Crafting Sophomore Books: The Magic of Sequels
Falling in love with the world:
There is such a carefree air around first books. The exploration, the world building, and if it’s a romance, the introduction of our lovers. Sophomore books turn up the heat and the stakes. There is a lot to live up to from book one, and more still to build to a nail biting and satisfying finale. So, naturally, there is a shit-ton of planning involved.
Reflecting on Previous works
Book one had its challenges for sure, and my latest release had an outline, but it was unique from any of my previous works because I had written the book, in full, two other times before it became The Witch’s Apprentice that’s out in the world today. I didn’t have the luxury—a word I never thought I’d use to describe this process— of piecing together sections from previous drafts, leaving the brunt of the work left to do just weaving them together.
Even The Turning Tides Series was originally one book at the start. I had planned for it to be a trilogy, but I had no concept of what book two would be, until I split book one in half. The second half, with some edits, became The Endless Deep. Now after some time has passed, I feel like I can revisit that world one day and add a third book to the series after all. But I was lucky in that the original story is already complete, leaving minimal grueling work to go into the sophomore book of that series as I already knew the story. Now the urge for a third installment is there simply because I want to write it, and not because it is a story left unfinished (aka, my worst nightmare).
Drafting the second book in the witch’s apprentice series
I recently came upon a brilliant quote that said first draft are for the author to tell themselves the story, and I have never resonated with anything more. TWA 2 is a story mostly from scratch. The only ideas about where to take it come from snippets of inspiration on my notes app that came to me when writing book one, once I saw how the story was beginning to unfold, and an outline that odd slowly tightening itself, but leaving plenty of room for changes. Some of the best authors understand that while we think we know the endings of our stories, the writing process always has a way of surprising us, and that has certainly been the case for this series.
I’m also a huge fan of intricate plot and characters, and I’ve never been more adamant about creating that vibe like I have in the world of The Witch’s Apprentice. Firstly, since the book is a murder investigation, there’s already a layer of intrigue, even if you can immediately assume who’s done it. But then you add in the magic of the world, the romance, the complex characters with life-changing secrets, when those secrets are revealed and what can actually be believed, and you slowly get a beast of a project.
Now I’m Theseus, locked in the Minotaur’s proverbial labyrinth until I turn down every hidden tunnel and passage, the golden thread of my outline, and my determination to uncover every facet of this world and its characters, guiding my path.
In Conclusion:
As the second book in The Witch’s Apprentice Series unfolds, I remind myself of the reason I create these books in the first place: a dream that refuses to leave me, a love of writing I can never shake, and a world that deserves to be shared with my readers. And to that end, I will never put down my pen.
If you haven’t heard of it before now, please allow me the greatest honor of introducing my latest magnum opus, The Witch’s Apprentice:
Ella Sinclair has accepted that she will always be an outsider, until the day magic surges within her.
Desperate to keep the origins of her power hidden, Ella’s disguise crumbles when an ancient evil resurfaces with a deadly agenda.
Nathan Laurent has been sent on a hunt, and Ella might just be the key to his mission… and his heart. But enlisting the help of the witch’s apprentice is easier said than done.
Their history is filled with mistrust and old wounds, but Nathan is the only one standing between Ella and certain death. Their reluctant alliance soon ignites a forbidden passion that neither can deny.
With the stakes higher than ever, Ella must confront a devastating truth about her magic and herself. To save those she loves, she’ll have to make an impossible choice:
Will she embrace the magic inside her, or will it be the very thing that destroys them all?
Twisting with danger, desire and dark magic, The Witch’s Apprentice is a spellbinding tale of love, betrayal and the perilous price of power set against the haunting backdrop of New Orleans.
You can buy book one in this spellbinding series HERE.
Until then, my readers, wish me luck in the labyrinth!
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