Now that I’ve written two sequels in two different series, The Six Train to Wisconsin series (adult paranormal suspense) and The Unbelievables series (YA time-travel mystery), I’ve discovered there are a few secrets to writing a good sequel. Go Deeper, Not BiggerOne of the biggest mistakes an author can make is assuming they have to go bigger in each book. If book 1 was hero vs. villain, book 2 is now a team of heroes vs. team of villains. If there were 6-8 characters in book 1, now there are twice as many in book 2. If they time traveled once in book 1, they have to time travel 3 times in book 2. If the stakes were life or death in book 1, now it’s end of the world in book 2. But bigger isn’t always better. The first book introduces your story world and your characters. What readers really want in a sequel is to go deeper into that world you created. They want to learn more about how it works and why it works. They want you to explore the rules of your world and give them greater insight into the inner workings. They want to get…