Prequel, Sequel, Or Something On The Side

When writing something new in the same universe there are always options. With the rich back material that I created for Eria, it leaves several options open for me, hence the title of this particular blog post.

I could write a prequel to Eria. There are a lot of things mentioned in the novel that can easily be fleshed out. Depending on how far back I wanted to go into the history of Eria, there are several different generations of stories that I could explore. By stepping back one generation, I could look at when Galdor was an apprentice, like Elrath was in the novel, and see how he was trained; I could explore the creation of the Guardianships, and what it took to establish them; or, I could go back to the first conflict with Rathgar, and how he was defeated that time. I could take the story back several generations to when Krullus wielded the Sword of Kings, and the Dragonknights were around. Who were they? Why were they needed? Was there magic back then? Or, I could choose somewhere in the middle.

Writing a sequel would be a simple enough matter, as well. I just pick up from where the story ended, and go from there. The characters are already there, and there are plenty of opportunities that await them. They have a big job ahead of them, no matter what they decide to do. Do they explore the magic mystery further? Do they go back to Waydale to check on their loved ones? Do they explore the extent of the damage around them? There are a lot of options there.

Lastly, the something on the side option means that I can explore other events that were happening while Elrath, Bethany and Baedyr were 'participating' in the novel. There are other Guardianships and Guardians mentioned in Eria, and their fate is just assumed, or mentioned. What really happened to them? Likewise, the Druids, and the Tenford Fighters Solidarity are mentioned. the latter are not seen or encountered, whilst only one group of the former are seen.

So, where to next? A sequel seems like the obvious option. I feel that the characters deserve (for want of a better word) to explore the world that I have thrust them into for a little longer. A prequel would be a lot of fun to write, because there are so many options there, and it's always fun to flesh out some of the gaps, and make good use of the back material that I've created. And I think something on the side would be an interesting experiment.

So, once again, where to next? Maybe I'll try all three...