Assortments of Thought

A really good story often leads to interest in a sequel, probably because everyone that likes it imagines that whatever happens after it must be equally compelling. This of course applies regardless of the medium that it’s told through. In reality though, much to everyone’s disappointment, sequels often aren’t as good as the originals even if they’re good on their own terms. To understand why, and to see how sequels can be better written, it’s useful to consider what sequels are exactly as well as what makes a good story in the first place. It turns out, for instance, that a good story is so well-constructed that effectively using all the same characters in a new story is often extremely difficult. Therefore, many sequels aren’t as good as the originals precisely because they do this. Granted, that probably sounds odd because it sounds like I’m saying sequels as a concept are inherently flawed, but as it turns out, there are in fact many ways to construct sequels besides using all the same characters. Consequently, the key to writing better sequels is to recognize the sheer diversity of options available for writing them, and to choose a way that’s suitable for a particular sequel.

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