Sequels never sell as well as the first in a series.
It’s something I’ve learnt through time. The final of the Actors and Angels trilogy has had lower sales than the first, even though it’s won a Rainbow Award. More people have read Nate and the New Yorker than its follow up. So, quite some time ago I stopped working on the sequel to Social Media Central.
Until now.
Very recently I had an idea for a plot twist that changes the course of the story three-quarters of the way through. It also provides a better philosophical ending than my original finale. So, I printed out the text and my plot notes for Beta City and read through them at the local library.
Seven first draft chapters have been written.
I was surprised at how good the quality of this work was, up to a point. There are a few ‘yoda-isms’ as there is in any first draft, but the seventh chapter is confusing. When I read through my chapter by chapter blueprint (and for some reason I had two different versions for this novel), I understood what I was trying to say, so chapter seven will need a rewrite for clarity.
But both plot blueprints are convoluted. There are nuggets of gold in them, but overall there was a subplot with two potential lovers for the main character weaved into the story. I’ve decided no. Just no.
The first chapters are non-stop action.
This is what I have to concentrate on for the rest of the novel. My plan is to pull out the better moments of the current plot blueprint and use them in a new blueprint.
But with lower sales for sequels, why am I doing this?
I sold a copy of Social Media Central to a guy during Supanova. On the cover it says ‘TAYLeR book one’. He told me he loved reading a series. So I’m doing it for him. A reader. It’s as good as any reason to write it.
Plus I’m dying get this new killer new plot twist out there.
kevin klehr 