Writing a sequel to a story that's 7 years old. Do or don't

[MarkoAaron]

Perhaps make the new story set seven years later? Where are the characters now?

The idea from the start was gonna have the story taking place seven years later. One of the main characters was a college student in the first story, she has since started a career and won't be in the main story. The cabin however belongs to her, so she would meet the new characters. Really, I think it would work as a Part 2, and as a story of its own. It's mostly the location and the cabin I want to get back to.

The original story had two college girls go to a cabin to get away from other people and just have a little spring break to themselves. Unbeknownst to them, the area was inhabited by a group of bigfoots who take an interest in the girls, I'm sure you can guess HOW they were interested. The story turns into a four male, two female fuckfest. The girls were unharmed and left the cabin, now having knowledge of the existence of bigfoot/bigfoots/bigfeet... Whatever plural term you decide is better.

The next part would center around an all female, sasquatch research group. Not T.V. big, just a Youtube channel where the women discuss sightings, evidence and share their experiences in the field. While they've "Gone Squatchin" in different parts of the country, they have very little evidence and as a result, the channel is in decline. With nothing to lose, the leader of the group asks the fans to suggest places where bigfoot activity has been documented, in earnest hope to possibly get something tangible and boost their viewership and sales of merchandise.

Low and behold, one viewer is Janell, the female protagonist from the original story. Who had a very close encounter with the mythic monsters. She contacts the research group and GUARANTEES them, they will find something. Janell has since become a big, bigfoot fan. Watching every video she can find, reading every article on the web and is a fan of the show. She meets with the group at the cabin and being a supporter of bigfoot research, offers the cabin to the ladies to set up their base camp. Unfortunately, Janell cannot join them, due to her job sending her out of town for a few weeks. She doesn't divulge what exactly happened to her and her friend, scared of what they might think.

So the story would continue with the research group setting up in the cabin and beginning their search. Soon, they realize Janell was right about the area, but they also discover an encounter with the monsters would be very different from what they had in mind.
I've also considered maybe doing a series with Janell, maybe she went back to the cabin and had more encounters with the bigfoot, but I'd rather write about a group of women, not just a singular character.

 

[JaxRhapsody]

I don't see it much different than adding the next chapter to something that hadn't been touches in a few years.

 

[Rob_Royale]

The idea from the start was gonna have the story taking place seven years later. One of the main characters was a college student in the first story, she has since started a career and won't be in the main story. The cabin however belongs to her, so she would meet the new characters. Really, I think it would work as a Part 2, and as a story of its own. It's mostly the location and the cabin I want to get back to.

The original story had two college girls go to a cabin to get away from other people and just have a little spring break to themselves. Unbeknownst to them, the area was inhabited by a group of bigfoots who take an interest in the girls, I'm sure you can guess HOW they were interested. The story turns into a four male, two female fuckfest. The girls were unharmed and left the cabin, now having knowledge of the existence of bigfoot/bigfoots/bigfeet... Whatever plural term you decide is better.

The next part would center around an all female, sasquatch research group. Not T.V. big, just a Youtube channel where the women discuss sightings, evidence and share their experiences in the field. While they've "Gone Squatchin" in different parts of the country, they have very little evidence and as a result, the channel is in decline. With nothing to lose, the leader of the group asks the fans to suggest places where bigfoot activity has been documented, in earnest hope to possibly get something tangible and boost their viewership and sales of merchandise.

Low and behold, one viewer is Janell, the female protagonist from the original story. Who had a very close encounter with the mythic monsters. She contacts the research group and GUARANTEES them, they will find something. Janell has since become a big, bigfoot fan. Watching every video she can find, reading every article on the web and is a fan of the show. She meets with the group at the cabin and being a supporter of bigfoot research, offers the cabin to the ladies to set up their base camp. Unfortunately, Janell cannot join them, due to her job sending her out of town for a few weeks. She doesn't divulge what exactly happened to her and her friend, scared of what they might think.

So the story would continue with the research group setting up in the cabin and beginning their search. Soon, they realize Janell was right about the area, but they also discover an encounter with the monsters would be very different from what they had in mind.
I've also considered maybe doing a series with Janell, maybe she went back to the cabin and had more encounters with the bigfoot, but I'd rather write about a group of women, not just a singular character.

Do it.

 

[Whanmore]

James Cameron's Avatar and Avatar 2 were 20 years apart. Dumb and Dumber 2. Independence day 2, A Christmas Story 2, Enchanted 2, Coming 2 America

 

[Rustyoznail]

A friend here had a five year break due to life. She thinks the time off has helped her mature as a writer, and her follow up to her original series is much better.

Go for it!

 

[theWollstonecraftWoman]

An Episode of Murder She Wrote, used the same cast, and same mystery from a movie 30 years before. The murder mystery was never really explained in the movie and Jessica solved the current murder and the one from the movie. Pretty slick work for an old broad. Not exactly a squeal, but yeah sort of.

 

[samhasstories]

As a slow writer who's easily distracted - I have A LOT of partial stories, and only occasionally decide to revisit one of my series-in-progress - I'm firmly in favor of the late sequel. The previous works are all there for review, if anyone wants to bone up on what preceded.

 

[SouthernCrossfire]

Go for it!

James Cameron's Avatar and Avatar 2 were 20 years apart. Dumb and Dumber 2. Independence day 2, A Christmas Story 2, Enchanted 2, Coming 2 America

There was a 54 year gap between the publication of Harper Lee's "To Kill a Mockingbird" and the sequel "Go Set a Watchman." Of course, it's now generally accepted that Watchman may have been written first and was probably the original draft of Mockingbird but it was different enough (and set years later) that it was published as a sequel and sold quite well. Personally, I've read Mockingbird, but never gotten around to Watchman.

 

[elizaloo]

Another vote for 'do it' - I wrote and published a couple of chapters in 2006, left Lit after a few years due to life issues....came back in 2022 and added 3 or so chapters to that first set. No one complained!

 

[BobbyLaker]

+1 for 'do it'

 

[KachinaDoll]

I'd say go for it but after 7 years your writing style may have changed, which would look odd, so the first story may need amending.