The Future of my stories: VERY IMPORTANT BLOG POST. · 8:00pm May 12th, 2022
I need to start by saying that if you read ANY of my blog posts. This is a big one to read. I will be talking about the future of ALL my stories on this site, and what I will be doing going forward.
So, let me try and break it up for you a bit so if you want to skip certain parts you can. I implore you though, the entire post will help sum up what I'm feeling and why I'm making the post in the first place:
FIRST UP: MY WORK SITUATION:
So I've talked about work before and used it as an excuse several times for why writing gets stalled. Sadly it's not much different here. Basically within ONE WEEK we went from having a full deli team to just me and Miss K (not her name, but it's what I'll refer to her as here) Miss K and I are good but we can't carry the section all on our own. She doesn't work Weekends at all, and I working Sunday usually means I come in after one of the busier days of the week, except no one who really knows HOW to run the deli is there on Saturday. So I have to build it up as best I can Sunday so Miss K doesn't come in to a nightmare on Monday. Since that day I've been working noon to 9pm everyday I work, which is every day except Thursday and Saturday.
I also remind you that I bike 9 miles to get there, so this sadly leaves me kinda burned out. For Valentine's day I took a week off specifically to work on "Don't Bet on it" and my other stories. Since that week not much progress has been made.
Again, sadly I'm a bit burned out to want to work on something like writing. I'd much rather veg out and watch anime, or maybe play a videogame.
I turned 40 last year, and this is my situation. The fact of the matter is... I'm kinda getting tired of it. I'm sick of having no one to help my department at work, and those that do come in, don't stay, or try and half ass their work, leaving me with more to do.
I've not had too many things I've desired to do for a living, or goals like that, but I kinda would like to see if I can get into something that isn't this. I didn't exactly want to do retail/fast food for my entire life.
SO WHAT DOES THAT MEAN?
Well... it means I kinda want to try to have some confidence in myself and actually try and write a story that's not based on already existing media. Something I created and wrote myself, and well... yeah something that who knows? Maybe I can try publishing it. Maybe I can try and make some money from it. I'm fully aware it might not work out, but I guess that's kinda a thing of life right? You at least try, and well I do want to try. It could end up failing, but at least I'll have made an attempt.
THE PROBLEM:
So if I do that though... I kinda need to focus on those stories I want to do first and foremost. For once my writing wouldn't just be a hobby, but a means to possibly earn some cash and maybe be allowed to lessen the time I work my day job, and while I don't want to get a big head. Hey if I'm really lucky I might be able to make that my job. I'll be honest that I'm afraid to reach for that as it feels like me getting an ego and setting myself up to fail, but I guess most people might feel that? Regardless, I want to try something rather then just going with the flow like I have been.
BUT... WHAT DOES THAT MEAN FOR MY STORIES HERE?
As most, if not all, of you have probably concluded. Yeah if I was to do this, all stories on this site would basically either stop updating indefinitely. Or just... stop entirely. Hell I'm not sure I'd even be able to leave them up. Given I kinda want to write in the Young Adult genre. I might have to purge most of my work here. I don't like that idea, but I don't see what choice I have otherwise if it comes down to it.
SO IS THERE A WAY TO CONTINUE MY STORIES HERE AT ALL?
The answer is maybe, and it's a maybe I hate having to resort to, but it's been a few years now and I think I need to accept facts.
I've said several times I'm sure that since I don't make money from these, it's strictly a hobby and thus is subject to being pushed aside for other hobbies if that's what I feel like doing.
So, much as I hate having to type/say this. I'd have to find a way to get some money from this. Basically like setting up a Patreon or something, and I don't even know if that's a thing I can do. I swear I see people removing clop stuff from this site because Patreon doesn't like it.
If I did set something like that up, I think I might try to have something where people got to vote on what story gets updated next, and I'd simply make sure I churned out that update in a timely fashion. Yes it takes me forever to write it seems, but again that's because it's a hobby that I've kept the option of setting aside open. If I'm being paid, that's a different story. I wrote Don't Bet on It from scratch in about three days because I wanted it done for Valentine's day. I know I can do this.
We'd have to keep it one update a month probably as work still sucks. I could possibly change that if I somehow actually made enough that I can take more time away from my day job to work on this. It's all very much a 'Maybe" thing right now. I obviously have no idea how this would actually play out. Hell I don't even know if I'm truly a good enough writer to do something like this. It's not like I'm doing fan comics or something where you see that artist Patreon's getting decent numbers of support.
Hell maybe I can try and take a few commissions at that point. Try to make it worth my supporters in that time.
THE FALLOUT:
The issue I have with this is yes. I feel like I'm holding my stories hostage, and I don't really feel there is another way to say that. I think I basically am, if not outright am.
I don't feel great about doing it. I hate the idea that I have to do this, but looking back on everything. I can't keep doing this. I can't keep hoping things will get stable at my job and I'll be able to churn out stories like this no problem, and to be honest? I really DO want to write my own stories. Create my own worlds. I just... really don't want to just STOP writing here and turn all my stories "Dead" in order to do so.
HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT ALL THIS?
So this comes to this. How do you feel about this? Does this sound like something you could support? I know a lot of you probably can't. I don't know if any of you can or care to, but... I have to try something. I NEED to try something. Something has to change regardless of what happens here.
If trying to set something up like this for here isn't possible I can leave it all up as long as I can at the very least. I'll let you know if I absolutely MUST purge my stories and give you ample time to get them if you wish. Hell if it turns out that has to happen, I'll even give a summery of what was suppose to happen. I know it's not the best solution there, but the sad fact is if I have to remove my stories from this site in order to continue my path as a legit writer, I'll have to do it, and that will most certainly mean I'll never get to finish these.
WHAT WOULD I BE WORKING ON INSTEAD?
If it comes down to me having to put these stories away to focus on something I might be able to try and publish someday. I can only hope that you understand my situation and decision and maybe continue to follow me as I go into new ventures, and read my new original work if you find it interesting.
I have two idea I've always wanted to write:
One deals with Unicorns. It'd involve a teenage boy being given the form and powers of a unicorn mare. This would give him the mare's body and while the unicorns of my stories can take human shape, and he'd now have a female body. For those of you who know my stories, hopefully you'll enjoy reading about him trying to deal with this. However be advised. I'd be going for a Young Adult book here. There will be no mature content. (And honestly I'm not sure how well the gender bending will go over with trying to get it published, but this is the story I want to write)
You can actually read a small snippet of it here:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1hoNBZjCboU8FwZNYIWRtBMTnh2wFVFB-HIOKjQEHWIM/edit?usp=sharing
That is a VERY rough draft I wrote on a whim, but the idea for this world and story have been brewing in my head for a while now.
The other idea I have is something I came up with before the Isekai craze went full swing.
The basic gist of it is it starts in space with a (thinking genetically enhanced) guy ending up being hurled through space and crash lands on a planet that has magic. There he ends up helping out a nearby Princess and her kingdom fend off an invading kingdom/empire that can make all sorts of monsters, and our hero uses things like guns and the like to do battle. I've wanted to tell this story for a LONG time, and have a lot of it mapped out in my head, but never did anything because I've been trying to focus on my work here...
FINAL THOUGHTS:
Thank you if you read all/most of that. I'm seriously happy you took the time. I'm sorry it's come to this. I really wish I could just keep giving you great entertainment without worry, but I am sorry. I really do need to try something else then what I've been doing.
I hope you understand, and again. Thank you.
Well, I've been following your work this long, a change in media won't dissuade me. Certainly won't be the first young adult series I've read, and it won't be the last.
Do what's best for you. The collective will endure.
if you do end up needing to take down your story's from here would you be up for some one reupload them so there not lost forever and not under your name mines the rights for
exp reupload some one would downlow your story's and then purt your name in the description down below so you still get the credit for writing them
5657065
Honestly, I'm not sure. I personally don't mind it as I don't want to take them down in the first place, but it if comes down to "We can't have these kinds of things linked to your name" Well... I won't be able to allow that.
What I'd like to do is set up the Patreon thing and make enough money to allow me to finish all my stories here, and THEN maybe go into making my own stuff. It's just yeah. I'd have to have the support of you my loyal readers. I can't keep going the way things are, and it kills me to have to basically present a choice like this, but I need to do something to help my situation, and sadly it's either I do a Patreon, or I just flat out stop all writing here and focus on doing writing that might lead to any sort of income. :/
My gut instinct is that you have a higher earning potential with general audience publications rather than here, but I think you probably want to find someone who has published paywalled works of fiction to set proper expectations.
But I'm unsure as to why you'd have to delete your works here; I don't know how stories published on separate website or hardcopies would be connected to this site? Or if it's a worry about payment systems showing all works, maybe have a ko-fi account for here, and patreon for general audience publications?
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Honestly I might be fretting about nothing, but the general idea is along the lines of this: Remember when James Gunn got fired because of something he said on the internet ten years ago?
Say the impossible happens and I end up signed up to some publisher that publishes children/young adult books. Then someone manages to link me to porn I wrote on the internet. It likely won't end well. This is why a lot of authors sometimes purge their works from online. Because they can't allow that.
Right now the plan I'm leaning toward is doing something like the ko-fi (not sure what that is, will look into it, but guessing it works like patreon in a way) for here and letting people vote on the story that gets the next update, and then actually updating that since I'm being paid to do so.
I'm thinking of even having some commission slots open. I've avoided it in the past because honestly I don't consider myself that great an author, but well if people don't mind me taking a crack at it, I'm more then willing.
Big fan of your work so far, be willing to support any future endeavors that I can. Definitely will need to download copies of your stories here if you do take them down so just give us a little bit of warning before you do if you can! You got to do what's best for you!
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If it comes down to that I'll be certain to give plenty of warning. Don't you worry.
Hope whatever you choose works out for you.