I’ve been working on a novel idea for about five years now (it started as just a fun story I worked on as a kid and as I matured, it matured with me and became a whole new thing). I’ve been world-building and developed all of my characters in detail, and I may have fallen in love with each one of them. I think what I’m trying to say is basically, this whole world and story is very dear to me, and my dream is to be able to convey it and make readers fall in love with it all as well (the way I fall in love when I read books). I tend to think wayyy far in the future (here’s the dumb part where I could be laughed at for), with the prospect of one day publishing this book and trying to make it as successful as possible. Here’s my problem: so far, I’ve planned this as a duology with the 2nd book taking place years later with a (slightly) new generation pursuing the first generation’s goal. However, for my first book, the ending is very… let’s say tragic with important characters dying, etc. Except I’m not sure if it’s a good idea ending the first book like this, given that it would allow readers to only know these characters for the duration of one book. I’m not sure if this is making sense –I guess it’s because I want possible future readers to get attached to the MCs. Either way these would be my options: - I end my first book with these (major) deaths - Or I try to divide it into 2 novels instead, but this would mean rethinking the plot so it can hold into 2 books without being boring Perhaps I’m thinking too hard about this. I know what I need to do is really to write and see where it goes. Maybe I have more content than I thought and it could indeed make up more than one novel. Anyways, I just wanted to let this out and see if anyone has any advice J
So you're saying you want to have the main cast of the first book die at the end, and then the sequel picks up with the next generation continuing their goal? Here's what you should understand when you ask questions like this. There are very few out-and-out rules for novel writing. Everything runs on a spectrum of "easy sell" to "hard sell." What I'm trying to say is, there's no rule that says you can't do what you're describing here, but it would be a very hard sell. And if publication is your goal, then it's probably not a good idea. Your alternative of splitting it into two books isn't necessarily a good choice, either, since it's best to have a complete story told with a semi-satisfying ending in book 1 for a debut novel. Is it possible you can just have them retire or something, instead of die? By the way, I don't think anyone's going to laugh at you for dreaming of having a successful book published. That's a pretty normal writer fantasy, lol. As long as you recognize that you've got a lot of work to do before that becomes a possibility, which it sounds like you do recognize.
No, not all of the main cast dies -only two main characters die, and they're pretty essential deaths to the plot. The other characters are still present in the sequel, but some of them become secondary characters (the main cast consists of five/six characters with two of them dying). I completely understand what you're saying regarding the easy/hard sell, and I think that is in fact one of my main worries. Do you believe even with just two MCs characters dying in the end, it would be a hard-sell novel? If you have any advice on how to avoid hard-sells, I'm all ears. Thank you for warning me against that!
I'm wondering how essential it is to the book that they die? Endings are of course important, but they don't matter if the book can't lead the reader to them. If you've written it well, you can maybe finesse the issue. Perhaps you could leave the ending ambiguous, suggesting but not stating death definitively. And of course apparently killing the MC doesn't necessarily mean he stays dead -- look at Doyle and Sherlock Holmes, and the Riechenbach Falls scene with Moriarity. Also, if a publisher/editor really likes your book, the publisher/editor could provide a better answer as to how it should be handled.
Without going into details, their deaths affect the characters around them, lead to drastic events and also affect the sequel's plot. I believe I'm able to lead the book well to its ending. What you've suggested regarding ambiguity sounds appealing, and I am probably going to do that (it could totally work with the world it takes place in). I think I'll also rewrite my outline and see how it could turn out if I make it into more than one novel, at least as an option. Thanks for the advice, and you're probably right about a publisher most likely providing a good answer
Kill them. That's what they're there for. ETA: this falls under the "good problem" category, I should add. Assuming there's a book one, assuming it gets published, assuming enough people to read it to formulate a meaningful opinion, then you can worry about disappointing readers with a second book, assuming that gets written and published as well. Thinking much beyond the first assumption is a bit ludicrous, though we all tend to fall into that trap.
I don't understand what you worry about. Is it that your readers will pick up Book 2 and forget about the characters from Book 1, but you think that's disrespectful because you so much loooove those characters and think they deserve all the readers love all the time? Or is it that the readers of Book 1 won't be tempted enough to buy Book 2 because those awesome characters won't be there? Neither of those are important in the book selling business. The readers would love and remember any character that's worth loving and remembering. And they will buy Book 2 if they think Book 1 was awesome. So, why worry?
It’s neither of those really. It’s more of what Dragon Turtle was saying, regarding easy sell and hard sell. I’m worried that in a duology, it can be difficult to have two central characters dying at the end of the first book, especially if the reader’s just had time to get attached to them. But I suppose you’re making a point, I shouldn’t worry too much about it.
Kill your darlings, as they say. Don't be afraid to do what is necessary if it makes the story that much better. I like the idea of the second book continuing with a new generation. It's a good mix of old and new while guaranteeing that there will be some sort of resolution by the end of book two and the two character's deaths needn't be in vain. So long as everything they did in book one was still relevant and has some influence on the final ending, whether that be happy or bittersweet, then I don't think readers will mind if they're not in it the whole way through. It shows integrity and a bit of bravery to kill your best characters half-way through. Besides, you still have the rest of your main cast from book one, so they will surely play a role in the second book and serve as an effective link between the old and new generation.
Nah, you don't need to worry. As long as the second book explains to some extent how the deaths in Book 1 were important, then it's all good.
