Sequel, To Be or Not To Be

I've been working on my next novel and wonder why I succumbed to writing a sequel. A first novel is very easy because you can let the ideas and characters form as you go. With a sequel you have to remember the names, dates, places of all of the characters and sequences of the first novel. The research for new ideas is time consuming but necessary to make the story consistent. All in all I'm enjoying this new experience of making the pages come alive with visuals, dialogue and scenery. Ah! Gotta love a good writing experience.