One, Two or Two, One...?

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Jabberwokky

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So I've been brainstorming about my story idea, as I've posted before but I've come to another little dilemma and was just curious to know how other people would approach the problem.

I've got the plot for two books, one of which is a sort of prequel for the other. The whole idea is that at the end of the first book, the main character (we will call him Fred) is imprisoned and the world is still in turmoil; in the second book, a different MC (Steve, let's say) goes out and frees Fred and the two end up questing together, with Steve still as the main character and Fred now having a supporting role.

Now, my problem is that I've found writing the second book so much easier than writing the first and so while I've got a great outline and a few rough pages of work for book 2, I've still got a hazy plot and outline for book 1. But, the entire plot of book 2 depends on what gets done in book 1.

I realize that I may have made the problem much more complicated than it is, but I just wanted to ask if you guys think it would be a better idea to go ahead and write the second book, or whether it's more important to sort out a history for the pivotal characters in book 1.

Has anyone else run into this kind of problem?
 
StoryG27

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Anyway, if you know the plot of book 2, write it. It doesn't have to be done in order and if the second book is what is crystallizing in your mind, that's what I would write, and I'd jot down ideas and notes for book 1 as you write. You start with Book 2 and Book 1 is sort of a 'how they got there' book that is another story all on it's own. Sounds fine to me.
 
DeleyanLee

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I'm curious to know why you think you have to write the prequel book at all, honestly.

All characters have back story. Some back stories are more interesting than others, but it's all still back story. Back story rarely has to be written.

For instance, in one of my MIPs, the Hero is the recognized bastard son of a lord. When that lord dies, the eldest legitimate brother is out to kill all Dad's bastard sons and Hero only survives because a goddess gives him directions and gets him out of there. Hero then sets up a life in another area, figures out magic use, etc, while the new Lord Bro continues to scheme on how to get Hero before Hero comes back and makes trouble for him.

Yeah, I could make a book out of all that. There's enough there. But the story I want to tell is how Hero and Lord Bro fight at the top of their game, not all the stuff that comes before it. That's where the story is for me--that final battle.

Where is the story you WANT to tell right now? In Book 1 or Book 2? No, you can't answer "both". Pick one. Write that one.

When that one is done, if you WANT to tell the other story, then go for it. But write the book that holds the story that captivates you and forget about the other one. It either is back story or hasn't happened yet.
 
Jabberwokky

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DeleyanLee said:
Where is the story you WANT to tell right now? In Book 1 or Book 2? No, you can't answer "both". Pick one. Write that one.

When that one is done, if you WANT to tell the other story, then go for it. But write the book that holds the story that captivates you and forget about the other one. It either is back story or hasn't happened yet.
Click to expand...

Haha, I guess you revealed one of my faults. I see what you mean by the background story being unnecessary. It is true that I could technically write all of book 2 without the prequel.

Whenever I have any kind of background story for my characters, I do have a tendency to want to reveal it in the utmost detail to the reader--even more so if its an elaborate tale. I'm still struggling with the idea that the readers don't need to know as much about the characters lives as you, the creator, do. I guess that's my amateur side showing.

I'm probably particularly attached to the idea of two separate books because I came up with the idea of book 1 first, though looking at it from your point of view I see how I could omit it from the main plot. It is similar to your story in that the first book I had planned was just a build up to the final battle, which would happen in book 2.
 

Jamesaritchie

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The main thing is simply to get a book written. Any book. Once this is done, you can worry about prequels and sequels. Until then, it's all moot.
 

Danthia

I suspect book one is all the backstory and world building. Book two seems to be the story you want to write, as that's where the actual story lies. It's not uncommon for this to happen, especially in fantasy where the world is so rich and you get caught up in history or a particular character. I've done it myself.

If book two is what's calling to you, write book two. If after you're done, you still feel that book one would make a good novel, then write it next. If you feel you need to know how stuff plays out plot wise in one to do two, perhaps write a detailed synopsis of book one to get an idea of what happens and use that to write book two. That way, if you do decide you want to write book one, you have something solid to go by and it'll make it easier.
 
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