is a change that needs to happen with readers. That includes me: I've been guilty of asking this type of thing in the past myself, and I of all people should know better. Before asking for "more," consider what the author has already given you, and the clues in the story itself as to whether there will be more. If a story is clearly marked as completed, or has no numbers in its name, or nicely wraps up its plot points, then be willing to consider that a story is probably complete as-is, and let that be a deterrent to trying to cajole the author to do more. Instead, provide positive support on what is there, tell them what you liked (and even what you didn't!) and be enthusiastic about what has already been given.

Authors shouldn't feel that their work is only appreciated when it's an ongoing contribution. Every story, no matter how short or even incomplete, adds value to the site. The insistence that almost every tale have a sequel or more parts or a continuation of any kind only hampers authors from spreading their wings and giving you more great tales to enjoy, so instead of giving feedback in the form of a baby bird asking its mother to feed it, instead give a hug and a thank you. Not only would it be more effective at getting you what you want, it also makes the authors feel better too!

Melanie E.

Do you disagree with me? Have anything to add? Want to share a limerick? If so, leave it in the comments!

Comments

There is something else that

There is something else that might be considered here- the author struggles to do the sequel and it becomes yet another orphan series. I have been reading a few of these kind of series the last few days and I can see how in a quest to contribute the desire got away from the author.

I am one of those people who can't stop thinking about things but even I can understand why you would want to leave a story open-ended and still standalone, it makes you think about the story and see things differently over time.

I'm told STFU more times in a day than most people get told in a lifetime

I would

Dawnfyre's picture

I would tell them to write their own contribution(s) to the story universe. :p

If they really want more in it then let them create it. :D


Stupidity is a capital offense. A summary not indictable.

I Think I've Been...

...the leading "no sequels" commenter over the years.

It's not an original observation to say that a stand-alone story generally represents the most important thing that ever happened to the protagonist. So an author is already starting a sequel at a disadvantage compared to a new story. (Against that is the fact that the readers already know the character and the sequel may get more hits than a new story. I recall a Keith Laumer SF "sequel" which had to negate a concept from the original story for it to make any sense in the new context; my impression -- no idea whether or not it's true -- was that he couldn't get his publisher to take it on unless he tied it to a book of his that they'd published previously.)

(Serials and stories that are written as part of a series, including nearly all television episodes, are a different species of animal from that standpoint. Readers/viewers aren't led to that same assumption that they've seen what's most important; in fact, the prevailing assumption for a series is that future episodes or chapters will be as engaging as those that already exist. In the case of a television series, of course, if they're not, the series will most likely lose viewer interest and get cancelled.)

It seems to me that most requests for sequels here relate to young protagonists who have just transitioned. My concern, I think, over extending those stories is that the author, in writing the original, very probably has (or at least thinks she has) offered something that makes the story different from other tales going that route. That doesn't necessarily mean she has anything unique to say about the protagonist's next steps that would justify her efforts in writing more about that character, or give her enjoyment in doing so. If she considers an unrelated story to be a more desirable and productive use of her time, in the vast majority of cases I'm not one to question that.

Eric

Why rework old ground

When I've been asked for a sequel, I usually reply that I don't rule it out but I've never written one yet. After all, when there are so many new things to write about, with so little time to do it,why rework old ground?

I can understand asking for stories in a similar vein, but sequels always seem to be never as good as the original

an example that contradicts your premise

Dawnfyre's picture

Gaby by Maddy Bell.

But then, up until the currently being posted book 12+1 the journey to transition hasn't been completed so it isn't really a contradiction. ;)

just a very long journey.


Stupidity is a capital offense. A summary not indictable.

The Gaby Stories

The continuing tale of Drew/Gaby Bond is a serial, just like Angharad's dormouse saga. So they aren't exceptions. They are in different catagory.


"Life is not measured by the breaths you take, but by the moments that take your breath away.”
George Carlin

What? Why not? It helps me....

Andrea Lena's picture

I need my Seroquel...... what sequel? Not Seroquel? Why....that's another thing entirely....never mind.....

  

To be alive is to be vulnerable. Madeleine L'Engle
Love, Andrea Lena

Seroquel?

waif's picture

I think it is in the medicine cupboard behind the Nyquil.

:-P

waifers

Be kind to those who are unkind, tolerant toward those who treat you with intolerance, loving to those who withhold their love, and always smile through the pains of life.

I would ask this

That authors exercise a little more diligence in their story designations. Just in the last week I've seen two problems with the way stories are tagged. Example #1 was a story that was tagged "500 < Short Story < 7500". My belief when I started reading it was 'Oh, boy! A one off that is short enough to read quickly!' No, it was the intro for a multi-part story. Example #2 is the list of stories by one well-known writer here on BC that I was browsing through. Every story still bore the tag 'Ongoing' even though I knew at least a third of them were one-offs.

There are still going to be problems no matter what you do, but realistic tagging might at least eliminate some of the problems. I do know of one short story that was tagged as accurately as the author could. It was tagged as completed and the main character committed suicide. Yet several readers appealed to the author to save the character and write more. Surely being dead prevents it from even being considered for sequels! I don't know how much plainer the author could make it. Sigh


I went outside once. The graphics weren' that great.

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle killed

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle killed off Sherlock Holmes at least once because he was tired of the character, but the backlash of demand was such that he had to find a way to bring Holmes back.

So, death is NOT the end!


I'll get a life when it's proven and substantiated to be better than what I'm currently experiencing.

Really?

It is for me! Or will be!


I went outside once. The graphics weren' that great.

i dont mind if people want more of a story

i usually say "if my muse cooperates", and leave it at that. To me, someone saying they want more is a compliment, a sign they got invested in the story and the characters to the point they want it to keep going.

DogSig.png

I've tried but failed

to write a successful sequel to my stories and I have been asked many times to do so.
My "WIP-Dead" folder is full of these miserable attempts.
I guess that I am not alone here. 99.99999% of Hollywood sequels are 'dog pooh' when compared to the original.

I have written one story where there are several 'Episodes' [1]. Using the same characters and locations and such. I don't consider them to be sequels. Perhaps I am wrong?
So what defines a sequel?
Is it a continuing story that follows logically on from the original or another episode with the same cast that takes place at a later date but has very little dependency upon the previous one.
That is an interesting question.

For me a 'Single' is just that. A piece of work where I have said all I wanted to say and come to (hopefully) a decent conclusion.
I know that some could live with a sequel but at this point in time, my mind is not ready to write it. They say that everyone has one book in them. Take Margaret Mitchell for example. It could take a sequel but the one that did get written (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scarlett_%28Ripley_novel%29) was not as good as the original. Just like Shrek 2 is not as good as the first(IMHO).

A very good question indeed.

[1] This has not appeared on BC yet. I ran out of plot lines after episode 3....

I share your opinion on Shrek 2

however, Shrek 3 was even better in my believe. Sequels can be good or bad. It always depends on the story and the authors skills. I'm a reader here, as I don't have the skills to write (just lots of imagination, but that's another story entirely). Yes I did in the past and I sometimes do ask for sequels when I feel the story hasn't ended yet and the story is worth exploring further.
In some cases authors intended the end to be open and I can respect that, in many cases authors are starting but don't seem to have had an idea on how to conclude their story. Others are rushing their end. In the rare cases, I have been so honoured as to be asked for proofreading, I hope my ideas and advice were helpful.
From the point of readers, I hope Authors would take questions like those as a compliment to their writing skills, as they have been able to engage us in their story. But I also hope other readers respect authors decisions not to continue and hopefully telling us honestly.

--
>> There is not one single truth out there. <<

Blog Sequel

waif's picture

It is in development, but all the requests make it difficult to focus on all the proper elements to make it worthy of the original.

I mean NOBODY likes a bad blog sequel!!!!

:)

Be kind to those who are unkind, tolerant toward those who treat you with intolerance, loving to those who withhold their love, and always smile through the pains of life.

Usually I refuse

I do not post here but I can relate to the authors here. I usually refuse or ignore requests for sequels as I've exhausted the plot ideas I had for a given story.
I've succumbed a few times to e.g. provide an alternative ending (for some reason the readership did not like the heroine dieing in the last chapter, and I had an alternative ending in my mind anyway), or sketched out the fate of the heroine's children (she died in the last chapter).
I have a tendency to kill my characters once I run out of ideas for the plot which makes the writing of sequels somewhat difficult ...
And I'm not so popular nor good an author as to have many readers - they few I do have like my style and usually accept that the ending is an ending. As they are few I cherish them and if they do ask for sequals, I reply nicely. The anonymous ones, or ALL CAPS, or no punctuation marks, or OMG u have 2 rite moar!!!!111 etc. I ignore :)
ADDED LATER
Dawnfyre suggested the "write your own" response. :D
I not only have a "please ripp me off if you like to" policy listed on my profile (which I guess nobody reads), but I do indeed answer "feel free to continue the story" to sequel requests.

T'was a writer in Paris, France,

T'was a writer in Paris, France,
Who wrote by the seat of her pants.
When the crowd asked for "more",
She packed up her store,
And quietly moved to Valence.

Kris

{I leave a trail of Kudos as I browse the site. Be careful where you step!}

Good Sequins

Only those used by Elton John.

Jill

Angela Rasch (Jill M I)

We're all Guilty

People asking for sequels is pretty much unavoidable. We've all done it at some point and it's something that we all need to realize is pretty annoying. I'm guilty of this as well. Not long ago I asked an author on here what happened to one of their stories and they gave me an answer and left it at that. When people have asked me stuff like that in the past I usually just say I'll get to it when I get to it. There's no set time frame for a story. Each author works at their own pace and a story may be updated every day or it may be updated months later. Not everyone can write 2500 word chapters on a daily basis. We're all human guys and we all have lives to contend to and sometimes we just are in no mood to write on a given day.

Sequels

Melanie Brown's picture

In a way it doesn't bother me when readers ask for a sequel to a story I consider done and done. It's the old adage of always leave your audience wanting more. But you're right. Not every story needs a follow up story to let everyone know what the hero did the next day or next week. Rarely do I break down and write a sequel. I did do a series of unintended sequels once until I ran out of interest in the character which really didn't do the reader any good. I try to make sure all my stories reach an end...eventually.

Melanie

Complete?

Sadarsa's picture

While i see your point and agree with it, a lot of authors tend to just end a story and leave soooo much unanswered at the end of it. It's often like reading 1/2 of a series and suddenly coming across "The End". Sure the main plot (of that book) has reached it's conclusion but there were numberous sub-plots that never delveoped and hinted at more to come. In those cases it's natural to wonder about the next part. I could name dozens of "Complete" stories, that really arnt.

It's really the author's fault in these situations, i know, i know,... it's bad form to say that, but lets be honest about it. The authors here are awesome, but they're not professionals. I've seen sub-plots that underlined a story that ended up compleatly abandoned by the stories end. At the end of the story, if you're left with a dozen questions about things that happened and were never touched on again, well, it's an incomplete story, reguardless of the main plot reaching it's conclusion. Those are the things that when read, lead the reader to belive that there will be a next part to it.

So if you have people read your story and end up asking "So when's the next part?" it's just possible you may have forgotten something. (not always of course, but it's something to consider)

~Your only Limitation is your Imagination~

Then bring up the plot holes :)

Asking about details you feel were abandoned is completely different from begging an author for more on a story since it suggests that you want closure, not continuation, and that's understandable. My rant was more concerned with stories that closed the chapter and plot points they aimed to close, and COULD, in practicality, be considered complete. Remember, too, that an unfulfilled opportunity isn't the same as a plot point.

Melanie E.

I've got a shovel...

Andrea Lena's picture

" Your dirt's in my yard, Luke..." I do believe that not every unresolved conflict needs fixing. Sometimes it's what the author chooses not to include that may resolve itself by the reader, yes?

  

To be alive is to be vulnerable. Madeleine L'Engle
Love, Andrea Lena

No, not every story needs a

No, not every story needs a sequel, but many DO cry out for one. (Missing plot holes, obvious leaders for a longer intended story, etc)

The other thing to keep in mind is that you can write another story, even with the same characters, and it NOT be a Sequel. A Fish Called Wanda went over well - and then they made another movie with the same characters, but that was not a sequel to Fish. Examples of non-series/serial stories are Tom Swift, The Bobbsey Twins, The Boxcar Children, The Hardy Boys, Nancy Drew, Lucky Starr, The Three Investigators. Even The Destroyer. Each story is complete in and of itself, and requires none of the other books to be such. Even serials like Sherlock Holmes are complete in each set.

Maddy's Gaby series is _mostly_ complete in each book, but there is a lot of looking back for details, so I don't know if you can call each one complete in and of themselves.

To authors. If you get calls for sequels, and you know you don't want to write one, or that there isn't one for you to write, just tack that on the bottom of the story. That way, anyone who still comes back and pesters you can be heckled.


I'll get a life when it's proven and substantiated to be better than what I'm currently experiencing.

I admit I've been guilty of this..

Ragtime Rachel's picture

...but only in the case of stories that leave a lot of unanswered questions. More than once, I've read a story in which a male character finds himself in the body of say, a little girl, and he goes off to live his new life while we're left guessing how he adjusts. The main characters of such stories are often cis males, and didn't ask for the aforementioned transformation, so I imagine getting used to their new circumstances was a bit of an uphill climb. That struggle itself is a story.

Livin' A Ragtime Life,
aufder.jpg

Rachel

Happily Ever After

I do have ideas for sequels to a couple of my pieces, (writing is really slow for me lately so I'm making no promises) but for most stories I like my characters too much to want to make their lives after the story worth reading about. I don't want to inflict the "may you live in interesting times" curse on them. A story usually needs some kind of conflict for the main character, and my girls have had enough conflicts in their lives. Sometimes writing feels like torturing your children.