What Comes After the First Story

What Comes After the First Story

What comes after the first story?

Honestly, it depends.

It depends on the type of story. It depends on the medium.

It depends on what the story is asking of me after I finish it.

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If it is poetry, then more often than not, it is usually one and done.

I write the poem. I say what needs to be said. Then I move on to the next thought, the next feeling, the next observation, or the next piece of myself that needs to be put into words.

I do not typically plan sequels or continuation pieces for my poems, though it does happen on occasion. Sometimes I return to an idea because I realize I have more to say. Other times, I revisit an old subject years later, not to rewrite the original poem, but to approach the same feeling from a new place in life.

That happens often with my pieces about depression.

Depression has been an off-and-on relationship throughout much of my life.

Because of that, I have written about it more than once. Not always from the same angle. Not always with the same tone. Not always for the same reason.

A poem written during the middle of a difficult season is not the same as a poem written after surviving it.

The subject may be familiar, but the person writing it has changed.

So, in poetry, what comes after the first story is often another piece of truth. Another attempt to understand. Another way of saying, “This is where I was then, and this is where I am now.”

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Novel writing is different.

With The Werewolf of the Castle, I do have ideas for a second and third book. I know pieces of where the larger story could go. I know there are questions that do not end with Book One.

But I also do not want to get too far ahead of myself.

Book One is still in progress, and it is far from finished.

That said, the larger vision is there. No major spoilers, of course, but the questions of identity continue. The setting expands. The stakes become higher. The characters are tested in new ways. Across the broader story, readers would gain a deeper understanding of who these people are, what they have survived, and what they may yet become.

That is one of the exciting parts of writing a longer story.

A poem can capture a moment.

A novel can carry a journey.

A trilogy can show transformation across time.

I would also be lying if I said I have not imagined possibilities beyond the books themselves. A fighting game. A manga version or web comic. An animated music video. Character art. Posters. Visual adaptations of certain scenes.

Some of these ideas may never happen.

Some might.

At this stage, they are mostly fun creative possibilities. Little sparks of imagination that remind me how much potential a story world can have once it begins to grow beyond the page.

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Then there is the business side of writing.

That part is a different kind of story altogether.

Once something is published, the work is not over. In many ways, a new kind of work begins.

You have to promote it. Advertise it. Build awareness. Invite reviews. Mention it in newsletters. Share it on your website. Create graphics. Commission or design artwork. Make posters, flyers, bookmarks, trailers, social media posts, and other materials that help people discover what you have made.

Writing something is one thing.

Publishing it is another.

Helping people find it is another challenge entirely.

I will be honest: it can be overwhelming. It can be frustrating. There are days when the creative side of writing feels much easier than the marketing side.

But there is also something rewarding about learning as I go.

A year ago, I barely knew how to use Canva.

Now, I have created more material for my book, my website, and my social media pages in the past several months than I ever expected. I have learned new tools, tested new ideas, made mistakes, corrected them, and slowly built a better understanding of how to present my work to the world.

That may not sound as romantic as writing poetry or building a fantasy novel, but it matters.

The story does not reach readers if no one knows it exists.

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Finally, there is the personal answer.

What comes after the first story?

Keep moving.

Keep going.

Keep creating.

No matter the type, genre, method, or medium, that is the answer I keep coming back to.

I create for myself first, because the work has to come from somewhere honest. But I also hope that what I create helps others along the way. Whether that means sharing writing tips, offering encouragement, posting resources, telling stories, or simply reminding someone that they are not alone, I want my work to have a positive impact.

I am still learning.

I am still growing.

I am still figuring things out as I go.

But I hope that someday, somewhere, I become someone’s favorite author, writer, or poet.

More than that, I hope I leave a good and lasting impression.

Stories continue in different ways. Some become sequels. Some become poems. Some become memories. Some become conversations. Some become lessons. Some become stepping stones to whatever comes next.

For me, the goal is not only to write one story and stop.

The goal is to keep building.

To keep learning.

To keep sharing.

To keep reaching for something meaningful.

And, when all is said and done, if I can leave this world even a little better than I found it, that would be the greatest ending I could ask for.

—A.T. Pike