Great Expectations

So, unless you've recently chosen some Unibomber lifestyle, or you're camped out in some hole in the earth a la Saddam Hussein, you've probably figured out that the next actor to don the ole cape and cowl is going to be none other than Ben Affleck.

And, no doubt, being aware of such news you've probably had a somewhat visceral reaction to it.

Admittedly, I had a sort of WTF moment. But then, I did the same when Heath Ledger was given the role of The Joker. #spoonfedmyshorts

With regards to The Dark Knight, I'm no purist. Frankly, I don't read the comics. The only real exposure I've had to the character has been through the movies, beginning with Tim Burton's play. But even still, the announcement took me by surprise.

I think it did so because the Christopher Nolan trilogy is so recent. My enjoyment of that series probably prejudices my reaction to the Batman vs. Superman news. As did my love of Ben Affleck's movies. He's a brilliant actor, but I just can't see it. Then again, I wasn't exposed to the audition reading, and anyway, what the hell do I know about the movies? Without a doubt, the choice is interesting. Can't wait to see how it pans out.

All this reaction, by the way, was observed by me, an author who is currently writing a sequel to my debut book, coming out in one year's time. Not that Gabriel Adam will grab the hearts and loyalty of fans in the same way as Batman, but the fact is, there will be those who read the first book, like it, and then expect as good or better of a reading experience in its sequel.

Currently, that notion is freaking me the F out.

So. Expectations. This is a tough one. Setting a standard can be a lot to live up to. How is one to overcome it? Difficult to say. My current plan is to outrun the reviews. Basically, to have the book finished before any reviews chime in. The peanut gallery can be horrible under the veil of the anonymity of the internet and I don't want the discontent, however much, to influence the narrative that's working its way out of my head. I'm hearing the same from much of my OneFourKidLit author pals.

Anyone got a tip or two as to how to overcome the Sophomore slump? Writing that Sequel Equal? Any sequel out there that did it better than the the original? Any ones that were worse?