Letters From Friend 2: The Sequel · 12:52am Jan 25th, 2014
Yes, there's going to be a sequel to Letters. No, it's not going to be called Letters 2.
This picture is in no way related to this sequel...
See, ever since that feature was added where you could tag a story as being a prequel to another, I've been considering splitting Letters into three separate "books", Lord of the Rings style, if you will. There are three main arcs, and the first one is about to end in the next few chapters, so I was thinking I'd just start a new story rather than continue on with this one. Don't get me wrong, it's still the exact same story that was going on before, but now there are going to be distinct stopping points between each arc, namely an end to each "book". Oh, and I promise that I'm not just splitting the story into three parts arbitrarily. There will be a very very clear end to this arc, with each plot thread (past-Trixie, Twilight, and present-Trixie) reaching a logical conclusion for the arc, though still leaving the main story unresolved, again... think LotR style.
The reason I'm doing this is twofold. On the one hand, this story is getting progressively longer as it goes on and certain sub-arcs go longer than I had originally anticipated. The whole drake arc, for instance, was only supposed to last two chapters, and look how that turned out. Seeing as this story is already at +110k, I worry that it may be intimidating to new readers to see something so long that's still incomplete, and while my current readers are my main concern, I do want to make the story more accessible to new people. Also, I think getting a chance to start fresh with a new story will be fun. My writing's improved a lot since I first started this story, and I'd like to showcase that right up front with the first chapter of a sequel. Don't worry, by the way, I'll be updating at the same pace I am now, maybe even a little faster, if I can keep myself on track, heh.
So, Letters will be reaching its end here in about 6 more chapters (two for each plot thread) and I'll be starting the new story shortly afterwards. In fact, I plan to have the first chapter or two of it written by the time the last chapter of Letters goes up so I can release it more quickly and maybe even have two chapters of the new fic ready to go when it's posted just to sweeten the deal.
Anyway, unless there's some major outcry against this, I'll be moving forward with this as planned, and in a month or two you'll be seeing a new story pop up in your notifications bar. As always, I want to thank everyone who's stuck with this thing from the beginning, and continued to read this story as it grows progressively more complicated and intricate, and I sincerely hope you'll like where it's going in the future. I've still got a lot of things left that I want to get to, and I don't plan on stopping anytime soon. This story is going to see its conclusion reached someday, I promise you that.
In the meantime, keep a weather eye on the horizon. Unread Letters From a Friend at the End of the World will be making landfall in the near future.
Also in no way related to this sequel... but surprisingly relevant to a story my good friend Belligerent Sock and I are working on.
Already announcing a sequel before finishing the first one? You got guts.
Works for me.
Using fresh ideas for each part of your story instead of using the same format for the whole thing, that is a great idea.
I will read this story to the end, good luck.
I approve wholeheartedly.
I've also got to catch up with Letters, I'll do it on the weekend.
Either way. I'm looking forward to the rest of the story.
1754969
Well, I mean it's not exactly going to be told in a different format. It's still going to be told in several different plot threads on interrelated timelines, though I'll be adding more since past-Trixie's timeline will catch up to where present-Trixie began way back in the second chapter and I'll be down to just two plot threads.
Sounds good to me. I've seen several fics in the past that used similar veins and it worked out well for them.
Personally, it annoys the hell out of me when authors do this unless there's a real ending point that closes the story. (Don't cite Tolkien on this--he was ticked off at the way his publishers chopped LotR up, and kept trying to get them to explain which the hell Towers, of the several involved, were the Two in the title they slapped on the middle volume.)
Recently, one of my favorite ongoing stories, "Celestia Sleeps In", did just this, and continued with "Onto the Pony Planet." It was completely nonsensical: the first story ended about a chapter and a half after the climactic scene in which the aforementioned pony planet was reached, and all the dramatic elements that were to be addressed in the "sequel" were introduced in the last chapter of the first story. If the author had at least cut the scene at the dramatic shift of setting, that would be one thing, and at least it would look right; but even then it still would have been a pointless transition to a new story, because no conclusions were reached, and no sense of closure was presented to the audience.
This is not to say that it can't be done well. The Empire Strikes Back comes to mind as a universally recognized example: a lot of threads are hanging and a lot has gone wrong that's going to need t be fixed, but there is absolutely a sense that this adventure is done, even if a new one is going to have to begin soon. If you feel your story meets this criterion, I advise you to go for it; otherwise, give it a good hard think first.
That sounds good to me. It's been difficult at times switching between the different story lines. Don't get me wrong, I've had a great time reading it. It's just the transition from one story arc to the other has been abrupt at times.
I kind of wish each story arc were their own book but thats probably not going to happen.
I like it. Definitely a cool way to continue with the story.
Oh bother. Now I have to really catch up from where I left off. Quick! To the Reading Mobile!
I like that title very much.
1755593
Fair points all around. Perhaps you're right, Tolkien may not have been the best example because he didn't really want to split his story up (though I'd argue the series was better for it). However, since you brought up Empire, perhaps that'd be a better example of what I want to do. See, there is going to be a very clear breaking point for the end of this "book", like how Empire ends with Han being frozen in carbonite (or very near to the end). Obviously I can't tell you what's going to happen, but I can promise that it will have a sense of finality about it (for each of the different plot threads), and that will still leave the rest of the story open to explore while still, hopefully, providing a sense of closure and satisfaction. Oh, and like you said about cutting at a dramatic shift in setting, that will be happening as well, and a lot of new elements are going to be added in the coming chapters.
Anyway, I can't promise that you'll like what I'm going to do, but I do hope you'll at least see how everything goes before you judge it. I'll be doing my damnedest to make sure this story ends in a way that does not feel contrived or arbitrary. There will be a major dramatic conclusion to this arc that should hopefully tie a lot of things together, while opening up new facets to explore at the same time.
Sounds good to me.
I just kinda would hope for consistency in the naming of the two(or more) stories.
Like it doesn't have to be Letters 2 (you know what, changed my mind. That would be pretty clear.)
But anything like "Letters: the start" then "Letters: the middle"&"Letters:the end"
Would be nice.
1879358
It's going to be titled Unread Letters From a Friend at the End of the World, keeping with the original title so as to promote whatever little name recognition I have.
1879394
Sticking with the "Letters From a Friend at the End of the World" brand.
I approve.
Could do so many fun things with that too "Unread/Unsend/Unrecieved/Lost/Treasured".
Would the original story be left as is or retroactively get a 'Read' in front?
1879413
Nah, I'm leaving the original as-is. It wouldn't make much sense to change it now, especially when the title works quite well since it's all about the letters Trixie sends, and not whether Twilight reads them... although that is kinda important to the plot. Anyway, it's staying the same.
1755144 Since you said that the third timeline will end I'm wondering if at some point, perhaps in the third segment of the story, If there will be only one timeline? Perhaps they will converge at some point but then split up again? I'm just curious and you don't have to say anything if it's spoilery.
1967791
I won't say what specifically happens, because spoilers obviously, but I will say that there will always be at least three plotlines going simultaneously, which means that one or two more will be added in the sequel. This is part of why I'm going to try and do updates faster once this kicks off because I'm going to have more plotlines, which means more time between individual plotlines being updated, and I want to minimize that as much as possible.
1967814 Oh ok! Good luck with that, as keeping up with so many plotlines while trying to get them out fast enough to make them not confusing must be difficult!