DISCUSSION of the week!??!?!!?!! ....

[Chris 2.1]

....Damn calander.

Anywho, another whopping funfilled fondant bun of fanficcy goodness for the Writer, Reader and Ozandrew in us all!

Seeing as last POTW was lame (Look...I was drinking) this one S.H.O.U.L.D be a weeeee bit better. (Note: If the Poll sucks, send any complains to the adress at the foot of the post).

What do you think about Sequels?

This is more of a discussion: Pick an option, maybe go into discussage and whatnot. Etc. Etc. Isn't it funny? I used to type Ect but...like...how does that work?


Anyway, I think Sequels can work really well, but obviously when done correctly. I like ending fics with cliffhangers, or have trails that carry on into another book. It's just interesting.

However, 'Teh CULLUR LEEG' and it's sequels "Jur-knee to Khanto", "Secrete's of Hoooohn" and of course, "Jhohtoh Jambourie" are unnecessary.

A sequel must include a different plot, goal, etc etc, something which means Trainer Fics can't usually have a very sucessful sequel, given that the forumula for Trainer Ficcy Goodness is fairly predecided.

However, I find Fantasy Fics give good sequels *COUGH*myfic*COUGH*. Seriously, though, fantasy fics, or questy ficcies can usually have a totally different plot, and that's cool.

But PREQUELS? Umm, thats like, so NEXT WEEK you beeyatch.

So yea, go nuts.

[ChicRocketJames]

Sequels are tricky. Everybody knows about the law of diminishing returns, and about the likelihood of lightning striking the same place twice: the same magic ingredients might not be there the second time around. On the other hand, the sequel could be virtually identical to its predecessor, in which case things become formulaic and boring. Basically, a sequel has all the problems of a new fic, plus the problem of being distinct enough from the first one to make it fresh and interesting.

If there's a new aspect of the plot or the characters from the first fic which the author wants to explore, then with enough imagination a sequel can be an awesome thing. Otherwise, I just wouldn't bother with a sequel - it's not like this is the movie business, where you can get paid millions to rehash the same plot over and over again. There's nothing worse than a really bad sequel that leaves a sour taste in the mouth every time you think about the classic original...

[Dragonfree]

They're good if done well, I say... and have entirely different plots, of course.

[The Decapitated Mole]

Sequels can be good. I remember a fic that had 3 sequels [a trilogy, if you will] that I thought was just excellent. Don't know if any of you remember it, it was called Kamon's Quest. Kamon's Quest was able to keep fresh by getting a new plot every time. It was basically just starting over entirely, just with the same characters, and a slightly different backstory. I think that's how all sequels should be done, unless of course you write something specifically with sequels in mind. Then copy all you want from your first.

But yeh, sequels are good if done correctly. Otherwise tehy r t3h sux.

o_0
jimm

[Gavin Luper]

Sequels can be good, but only if they're done very well, and only if they logically follow on from the first one. That is, the writer needs to know they're going to do a sequel BEFORE they finish the first one. Sequels need to have the same plot as the first to make them good, in my opinion, otherwise they're unnecessary.

[Suite Madame Blue]

However, 'Teh CULLUR LEEG' and it's sequels "Jur-knee to Khanto", "Secrete's of Hoooohn" and of course, "Jhohtoh Jambourie" are unnecessary.

Damn, there go all my ideas. Now I'll never get anything written! Sorry, it's Monday, and school doesn't start for 2 more weeks.

Seriously, sequels can be good if they're well-written. Like Gavin Luper said, they need to follow logically from the previous material for them to make sense. Readers take into account the characters' experiences from prior fics, and are not fooled if a main character suddenly, say, has a pokemon that he/she traded to someone in the last fic, or visit a new place twice. Urg, I'm not making much sense.

[mr_pikachu]

Yeah, sequels need to be done very well. They've gotta continue on naturally from the original, but still be different... which causes problems for some writers who have a lack of originality.

Sequels have three categories, I think.

1. Those that suck so badly they make you cry.
2. Those that completely rock and make you love the series even more.
3. Those that only get a new chapter about once every four months. *glares at ZeldaFan20* Sure, Steph. Your floppy disks got erased. Mm-hmm. I believe that. Yeah.[/sarcasm]

Anyway, they have to be written very well and be highly original to keep the interest of the readers. Otherwise, the disgust of reading the same rubbish combined with a limited amount of time in a person's lifespan makes them puke all over the book, set it on fire, and throw the ashes into a volcano. Or something like that.

[The Blue Avenger]

As has been said before, sequels can be crazy-go-nuts, both in a good and bad way. Certainly, in some series, the first few sequels are good and the rest aren't quite as. For instance, "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy" had great sequels in "Restaurant at the End of the Universe" and "Life, The Universe, and Everything." However, the other two weren't quite as good. Also, the Dune series - the first two were great, but it is the general consensus of everyone I meet that all the books after that are worth their weight in sand. (Hah, unintentional pun.) So, yeah.