New Ideas Versus Sequels

As Hollywood demonstrates, new ideas are hard.  They recycle so many ideas, I wonder if they’re capable of figuring out something new.  In fact, the last “new” idea I saw in Hollywood was The Martian.

The Martian was a great book as well.  It was new and exciting, opening us up to an entirely different universe than other things out right now.  But it also required us to be open to new ideas, and getting that hook into people is obviously one of the more challenging parts.  That’s why sequels are so much easier, because they pull people back into a world they already understand.

However, as I got to thinking about it, sequels have their own challenges.  Yes, the world is already familiar, but that can limit new ideas.  Sequels have to stay within the world already created or readers and fans won’t tolerate it.  Think about it – if Harry Potter suddenly went to space or abandoned the magical world to become a British spy, no one would buy it.  If she wants to have fresh stories within the Harry Potter universe, JK Rowling can’t let her imagination stray too far.  In effect, her imagination must be limited to keep working on what she knows.

So is it easier to write new ideas or sequels?  Each has its limitations for the writer, and each brings different frustrations for the audience.  Maybe in order to expand, a writer needs to try both?