Writing a Prequel to a Series – by Marie Q Rogers

Note that this program is being held at the Headquarters Library downtown.

So, you’ve finished your novel and readers ask, what happens next? That’s when you decide to turn it into a series. Sequels pose their own challenges, but what if you want to write about what happened before the original story takes place? The prequel? How do you keep characters and events consistent with what has already occurred? Your readers will certainly pick up on any discrepancies.

Pat Caren, who writes as Marie Q Rogers, the award-winning author of Trials by Fire and Quest for Namai, decided that the back story to this series was worthy of being told. She will discuss constraints she encountered in keeping characters, names, and events consistent with what had already been written. She will also give you tips on how to craft your story so it will flow seamlessly into the future.

Her other novels, Season of the Dove and Notebooks Hidden in an Abandoned House are self-contained stories for which no pre- or sequel is currently planned.