Continuing the story

I've come to the end of rewriting my riddle quest story, and I've loved it so much I don't want to leave that world.  So I've decided to continue the story by writing the second book of the trilogy.

In the first book, my heroine Arrien has to find seven objects and decode the riddles written in them in alien script.  She does so after many tests, and the answer leaves her with a whole new set of questions.  So the quest must continue.

In the first book Arrien's brother Baak had left home, fallen in with a criminal gang, and got addicted to drugs.  His story in the first book was all about him reclaiming his talent as a painter, and working to convince his sister that he's trustworthy and should be invited home.  In the original version of book one I did just that, and it was a 'happy ever after' ending.  In the re-write I'm doing something different.

One of the changes I made to book one was to have Baak realise that he's gay.  He is attracted to a fellow trainee on the course he attends, and after he graduates the two men start a relationship.   But Baak is a Great Family son (think English aristocracy with its need for producing heirs to secure the estate through the generations.)   But now I've made Baak gay, he isn't willing to marry a woman just to produce a heir for the family.  He is eventually reinstated as Arrien's heir, but names his successor as a Family first cousin.  So now he can get involved in book two's quest.

The second book is a similar format to the first, except that this time the clues Arrien and her brother seek are contained within a series of paintings.  The clues are deeply disguised, and Baak must use his art knowledge to decode the symbolism in each painting and find the clue.

I have an old first draft of novel two, and it is very rough.  It is around fifteen years old and far too short, and very clumsily written.  So a total rewrite of the whole story is needed.  But that allows me to continue the story in a new way.  I can introduce Baak's partner, and have him involved in the quest to find the paintings too.

There's  a lot of new writing to be done to knock book two into shape, but I'm enjoying living in this world so much that I'm really looking forward to the hard work.