I'm close to finishing the first draft of a sequel. The faster I write the sloppier I get in terms of the story's technology (it's science fiction). I just want to get those words down on the page since I've been procrastinating and editing instead of writing fresh material.
    In this case, I'm writing a short story sequel to a short story, so I can endlessly reread the pieces of the first story or the start of the second to clean things up. But it gets harder and harder to keep it straight the longer the projects get. One of my next projects is the sequel to a novella I just contracted to Ellora's Cave. That probably won't be too hard either, since I had a fabulous idea about one of the supporting men (featured in the novella) that changes everything.
    This is what I love about writing sequels. I'm amazed what I can find lurking in the original material and how I can enrich it in the sequel. So far, I haven't really planned sequels, or a series, because I'm fairly newly published and I like to see what people say and how material sells before I invest weeks or months in another project. If my readers ask for another story in the One Juror Down/Two on the Hunt world I will have a lot of rereading ahead of me. The same is true with the Lucky Number Seven/Bijou's Bonds world, which is my bestseller to date. As you can see, I haven't written that first third story in one of my universes yet, and I bet that's when it really gets complicated!
    Maybe it's time to set up a system so that I don't have to reread when I need details. Some writers use binders or online systems. The most I've ever done is take some notes in a notebook for the One Juror Down/Two on the Hunt series, but nothing that would help me keep the facts straight.
    Another thing I should do is keep an overall "names" list. I'm starting to have comments about, or moments of panic myself, when I wonder if I'm reusing a name. Sometimes I am, sometimes not. Now that I've sold quite a few stories it's definitely becoming an issue. I'm told the prevailing wisdom is not to ever reuse a hero/heroine name, but when you are writing series, how do you know if a supporting character will end up with a story of their own some day? The list of names I've used keeps getting longer and longer.
    Hmmm. Maybe I should have made a New Year's promise to organize my fictional universes!

 

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