Extended Progress Update: 3 May 2024

Hi Returning Visitors,

Key highlights of this update and reminders:

• My typical gentle nudge to remember to add my email address can be found here. It's important for the TFS character portrait inquiries and welcome message I promptly send out. Also, remember to check your spam folder and to reach out to me, if needed.

• This month's Content Schedule published recently! 😁

• POVs will abound this month along with other content that's geared towards the upcoming tea party in Book Two and what I've been working on.

• The Corvin family dinner chapter is going strong! 🍝👀🦝

• Book Two Snippet: I have used the pasta emoji many times when talking about this chapter, so now let's have a snippet where I mention pasta for ~balance~.

I'm going to touch on a few things from May's Content Schedule before sharing about my writing blitz!

Alternate Perspectives

This month's writings include POVs that delve deeper into some key moments from TFS: Book One. Many of you have commented that you enjoy learning about the characters' views on things, which is why I'm excited about sharing these. For Mal-mancers, earning the second letter of their name, the A, can be an oddly intimate experience before your ROs might clash or trade words. I enjoyed letting Mal have room to admire and observe before getting to the scene you all read; it gives you insight into someone mysterious. Naturally, B's POV after the failure to leave town will be emotionally intense, but I'm looking forward to you understanding more of their avoidance we see in Book Two. (I mean, they're already justified and dealing with a lot; let's dig even deeper.)

From the above paragraph, you'll be able to tell that I've either written or heavily outlined both of the writings. I have! :D You know how I shift gears back and forth, always pivoting with a constant bearing in Fernweh. 🌲 I was able to spend a good chunk of April writing on the Corvin family dinner after finishing up the granular outline. (We got into that in our last update!) I plan to do the same thing this month to create tens of thousands of words because this chapter's scope deserves that.

As to where I'm at in the outline rn, your Returning Visitors have met both of the elder Corvins and entered their home for more encounters! R. Verner has also arrived for you JR-mancers, which has been exceedingly fun to write since they just… aren't there in other versions? 🤔 The coding points and story beats have to align to ensure the flow works either way, but mygosh, you're in for a different feel when R is present! While the obvious changes are necessary and fun, I don't want to overlook the subtler ones too. How Mrs. Corvin might intervene or steer a crushing A away from an MC who had a past crush on J comes to mind. How B-mancers who triggered the A/B crush and still decided to deliver (🙃) those cookies is accounted for. How a MC who's now only romancing Mal (as in: they chose Mal over JR at the earliest chance) and named the TFS dog 'Aurum' can get a slightly sad/awkward scene about that change. There's much more, but I'll stop.

So, yes, the chapter is still going strong, but it's also understandably still going, lol.

I'm eager to get back to working my way through the sea of bullet points that form my outline!

Our most recent alpha drops was a few days ago. 🌲 I hope that you're enjoying exploring the different interactions across your Returning Visitors and/or alternate playthroughs. Quite a few of the scenes made me smile, especially the ones with Judith. She's so cheeky! Speaking of cheeks, you'll get even more time with A in the future. They're meant to shine more this book. 💛 (They're also the reason why the chapter I'm working on will have an ever higher word count--the variation and how nice/not-so-nice they can be.)

Also, aside from Judith making me smile, you all do as well with your funny/sweet/thoughtful/insightful comments and DMs! 🥰 They are lovely to read! I view them as pick-me-ups while I'm writing heavily, and sometimes they even inspire me to add more options. A Lacuna Ramble later this month was inspired by a patron's MC's (Rose's! 🌹) snark level. I often save your comments, and I wanted to thank you for your support/encouragement of me and TFS.

[Spoilers Ahead!]

Here's an excerpt from Book Two:

(It features an A. Corvin with a crush on the MC, which is something you, the reader, can decide.)

Alina

"Hey," you kindly greet her. "What're you making there?"

The fluid motion of Alina's fingers stutters when you're close to her side, dulling years worth of pasta practice. She's still receptive to you, smiling faintly before reluctantly glancing away to the cut sheet of dough. "Tortellini. They're James's favorite, but I could use an amazing helper, so…" Alina pinches another delicate envelope, creasing it further. "Would you be up for it?"

"Sure," you reply. "Let me just wash my hands."

Alek

"Hey," you kindly greet him. "What're you making there?"

The fluid motion of Alek's fingers stutters when you're close to his side, dulling years worth of pasta practice. He's still receptive to you, smiling faintly before reluctantly glancing away to the cut sheet of dough. "Tortellini. They're Jane's favorite, but I could use an amazing helper, so…" Alek pinches another delicate envelope, creasing it further. "Would you be up for it?"

"Sure," you reply. "Let me just wash my hands."

Alex

"Hey," you kindly greet them. "What're you making there?"

The fluid motion of Alex's fingers stutters when you're close to their side, dulling years worth of pasta practice. They're still receptive to you, smiling faintly before reluctantly glancing away to the cut sheet of dough. "Tortellini. They're James's favorite, but I could use an amazing helper, so…" Alex pinches another delicate envelope, creasing it further. "Would you be up for it?"

"Sure," you reply. "Let me just wash my hands."

This scene changes based on multiple dynamics (romance, A's crush on the MC, the MC's past crush, and friendship)! It's challenging to get the interaction where the MC actually helps with the pasta shaping. 🍝 Being in romance with only J. Corvin makes this scene even more interesting due to what A. Corvin has witnessed. 👀

(There are 8 distinct variations for this before accounting for the A/B crush or the potential jealousy scenes that add more pages afterwards. 👁👁🙃😘 Think of all the pastabilities!)

Wishing you all a lovely and safe weekend!