An Unexpected Development · 6:08am Feb 16th, 2023
Hey, do you guys remember around this time last year when I made this big blog post about how it was my ten year anniversary and I expected to publish my one 100th story in 2022?
Things have changed.
I've always tried to be upfront with you all. I don't enjoy being cryptic. So before I tell you about the year ahead, let me explain the reason for my lengthy hiatus in the second half of 2022.
My wife and I almost divorced.
It was a close one, guys. Damn close. There were a multitude of factors that I won't get into, but basically we were spending every moment fighting it seems. Fighting about big stuff. Fighting about little stuff. Fighting about money. Fighting about the kids. Fighting all the time.
And, for a while there, both of us were real tired of fighting.
But we've been together twelve years now. We've got two great kids. And, eventually, we were able to find common ground. There's still issues, but we both recognize that "this too shall pass" and that as hard as things can be right now, there is gold at the end of the rainbow. We've been through too much together to throw in the towel.
Obviously that sort of environment wasn't very conducive to writing. Couple that with my intensive work with the Festival of Fears? I had to step away. Remove one of my responsibilities.
My oldest responsibility.
I would love to sit here and tell you that I'm back full time, that I've got a dozen new stories in the pipeline... but I can't lie to you.
I'm not leaving, but I'm not coming back full time either.
The Wentz Brothers, those miracle financiers who helped me to bring a haunted house I designed six years ago to life, have given me an offer I couldn't refuse. As part of the development of this year's Festival of Fears haunted attraction, they've commissioned me to write a book of short stories inspired by the various haunted house themes. They're paying me to write it, and they're paying to see it published.
It's daunting. It's terrifying. And it could be the jump-start I need to achieve my dream; to tell my stories for a living.
Combine that with the fourth season of the Scarab Archives? I'm gonna be busy. So something's gotta take the back-burner. And, sadly, it's this.
Let me give ya'll an update on where I'm sitting horse-words wise;
-The next chapter of 'Lawmare' is 75% done. By my reckoning it has 2-3 chapters left after that.
-The full plot of 'the Cuckoo's Lament' is done and sitting, ready to be fleshed out. I don't know if it will be.
-A good friend helped me out of a financial spot a while back and all he asked for was a story in return. It's on the adult side of things and is 25% done.
-Out of the blue, I found myself exploring a little story about Micro Chips and Aria Blaze. It, also, is about 25% done.
-I am currently exploring which 'Scenes from a Life (Post-Villainy)' that haven't been written yet can be scrapped because there's less story there than I thought there would be.
And that's it.
Like I said, I'm not going anywhere. I still check out the site daily to read new stories and read the latest comments and reviews. That's not going to change. My hope is that while my output is going to remain snail-like going forward, it will be still be the high quality that you've come to expect from me.
Stay tuned...
-Jade
Damn. I’m sorry you’re in a rough spot right now, man. I hope you and your wife can work things out and find the option that’s best in the long run. I don’t have much experience with divorces besides my parents’, though theirs was never a great relationship, so I can’t really offer any real advice on that front. I wish you the best of luck in your endeavors!
Man! That's rough. Thankfully things turned out relatively alright in the end. And hey, it's pretty awesome you were given that offer. You are SO lucky! Wish I could get sn offer like that. Maybe someday soon. Take your time to work on the important stuff and making your dreams come true
damn :( hope you're both doing better now at least