I freely admit I got this idea from one of the blogs I follow, but it was something I've struggled with in my writing. When do you write that sequel you have in mind? As the author I borrowed from stated, there are two trains of thought on this. There's the write it now while the ideas are still fresh and you can tweak the story as you see fit. Then, there's the wait until you get the first published and see if there's a push for a follow up.
I can tell you this, the overwhelming winner among agents out there is to wait and see if you get the first one published. The reasons behind this are good with primarily the idea you'd be wasting time when you could start something else. I get it and I agree. Still, my heart and mind struggle with the characters I long to consider in the sequel.
So often, I start a novel with my main characters in mind but inevitably a secondary character grabs my attention and I can't stand not investigating the nuances of this interesting person. I can barely even wait through the first book and sometimes don't. Hence the reason I often write ensemble, multi POV stories. I get so excited and just can't help myself.
The solution given by one agent seemed the best to me. Go ahead and write your first novel. Make it as stand alone as you possibly can. Then, go ahead and outline any subsequent sequels, maybe even write a synopsis for each. That way, you keep your ideas fresh and know if you need to change something.
However, if you simply can't wait, write it for God's sake. It's your time. Do with it as you want.
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