How to Write a Sequel? Familiarity & Belonging

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• Make the Story your Own
• What do you want?
• How do you own this Story?
• What is the Foundation of the Story?
• Can you summarize this story in 5 Phrases?
• If there were 5 Pillars maintaining this Story what would they be?
• What would be the Ceiling of this Story?
• Where is your Story built?
• Who lives in this Story?

• Serenity
• What is a Shrine?
• What is a Sanctuary?
• What evokes Safety?
• Which Atmosphere exudes Bliss?
• Which color should your resting place be?
• What makes you think you’re in peace?
• What tells you ‘There is no Threat here’?
• How does it preserve you from panic?
• How does it show you It already Happen?
• There’s something new…
• There’s little change…
• And what changed is not a menace.

• Belonging
• Do we understand the space we live in?
• Why do we enjoy this space?
• Why are we Attached to this space?
• Why is it difficult to quit it even if we complain about it?
• Why do we return?
• Why don’t we want to see?
• Why do we want to see?
• Why can’t we afford to lose?
• What would cause pain if it were to disappear?
• What would cause grief if it were to disappear?

How to Start?

• Encounters
• How do you Control the Encounters?
• How many should there be per chapter?
• How do they relate to the Story?
• How Diverse are they?
• Are they all Combat?
• Are there Riddles/Games?
• Are there Debates?
• How do they create Remembrance?
• To which Main encounters of the Original Episode are they linked?
• How do they create Resonance?

• Resolution
• What are the Stakes?
• Who caused the issue?
• Who would suffer the most from this issue?
• What would they do to get rid of this issue?
• What are the immediate Solutions?
• What are the sustainable Solutions?
• What are the hidden options?
• Could this situation be resolved peacefully?
• Could it be resolved fast?

• Trials
• When should the Characters lose?
• How should they lose?
• How do you Control the Pain?
• To which level of difficulty should they be exposed?
• How does Difficulty should be balanced?
• How does it create a sense of Reward?
• How do the Characters react before Danger?
• Do they react differently?
• How did their behavior evolve?
• Did they progress?
• Did they regress?

• Twist
• How do you conserve the Main elements of the Original Episode?
• How do you conserve the Main elements of the Sequel?
• How do you preserve Consistency?
• What is Expected in the Story?
• What is Expected in each Chapter?
• What would break the Story?
• How do the Characters react to the Unexpected?
• Are they Defiant?
• Are they in Denial?
• Which Extreme Reactions do they display?

Introducing New Characters

• Function
• What do you Intend to do with this New Character?
• Why is she part of this Story?
• Why not use her in the Original Episode?
• Is she needed in the Story?
• How does she justify her presence?
• Is she the Main Character?
• Is she the Protagonist?
• Is she the Antagonist?

• Role
• Which group is she part of?
• What is her Role in Group she is part of?
• Is she a Supplier?
• Is she an Enticer?
• How does she interact with other Group members?
• How does she help other Group members?

• Goal
• What does the Character want?
• What does it have to do with the New Story?
• Which difficulties does she meet?
• How does she try to solve her issues?
• What does she need in order to solve them?
• Does she recognize her Own Weaknesses?
• How does she ask for help?

• Replacing which Character
• Why did the former character need to be replaced?
• What are the Similarities between the 2 Characters?
• What are the Differences between the 2 Characters?
• How do their Behaviors compare?
• Which specific Manners do they share?
• When they are in difficulty how do they react?
• Which Actions defines them?
• Which Expressions define them?

Returning Characters

• Function
• What do you Intend to do with this Character?
• Why is she still part of this Story?
• Why did she survived?
• Should she have died?
• Will she disappear in this Story?
• Why not use her in the Original Episode?
• Did her Function change?
• Is she the Protagonist?
• Is she the Antagonist?

• Goal
• What does the Character want?
• How has it evolved?
• Who make it evolve?
• Is this person still here?
• What does it have to do with the New Story?
• How does her Goal align with the Other Characters’ Goals?
• How does she act towards them?
• Does she reject them?
• Does she welcome them?
• Does she accept them?

• Alignment
• Who can she Ally with?
• Who will she Oppose?
• Did it change?
• How did it evolve?
• Why did it evolve?
• Did she lose someone in the Original Episode?
• Who was this person?
• Why did she disappear?
• Who is Responsible for this disappearance?
• How does the Character relate to the Responsible?
• What does she intent to do?

Family & Friendship

• Issues
• What triggers issues?
• Which topics shouldn’t be dealt with?
• Which topics should be dealt with?
• Which issues from the Original Episode are still lingering?
• Why are they not resolved?
• What is their scale?
• How have they evolved in the Sequel?
• Why do Characters refuse to cooperate?
• Do they assimilate to 1 another?
• Do they accept to be called friends or family?

• Needs
• Why do members of a group need each other?
• Why did they choose to ally?
• Were they forced to?
• By which event?
• Are they Supportive of each other?
• Are they Dismissive?
• Are they Antagonizing?
• Are they Indifferent?
• Are they Parasitic?

• Origins
• How did the characters met?
• What attracted them to 1 another?
• What caused them to be together?
• Is this reason still pertinent?
• How did they enhance each other?
• How did they hinder each other?
• Where did they meet?
• Is this place still existing?
• Can they return there?
• Do they want to return there?
• Did it change?
• How did it change?

• Evolution
• Why are the Character still together?
• Are they still together?
• Did they change of group?
• Which Resources can be granted by a Character to another?
• Do they exchange Information?
• Which kind of Information?
• Do members of a group cause trouble to 1 another?
• Is that how their relationship evolve?
• Do they send each other on dangerous missions?
• Do they need to rescue 1 another?