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Originally Posted by Epona  I'm not sure if I should finish the first book before I continue with this one, or just write this one then go back to the first. |
I would write book two now, since you're feeling motivated - if you've already outlined book one in enough detail to decide the current one is a sequel, that's all the preparation you need. And as others have said, finishing book two may give you the motivation to tackle book one again, especially if it requires substantial changes such as adding in more fantasy elements.
I used to avoid outlining, thinking I would lose interest if I knew what was going to happen. My first attempt at outlining was a dismal failure - I got about ten chapters in and stalled, because I seemed to be veering off-course and I panicked that my whole plot was wrong.
Then I signed up for NaNoWriMo last year and decided the only way I could get through it was not to have to think up a plot on the fly. So I did my outline - around 90 scenes with one or two sentences per scene - and finished the story, writing my 50k in just 26 days. The thing is, as I reached the ending I realised that I needed to change it, and so I did. An outline can be a suggested itinerary, not a rigid timetable
Anyway, for me the solution is:
1. Don't outline in too much detail. Give your characters room to breathe.
2. Find a motivation to just sit down and write the damned thing, even if you're sick of it.
Incidentally, the story is still changing a year later as I try to find out what my subconscious is trying to say, which is maybe why I still haven't lost interest. But I'm writing the sequel for NaNoWriMo next month, even though the first one's current incarnation is only about one-quarter finished, because I want to be sure that the two books fit together neatly.