February Teaser and Thoughts

First, I'm happy to introduce the next Arc. Arc IV, Migration, consists of 11 chapters running from 29 to 39 and has roughly 75,000 words. This means Migration is a little shorter than the Academy arc.

Migration itself can be broken into two sub-arcs. The first part covers Sylvia's arrival at the world tree. The second section resolves the loose thread that is the war in the Timeless Beryl Wilderness.

As for the specifics? I'll let you guess.

Now, onto better news. I'm planning to provide you fine fellows with a 2 to 4 chapter teaser in March. The rest will be posted here, in April. So look forward to it!

Posting on Space Battles 

Starting in mid-February or early March, I'll post the first 21 chapters of Netherwitch on the Space Battles forums. I have fond memories of Space Battles, thanks to Thaumatugic Awakening. I'm hoping to see some good discussion (fingers crossed).

That said, Space Battles isn't nearly the home of litRPGs and originals Royal Road is.

Reflections on Royal Road 

My overall impression of Royal Road was poor.

To be blunt, posting chapters on Royal Road was the single most stressful and miserable writing experience I've ever had, bar none. Which is a rather damning statement given I've been writing for 25 years and my first story, Umbra Aureola, was complete and utter trash.

In retrospect, I can see personal reasons as to why this was so draining. First, my expectations are a lot higher than 25 years ago. Second, I was posting a lot of material in short order. Third, I was dealing with an unfamiliar site with unfamiliar rules.

The remainder of my frustrations, however, land squarely on Royal Road itself.

Royal Road is a shooting gallery for authors. The writer puts his work out, bereft of all support, while the largely siloed audience is handed knives (not tomatoes) to huck at the performer should they like. Any joy that can be found, is shadowed by the constant fear of attack.

I could rant about the why's for days. But the core is as follows:

• A bad rating system that empowers 'hurting' far more than 'helping'.

• Excessive protection for the freedom of speech of the critics which, in turn, effectively denies these same freedoms to the fans and authors.

• A poorly designed comment system, which discourages real discussion and engagement.

• A limited number of slots for eyeballs, which creates a highly competitive environment. Competition which easily turns toxic.

As a software engineer, do have sympathy for the Royal Road devs and moderators. Likely, they are aware of these problem. Sadly, fixing problems often incurs harsh backlash. Users rarely like change and Royal Road is quite successful. The fear of killing the golden goose, no doubt, plays a major role in their decisions.

But, that doesn't change the overall result.

Now, what does all this mean to you?

To the people here on Patreon? Absolutely nothing. To those on Royal Road? Again, nothing -- yet. The Tartarus Arc will go up like normal. Migration though?

Well, if Space Battles proves a healthier environment, it'll certainly become the main point of release. Which is to say, Royal Road will receive chapters a few weeks after they are posted on Space Battles.

In the very long run, if my impressions of Royal Road don't improve, I might just decide to never post there ever again.

Reflections on the Readers 

I'm always appreciative of my readers. There is a joy in writing. It's a chance to create something that truly belongs to the author, a feeling I rarely get to experience as a Software Engineer because software is too complex and too large. More importantly, because in software, I don't have creative control.

Beyond this, there is an incredible affirmation in seeing my readers take joy in my work. To feel and know I've added something to the world that made it brighter.

So thank you. All of you. But especially the fellows who write engaging comments. :)