Friday 15th December 2017

If watching Star Wars has done anything for me, it’s that it’s got me thinking more about the Shade Knight books.
I think one of my stresses regarding book 2 is making it as good as the first book.  I’ve often described Black as Knight as Batman Year One.  It’s the origin story and set things up for the books to come.  And despite having edited that book more times than I care to mention, I think it’s the type of book I’d genuinely love to read.  They always say you should write books for yourself, and with Black as Knight that was certainly true.
I never wrote it with the intention of being published and as a result I think it ended up a better book.
But come book 2 there’s a worry.  How do I make it as good?  Whilst the format of the books is very much villain of the week so that if we do ever get to half a dozen books or more it’ll be fine to jump in at the latest, I don’t want the series to feel formulaic.  In that respect, I want it to take chances.  I want it to be The Empire Strikes Back rather than The Star Wars Holiday Special.
And so I find myself often worrying with book 2 that it’s not enough:  it’s not action-packed enough, it’s not funny enough, it’s not as character-driven, it’s not a hundred and one different things.  With Book 1 not even picked up yet, how do I know which elements my readers will like?  How do I know that Book 2 retains the things they like and doesn’t just drop those elements that drew them to the series.
I guess the answer is, just as the first book, to write it for myself.  I think I have… after all, I have no audience currently to write for… but I still worry.
I have some plans for some great character arcs and I hope that the series is successful enough to warrant enough books for it to play out.  I also want books that are surprising, but not unpleasantly so.
Whilst I edit book 2 I’m constantly asking myself, “is this good enough?”  I’ve tried, in my planning to make sure that the stakes escalate from book to book.  I’ve even swapped some villains around so that they gradually become more powerful as the series goes on.
But I think back to Star Wars and where I think the various films succeed and fail.  For me, it’s always been the characters and their relationships.  I think that’s the one thing I take from Star Wars:  to give the various characters awesome moments with each other.  All the action, all the jokes, they come second to that.
I just hope I can deliver with this second book.  At least I’m ahead of myself, which buys me some time if I haven’t in this edited draft.
If you want to follow more of my journey, then be sure to check me on my social channels.  Likewise, if you’d like me to expand on any point mentioned above, please say so in the comments.

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