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In a sequel book or series, in a situation where you’re introducing a new cast, or the next generation of characters in your storyworld, how can you avoid the audience being aggravated with the younger/new characters for being “less interesting” than the original cast. (Not that they actually are, but sometimes it feels that way when we don’t know a new character as deeply as one we’ve been with for longer.) On the other end, how do you avoid the original characters crowding or overshadowing the newer?
I’m dealing with this in my own projects, but it has also been on my mind because of the new trilogy of Star Wars films. Thoughts?And he said unto her, Daughter, thy faith hath made thee whole; go in peace.
I don’t know… But I’ll tag some people.
@kate-flournoy @dragon-snapper @emily @shannon @dekreel
@epicaddie2 @daeus @aislinn-mollisong
Can you help her?IMMA KAPEEFER! Til we're old and gray!
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Good question. Have you tried the Character questionnaire in the KP resource section? It’s really helpful in dealing with character depth. Also, make sure you have a couple of scenes where you really portray the character’s emotions. That will help readers to sympathize and understand the new characters.
@introvert_girl Unfortunately, I don’t know anything about this. Sorry!
INFJ ~ 4w5
aldarley.wordpress.com@Introvert_girl good question. I haven’t given this a ton of thought, but my gut says you would have to acknowledge to the reader that this is different.
You can’t let the new characters try to fill the shoes of the old ones; it won’t work. You should make it clear that this is their story now… and that the world has changed to need them as heroes, not the heroes that were. That they are different because the world is different. It’s not the world former heroes saved, but a new one, that will require new heroes.
Basically, when you change the cast, change the stakes, the plot, the goal— the whole playing field. Because that re-sets the reader’s brain and they are willing to start again from the beginning, which will your give your new characters the time they need to prove themselves.
Does that make sense?
@catwing Help me Obi Wan Kenobi! You’re my only hope!! (haha)
@emily No, I haven’t. I’m having slight difficulty locating it, though.
@epicaddie2 No worries!
@kate-flournoy Yes, that’s helpful! Thank you 😀
That’s an interesting answer, because it then becomes sort of like solving the mentor/hero problem. (In which the mentor is often more capable of solving the story problem.)And he said unto her, Daughter, thy faith hath made thee whole; go in peace.
@emily Never mind. I’ve found it 😀
And he said unto her, Daughter, thy faith hath made thee whole; go in peace.
I actually have to think of this. In Changing Winds (working title) I have completely different characters and situations from Embers Burning. And Brynn and Fallon are definitely not Amber and Brendan. But, I think the best thing is to just act like this is a separate story. For me, while my original characters are in the next book, they are supporting characters, not MCs. Brynn and Fallon have their own problems, their own goals, their own yearnings, their own voices. And I think that it will work.
ENTP, Aether-borg Hero with cape obsession and fascination with swords.
https://forums.theaetherli@introvert_girl *grins* *floureshes a bow* Thanks you. *pulls cloak around self* *vanishes leaving the cloak*
IMMA KAPEEFER! Til we're old and gray!
@aislinn-mollisong Glad to hear I’m not alone. 🙂
@catwing But who will teach me the ways of the force now!?And he said unto her, Daughter, thy faith hath made thee whole; go in peace.
@introvert_girl Hmm, that’s kind of a tough one for me. I haven’t ever done that before.
😀 XD XD The first thing I thought of when reading the first couple lines of your post was the new Star Wars films! They definitely could have had a really hard time with that. Han, Luke, and Leia were some of the most beloved characters of all time… and they had to break new ones into the universe under that shadow
If you look at what they did… they opened up with the new characters, and let us get used to them and even really like them, before they even got into the old characters (like Luke, who was barely in the Force Awakens. And Han and Leia didn’t come in for at least a little while)
Also, they made it clear the new story was about the new characters. If you had a book where readers were expecting it to be about the old characters, and then it wasn’t… I would definitely be mad. But if you make it clear the new story is about NEW characters, that’ll help
*Giarstanornarak tries to melt chair*
Also, Daeus has 22 turtles in his signature.@introvert_girl … I don’t know! *gasps* We are all lost! *blinks* Oh, wait I’m gone. *vanishes again*
IMMA KAPEEFER! Til we're old and gray!
@sam-kowal Thanks! It hadn’t occurred to me that they didn’t show any of the older characters until later in the film. I think that would help a lot.
And he said unto her, Daughter, thy faith hath made thee whole; go in peace.
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