The Difference Between Writing the First and Second Books in a Series
Writer: Rick Bleiweiss
When you write a first novel in a series you’ve only got to be concerned with making it be the best it can be. But when you write the second book, which will undoubtedly feature repeating characters from the first novel, it can be quite different from just writing that first book.
For one thing, unless you were on a deadline for the first book, you had almost as much time as you wanted to craft it. But after that first one is published, you’ll probably only have a year to write the follow-up book – a much stricter, and shorter timeline.
It is quite important for that second book be better than the first, so that readers will not be disappointed, will want to stay with subsequent books in the series, and so that those readers new to the series will like it enough to want to read the first book.
Another challenge you’ll face in writing the second book in the series is that it must be self-contained and able to truly stand alone, yet it must make sense to anyone who hadn’t read the first book. Plus, it must tie into the first book for continuity for those who did read it. As a case in point, I found that when I wrote Murder in Haxford I had to recap the recurring characters who were in Pignon Scorbion & the Barbershop Detectives enough for a new reader to understand who they were, yet not so much that someone who was already familiar with them wouldn’t be bored by rehashing.
Additionally, in the writing of a second book your character development must be sufficient enough so that the main figures in the book grow as human beings, while at the same time, you must make certain that you don’t lose whatever makes them special. And along those same lines, the second book must feel fresh and not repeat things you have in the earlier book, including plot lines, while at the same time retain whatever “magic” made readers enjoy the first book.
Some of the advantages you will experience in writing the second book are the ability to include new characters, evolve character relationships more deeply, expand the depth and backgrounds of the repeating characters, and devise new plots for them to be involved in.
Another benefit that comes with a second book (and hopefully for future books in the series as well) is that you will have somewhat of an audience already built up for the book from those readers who enjoyed the first book. And that will enable you to further develop the fan base for both the series and for yourself – which will include expanding your newsletter’s and your social media’s reach and followers.
I’m sure there are other differences in writing a second book (or more books) in a series, but those are the ones I encountered.
About the Writer
Rick Bleiweiss is the author of the award-winning and best-selling classic mystery Pignon Scorbion & the Barbershop Detectives and the already-acclaimed second book in the series, Murder in Haxford. He is also a contributor to the highly praised mystery anthology Hotel California, and an executive with Blackstone Publishing, where among other authors and celebrities, he has signed books and stories by James Clavell, Leon Uris, Catherine Coulter, Andrew Child, PC Cast, Dale Brown, Andrews & Wilson, Peter Clines, James Carroll, Robert Downey JR., Al Roker, HP Lovecraft, Ramsey Lewis, Al Di Meola, and Morrie Schwartz (of Tuesdays With Morrie fame).
Website: rickbleiweiss.com