Why I'm Not Writing a Sequel

it’s not you, it’s the ending

I’ve gone back and forth on writing a sequel to my debut novel, Call It What You Want, more times than I can count.

It started innocently enough. A few months back, I opened a blank Google Doc, typed “Call It What It Was” at the top, and thought I would just see what happened. I didn’t tell anyone at first because I wanted to see if I could find my way back into Sloane’s world without the pressure of expectations. Then I posted about it (which was a big mistake) and I felt the exact pressure that I was avoiding.

People wanted it. Of course people wanted it! That’s been the top comment/DM I’ve gotten over the past year. Where is Sloane’s happily ever after? We all know she deserves one.

So, I outlined an entire sequel. Then I outlined a second version when the first one didn’t feel right. Between the two, I wrote a handful of chapters, started a playlist (because of course), and even made a mood board. For a while, I was telling myself that this was happening. But here’s the thing: every time I stepped away and came back, something felt off. Like I was trying to force this book in the same way I was forcing a relationship with someone who didn’t want me.

my book baby!!!

Part of it was that so much of Call It What You Want came from a very specific season of my life—one I’m not in anymore. I wrote Sloane’s story when I was processing my own heartbreak and asking myself the same questions she was asking: Why wasn’t I enough? How am I going to get over this? Writing the book was messy and emotional but it was also cathartic. Going back to her now I realized that I’m not the same person who wrote her the first time and she’s not the same character either. The other part was that I kept thinking about the stories that have stayed with me the longest, like Normal People and One Day, the ones that don’t tie everything up with a neat bow. The endings that leave you with a little ache but feel deeply honest. They say, “Yes, it was complicated, but it mattered.”

That’s always been the point of Call It What You Want. Sloane’s story wasn’t about winning someone back or proving she was “the one.” It was about how messy and complicated relationships still matter even if they don’t end the way we hoped. The truth is, I love where I left her. She’s moving forward and I don’t want to pull her backward just to answer questions or tie up threads that were meant to stay a little frayed.

So, for now, there’s no sequel. Maybe one day I’ll feel differently—stories have a way of surprising you when you least expect it—but not today. Right now, I want to give my energy to new characters, new worlds, and new obsessions that light me up the way Sloane’s story did when I first wrote it.

I’ll leave you with this: Do you think every book should get a sequel? Or do you like when a story leaves you with that bittersweet “it mattered, even if it’s over” feeling?

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PS: My debut novel, Call It What You Want, is available to order here. I appreciate your time and support more than you know! ILYSM <3

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