Welcome back on the tour bus! So where is the Denai Bound Tour Bus headed today you ask? Well, today we’re headed over to Tasha’s Thinkings where I wrote a guest post. Tasha was kind enough to host me last year nerd Denai Touch tour.
Originally published on Tasha’s Thinkings
Overcoming Second Novel Syndrome
When I first started working on my second novel, Denai Bound, I thought this should be easy. I know my characters now, I’ve already written the first novel and this should be a breeze. Boy, was I wrong!
Shouldn’t second novels be easy now you have the experience of doing one?
In fact no, many writers often find that writing the second novel is a lot harder than writing the first one because there is the pressure to make the book as good as its predecessor. This is why the condition is called second novel syndrome.
Yes, writing a second book is a lot harder. You don’t have the indulgence and carefree time that you had with your debut novel.
Here are some tips of overcoming second novel syndrome:
- Don’t put too much pressure on yourself. After your first book has come out you will probably feel the need of getting something else done quick and having another book out there. Don’t give into that pressure. Books are like babies, they come when they’re ready to.
- It’s okay to take your time. After the first book, you’ll probably want to dive in and get the words out as quickly as possible. But it’s okay to take your time. A rushed book isn’t going to impress your readers and may cause more harm than good. But make sure the wait is justified and the second book is as good as it can possibly be.
- Don’t try to write the same book twice. It can be tempting to make your second book the same as the first with a similar plot. But this will quickly become boring both for you and your reader. Each book has to be different and unique in its own way.
- Success doesn’t mean you can write anything. If you had a successful first book it doesn’t mean you can just write any old thing for the second one. If it’s a sequel then it still has to remain true to your characters and the elements you set up in your first book.
