Unfortunate News · 5:37pm Aug 30th, 2017
Hey guys, I know it's been a VERY long time since you've heard from me on here. It's been a year and a half since my last blog post, and it's mainly because I've been prioritizing other parts of my life.
Writing has gone from something that I had all the time in the world to do, to something I barely had time for, to something I don't have time for at all. I started writing fics on my own in my senior year of high school, when I had at least one free period every day, and some days I even had two free periods back-to-back. Those were the days where I would put out several chapters a week at 2K+ words each.
Now, I'm about to graduate college and my life has changed drastically. I've been focusing more on my artwork, as I've always been an artist first and a writer second. I've been doing more art commissions as well, especially in the past few months, and I also got a job this year. There's also my YouTube channel on top of that. Of course, with me being towards the end of my degree program, classes are no longer something that I can skate through with minimal effort like I could in high school and my first year of college.
So, after contemplating it for a very long time, I've decided to officially retire from fanfic writing.
This was a very hard decision to make, as this will mean Hate Thy Neighbor will be left unfinished despite being so close to the end, and that's the story I'm most proud of. One of the most common compliments I get from readers was my habit of consistently updating my stories and actually finishing them, and I took pride in that, but I am no longer in a position where that is possible. As much as I want to finish Hate Thy Neighbor and then retire once it's complete, I just can't do that. This was a lot easier when I was 16, but now I'm 20 and I have other things occupying my life now, things that I either can't compromise (school, work) or things that I'm more passionate about (my artwork, YouTube).
This isn't to say that I'm dissatisfied with where my life is at. I'm about to get my degree and I'm already making money off of my artwork, something I never thought I'd be doing this early in my life. Make no mistake that I am very happy, but that happiness came with sacrifices, sacrifices such as this.
For the Hate Thy Neighbor readers, I'm sorry that the story will be left unfinished, but be on the lookout for a blog post detailing the plans I had for the story's ending so that you can at least have some closure. I'm hoping to have that out sometime in September.
I'll still be hanging around the site, answering PMs and comments, and here are other places where you can find me:
You can catch up on my SFW art on deviantART: dA LINK
I post SFW and NSFW art on Tumblr and FurAffinity: TUMBLR LINK FA LINK
I stream art almost every day on Picarto.tv: PICARTO LINK
You can keep up with updates and such on my Twitter: TWITTER LINK
And of course, there's my YouTube channel: YOUTUBE LINK
If you guys have any questions or concerns, feel free to leave them in the comments below. Thank you all so much for your support, and I hope that those that will continue to follow my other endeavors will enjoy what I have to offer on those platforms.
Well good luck to wherever life may take you, friend!
That's a real shame. I always considered Hate Thy Neighbor to be your best story. So it's sad to hear it won't be finished, even though it doesn't come entirely unexpected.
But as someone who hasn't posted any updates in ages herself, I'm hardly in a position to critizise you for that. Sometimes priorities shift in life.
I wish you all the luck in the world for the other projects you've got going on.
Why retire? You could just turn it into a small hobby that you work on occasionaly
We all wish you well in all your future endeavours, Sketchy. Keep being awesome. :)
I hope you have a good life.
It's been good to have read your stories
4652917
Why retire?
That's why.
4652916
That was the most painful part about this decision: the fact that my best story was gonna be left unfinished, and it was so close to the end as well. Hopefully the closure journal I have planned will ease the pain for most.
Shame to see you stop, but good luck with your upcoming endeavors!
Well, it'll be a shame to see you leave, Sketchy. You were one of the only other changelings that I loved.
4652916
And oh my god, is that Akiza Izinski from Yu-Gi-Oh 5D's?
4652973
Yes, it is.
Sad to see ya go. Never had a chance to read your fic, but I see it was popular. Maybe (and forgive me if I already suggested this) you could hand the reins over to someone so it gets its offices ending?
Awww
Then again, it's understandable. Best of luck in your future!
At least stick around and bug us every once in a while, Sketchy.
Awww... Oh well, at least you'll still be doing something you love. But I don't mind about Hate Thy Neighbor not being completed, it was mostly MOBA: Aternate Perspectives I wanted to see a new chapter for. But I shall respect your choice, and I wish you good luck
Good luck man. Best wishes
4653015
I won't be leaving FIMFiction. I just won't be writing anymore.
4653002
I'd rather not do that. I prefer to have control over how my stories end.
Sketchy Changeling if I may make a suggestion coming from another artist. Don't retire from writing. More only do it when it feels like it's the right time to do it. Because I can tell you some night's you get tired of working on comissions and need a small change of pace or just need to beat frustrations out and drawing isn't working. So having the avenue open can come in handy when others feel closed off. But that's just a suggestion from one artist to another and as Olmac always said "The choices are yours and yours alone." Either way you decide, everyone here will be behind you a hundred percent.
4653083
I'm not retiring from writing. I'm retiring from fanfic writing.
This IS the right time to do it. I am no longer at a point where I can reasonably write fanfics on top of my other creative outlets. That is a clear sign that I cannot do it anymore. That era of my growth has passed, and while I do not regret any of the time I've spent writing my stories, it is time for me to move on.
Which is exactly why I do personal pieces in-between commissions so I don't get burnt out.
There are plenty of other things I can do besides writing fanfiction. It's not the only other outlet I have.
I appreciate your concern, but the whole point of this blog post was to explain that art and fanfiction aren't the only things in my life anymore. I have other outlets that I am more passionate about now, and I don't have the time for it that I used to.
That is pretty unfortunate.
But it's your decision, and we will respect it. For what it's worth, I hope you get back that spark back someday.
Best of luck with all your future endeavors.
4653123
I do have the spark, but it's not for fanfiction anymore. I think it's safe to say that that era of my life is over. I have my own original stories that I want to get out there, and I want to put more focus on that as well as my artwork, which you can find by following the links at the end of the blog if you're interested.
The spark has never left, it's just taken a new form.
Damn, another author bites the dust. Enjoy doing what you do, and do it well.
Just follow your heart and everything will be ok. :) Wish you luck and prosperity.
It's okay, man. We understand. Do whatever makes happy
4653152
*looks at username*
Hmmm...are we related?
Damn, it's a shame you couldn't finish it, but good luck with whatever you do in the future.
It's a damn shame Hate thy Neighbor will never be finished but life is life and sometimes people move on.
Oh my, oh no. THat made me actually very sad. That was a hell of a story, and I LOVE every chapter that you've wrote so far, and holy hell it was so good while it lasted. Well then, good luck in your endeavours friend, t'was a good tale, too bad it would not end... `
Oh my, oh no. THat made me actually very sad. That was a hell of a story, and I LOVE every chapter that you've wrote so far, and holy hell it was so good while it lasted. Well then, good luck in your endeavours friend, t'was a good tale, too bad it would not end... `
Eh, you don't strike me as the fanfic type anyway
And you've been one of my favorites, too.
Nevertheless, duty/life calls, I suppose.
So God bless you.