The Problems with Sequels

I recently received a newsletter from an author marketing her upcoming release. The novel was sixth in a series of books, each of which had the same setting and featured a cast of characters that moved throughout the novels, with a new character thrown in on occasion. I loved the first book but wasn’t crazy about the second, so I ignored the remaining sequels. After reading this author’s email, I was glad I did. Why? Because over the course of the series, the author had unraveled her original Happily Ever After (HEA) for the sake of having material to write additional stories.

And that’s the problem with too many sequels.

In the original book I’d read, the main character found the love of her life as she neared middle age. The author took us through the entire romance as it unfolded in a terrific story that I appreciate to this day. At the end, the reader was happy for everyone, and the end should have stayed THE END, but the author either loved the characters so much she wanted to keep revisiting them (it happens) or she wanted to capitalize on the success of the first story, which was later made into a Hallmark movie (that ruined the story) by writing sequels.

Every plot needs conflict, and too often, authors take the easiest route by unraveling what they’d accomplished in their original story to have the characters deal with that same conflict as they once again struggle to obtain…the exact same resolution. A good example of this is the sequel to National Treasure. At the end of the original movie, Ben found the treasure, restored his family’s name, and won the girl. And then someone decided to make a sequel. What happened next? The family’s name had been re-tarnished, Ben and Abigail had broken up, and they had to start all over again. I hated it.

Likewise, as I read the author’s email, I discovered the character in the book I’d liked so much had lost her love in a sequel and was starting over. I deleted the message. For me, a good sequel isn’t one that unravels a hard-earned HEA, but one that continues the original characters’ journeys while focusing on others. 

If an author decides to unravel a character’s journey in one book to write another, they’re either doing it because the original resolution was weak and it needed to be fixed, or they’re doing it because it’s an easy way to find a plot for a subsequent novel. The first shouldn’t have been published and the second isn’t a good excuse to undo what comes down to the reader’s satisfaction of the original HEA. 

Authors, feed your readers. Don’t mess with them and beloved stories for the sake of your convenience.

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When We Fail

Another post from my author blog:

Back in 2004, I wrote a novel I titled, Fall in Eden. It was contemporary fiction, not Biblical Fiction, and it was set in the wonderful little coastal hamlet of Murrells Inlet, South Carolina.

The novel was about a workaholic, a bit of a control freak, humbled by divorce and a weakened heart. Determined to make changes to improve his life, he relocates to the South Carolina coast. On his arrival, disaster strikes during a moment of distraction. 

The consequences of that distraction force him to stick around for a while. An unexpected romance makes him want to stay forever. But over time, he finds he hasn’t changed. His issues simply relocated with him. 

I wrote the novel because, like the character, we all make mistakes. We all fail and make messes even when we have the best of intentions.

In Psalm 8:4 we read, What is man that You are mindful of him? We wonder such things when people, and mankind overall, behave miserably and cause problems.

In the story, I set out to show God, in His infinite mercy, can and often does use even horrible mistakes and our subsequent repentance for good. He does it for our sanctification and for His glory. That’s the lesson in Fall and one all Christians should learn.

Sometimes those lessons hurt. Sometimes they hurt others. But for Believers, there is always God’s grace.