Most of the Star Trek Captains
Even though we see so many, the spin-off is not something that should be entered into lightly. There’s more than one story on the line and an author can break an entire world apart with a bad sequel. So, here are some tips that might work to ease the anxiety and prevent possible disasters.
- For all that you hold dear, double check the stories you’re going to be working off of before doing anything. Don’t assume that you know it because you wrote it because even creators can make a mistake. (I.E. Mosquitoes) The last thing you want is to undo part of the world-building that you already accomplished. It breaks continuity and makes the spin-off feel more like a rush job than a planned story.
- Factor in the passage of time and change of locations between the original series and the spin-off. If this is an adventure that is going alongside the other then slip in cameos and nods to prove that they’re connected. This can help create a timeline as well. If you’re having this take place after the original finished then remember that characters age and things change. Giving the audience a sense of time and place can really help.
- As stated, you should look into cameos and nods to the other series. Not so much that it comes off as patting yourself on the back, but enough that people can see the connections. For example, have the main character talk about past events or learn about what one of the previous heroes is doing. You can have them cross paths for a moment if their adventures run at the same time too. Just remember to include the encounter to some extent in the other work.
- Read or watch other spin-offs to see what they did right and wrong. It isn’t like you’re the first one to attempt this, so learn from those who came before you. Do an Internet search to get a nice mix of hits and misses too. Even if you can’t watch the whole thing, you can get an idea and look at a few fan reactions. Keep in mind that the latter can come with a lot of bias.
- Be careful about spoilers. Some are inevitable, but you can get around them with allusions. These can even help make people curious about the other series. Consider the spin-off to be part promotion for the original and you might see some ways to share events without oversharing.
- While you have to maintain similarities with the original series, you can still add new things to the world. There has to be a sense of uniqueness and individuality. Consider the spin-off to be a younger sibling of the original. The two will have some things in common, but not be clones of each other.
- Only do a spin-off if a story is there. Don’t force something because other people want it or you simply don’t want to let a character go. If there isn’t a big story then do a short one and you might find yourself doing a collection of minor spin-offs instead of a larger work. The key to a spin-off is to tell a new story while retaining interest from the original, but that doesn’t denote a specific length and style.
Legends of Windemere 
I might note that prequels starring the main characters lose a lot of potential tension, because the reader knows they’re going to survive.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Great point!
LikeLike
True. Although, it can be useful to show how characters reach a certain point. If you first meet them when they’re jaded or cynical or in a powerful role then there can still be some tension in regards to seeing how they got there. Stories like this tend to have a strong supporting cast that carry the tension along.
LikeLike
Reblogged this on Chris The Story Reading Ape's Blog.
LikeLike
Thanks for the reblog.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Welcome, Charles – great tips 👍😃
LikeLike
I enjoyed this post. (And how apt that you mentioned Star Trek.) I can’t help thinking of Garth Nix’s Abhorsen series, which has a prequel and another book that seems to be a spinoff from the original trilogy. Spinoffs can work is the world is vivid and vast enough and the proposed stories are good, as you mentioned.
LikeLike
Figured Star Trek spinoffs had a better track record than Star Wars. I agree that spinoffs really need a vast world. That allows for the new story to still have an element of world-building mystery.
LikeLike
At least with Star Wars people can’t really fault the books or the animated series. Those seem to be doing really well with fans.
LikeLike
Are they? I rarely hear about the cartoons and thought the books were no longer canon. Hard to tell these days.
LikeLike
Those are some pretty good practical rules.
LikeLike
Thanks.
LikeLike
Great post! Very good tips.
LikeLike
Thanks
LikeLiked by 1 person
This should mandatory reading for the Hollywood set any and every time they think spinoff, sequel or God help us all…remake! Good commentary! 😉
LikeLike
Thanks. The dreaded remake should require a questionnaire before being green lit. Maybe a signed contract that they will treat the source material with respect.
LikeLike
You’re right — definitely need to re-read your source material before beginning a new series or even a further volume in the same series. I always look for ways to add characters who aren’t too much like the original ones. After all, why make new characters when you could keep using the existing ones?
LikeLike
Adding characters has always been a challenge, so I do a lot of recurring. There’s a series I’m hoping to do in the future that has a partially new cast with every adventure. Seemed easier with the upcoming release for some reason.
LikeLike