Visiting Old Friends

It's rare that I get to write about characters I've already written about. My four currently published books--Something to Blog About, Troy High, The Boyfriend Thief, and Surfacing--are all completely separate from each other and involve all new characters.

But right now, I'm having fun getting to know characters I've already known for a while. I'm working on editing a sequel novella to Troy High. I know these characters. I've spent so much time with them already that I don't have to write out all new character bios and figure out who they really are behind the words. I know their motivations, so I know why they do the things they do.

It's a fun experience for me. It really is like going back to visit friends I haven't seen in a long time. I'm catching up on their lives since the book ended and seeing what it is they want now. 2012 is apparently my year of sequels--once this novella is done, I'll be working on a sequel to Surfacing, and so I'm looking forward to getting back in touch with the characters from that book again. I'm sure it might feel a little strange once I get back to working on all new books after writing about characters I already know so well!

As a writer, do you often write about the same characters or do you prefer new people and worlds? As a reader, do you like standalones or do you want to get to know characters better over the course of many books?