Sequels

The closest I have come to writing a sequel was when I wrote "My Last Trip to the Office", and then added a Part 2 to explain what happened with the lousy teacher who unfairly sent the main character to the office for punishment. I had a few people ask for that, and a few years later, I obliged, Part 2 judging from comments wasn't as well received as Part 1 was. I have written a number of serials with mixed results but that is very different from a sequel. Now, as Jacquelling Scott did with her excellent stories about Collingwood School, I do have a number of stories with many of the same characters, but mainly they are a day in the life of a school type of stories or day in the life of a student in trouble sort of story.

I happen to enjoy multi-part stories and sequels as well as stand alone ones. One mark of a good story for me is the author often wants me wanting more.

Several times now I've had a reader ask if there will be a part 2 or if I could write more about one of the characters, and then my initial thought was "Glad you're interested, but no," but still the creative brain starts to think about all the possibilities. Grrr

So many stories that still want to be written. I have no space for more! And still it happens...

I'm probably not alone in this.

No, I'm sure you aren't alone, Diana.

As for BashfulBob's comment, don't give Flopsy any ideas about reaching for her hairbrush.

Oh, absolutely. My only problem was that I read 'A Deal's a Deal' first so I missed all the initial angst she went through trying to decide whether to accept her first spanking until she was on her 3rd or 4th. But they're both excellent examples of how to set the stage and go through all the mental machinations before finally getting around to the spanking, followed by reconciliation (and a conspiracy to keep the information away from the menfolk in the family).

I've done several sequels that typically pick up matters anywhere from weeks to years later and then backfill what's happened since then. Right now I'm doing a follow up to 'The Awkward Sleepover' that posted in January. I guess it won't be a shocker to reveal that the young lady who was the guest finally runs afoul of her friend's mother (I bet none of you saw that coming!). But for every sequel I get around to writing there are probably 3-4 in the TBD file that never wind up seeing the light of day.

I can only speak from the viewpoint of a reader and commentator, and probably an atypical one at that since I generally prefer long stories, serials, series and sequels to short one-off stories. My view is that if the writing is good and the characters and environment appeal then more is almost always better.

However unfortunately I tend not to 'reward' the author with comments and favourites as much as I might were they not linked in that way. Indeed when I'm able to read a series or serial in one go (either in full or in large portion) I tend to save my comments and designation as a favourite for the last story.

There are several stories and series (both here and at another site) which I keep going back to due to wondering what may/might have happened to the characters next. But where the author has no further interest in those characters.

These tend to be where when originally reading the story I felt that a hook had been placed upon which a sequel could be placed. I suppose I'm being lazy in using the ideas and characters created by others as a starting point for my own imaginings.

It's not lazy at all. Isn't that the idea of reading fiction? To share in someone else's imagination ?