I was very fortunate that my first novel captivated the imaginations of so many readers who asked for a sequel. After that, one book led to another as I discovered other facets to my characters I wanted to investigate further.
Sentiment: POSITIVE
As soon as I finished the first book, I wrote a second, which I hope to sell this year, and I have just about finished the third book in the series. Two more are already outlined. I'm in this for the long haul.
The only reason I would write a sequel is if I were struck by an idea that I felt to be equal to the original. Too many sequels diminish the original.
The only reason ever to make a sequel is to spend more time with the characters that people love: to tell more of their story.
I didn't really want to do another sequel. I go to those movies, and I just sort of enjoy them like a viewer.
I was incredibly lucky that my first book found a large and loyal readership. It changed my life - from being a very withdrawn adult to living in Paris as a full-time writer. It has also given me enormous confidence.
I've summarized dozens of books in my literary career; it's become rather second nature.
I never plot out my novels in terms of the tone of the book. Hopefully, once a story is begun it reveals itself.
Early in my career, I decided not to do sequels. I know that children enjoy them, but I valued the feeling that this was the only time I would write about these characters. I felt it gave me an added incentive to do my best by them, to tell readers everything I knew, to hold nothing back.
You have to be very careful when you're working on a sequel, because it has to be a continuation of what you did before.
Today I began the novel that I determined to be great.