The worst part about writing a sequel.

You know those couple pages full of fluff that every sequel has? The ones where the author feels compelled to explain some of the world-building elements from the first book on the off chance some noob picked it up off their neighbor’s coffee table for a bit of light reading? Does the author really think someone is going to read a novel that clearly says Book Two without reading Book One first? Who would do that? And if such a hypothetical crazy person does exist, surely they deserve any confusion they get from those parts of the book they don’t understand. Or does the author think the diligent souls who did read the first book need a recap? A little refresher in case we might have forgotten some of the details that make up the fabric of the author’s world?

As a reader, skimming a few pages of old news doesn’t really bother me. I just skip over those parts if they drag on for too long, but as a writer . . .

Shit, fuck, and every other expletive out there.

Do I need to include that crap in my sequel?

I’ve spent only God knows how many hours thinking up, writing, and reworking, the best, cleverest, most imaginative, and funny ways to build my world so a reader would stay engaged. And now what? Now I needed to figure out how to do the exact same thing all over again because someone might, might, try to read the sequel without reading the first book beforehand?

That’s some bullshit.

And I have to wonder, is it really worth investing more time and effort to basically reword something I’ve already spent plenty of time and effort on. I mean, does anyone reading the Dresden files even bother reading about the differences between thaumaturgy and evocation anymore? After the first book, isn’t there a reasonable expectation the reader knows and accepts the world they’re getting into. And if that expectation doesn’t exist for the sequel, then when? The fourth book? The tenth? When is re-wording the same old world-building elements just wasting everyone’s time?

Answer: I have no effing idea.

And I kind of need one. Because I am writing a sequel, and I need to know how much I have to cater to some ass-panda who might pick up the sequel without reading Certified Headless first.

On the one hand, thanks for buying my book, Mr. Panda.

On the other, what the hell, dude? Read the books in order.

And if I do cater to the ass-pandas of the world, exactly which world-building elements need to be re-explained. The existence of undead? Seems like they’d pick that up through context. Floating cars? Same. Machines that can pull memories out of the recently and not so recently deceased?

Might need a line or two on that.

Icicles?

Shit.

Sword hilts containing supersaturated solutions of carbon in an organic solvent that form razor-sharp crystals reminiscent of sword blades when an electric current is applied sounds like something that needs some explanation.

And if I re-explain that, what else do I need to revisit? Do I need to recap the plot of the first book? Wouldn’t that spoil it if crazy ass-panda does decide to read it someday? And if I don’t, do I need to write anything about the existing relationships between characters? Will the dialogue come off wrong if someone doesn’t have the back story?

I guess what it boils down to is this: What does a new reader absolutely have to know, and what does someone who read the book years ago need to be reminded of.

Because I’m not going to write for the pandas. I fully intend to let them get on with going extinct because they only eat one food and refuse to procreate on their own.

My metaphor may have gotten away from me.