the writer's room discussion

i've been brainstorming for the sequel of a book i just finished writing, but i've never written a sequel before so i'm kind of at a loss. any advice would be appreciated!

Alexia wrote: "1st off, congrats on writing another book!! I recently started writing a book, but I have also wrote a sequel before so here are a few tips that you definitely no NOT have to use lol.

1- Maybe add..."
thank you so much! I'll keep these in mind!

Consider the threads that were left loose in your first story. What existing ideas can you build off of for a new conflict? If there aren't any on the surface, try digging a little deeper. Maybe the "happy ending" your characters reached isn't as happy as they thought it would be (assuming your first book ends happily, of course). If that doesn't seem like it'll work, find something new you can add that won't feel like it's coming out of nowhere. Looking for existing lore to build off of will help with that.

For characters, consider the arcs they have been through and what they still have to learn. Look for the flaws in them that have yet to be resolved and force them to confront those flaws. And it might help to add some new characters, too.

Sequel writing isn't easy, but it's possible with careful planning and lots of creativity. Good luck! :)