This chapter hits an major milestone: 1 million words. Yes, A Dragon's Tale has now reached the point of near-absurd length. You all are my kind of crazy to stick with our heroes this long.
This chapter also marks the first chapter of act 4 (of 5 total), the previous chapter having closed out act 3. Slowly but surely we're moving towards the climax. (pun intended). And before you ask, I have no idea how many total chapters ADT will ...
2023-07-26 23:06:58 +0000 UTC View PostEDIT: Now available for $1 patrons. :)
The title of this chapter is "The die is cast"... so of course absolutely nothing happens of any significance whatsoever. Nothing at all. Honest. ;)
Also please note, there are a bunch of little "Easter eggs" in this chapter that relate to my recently published (to patrons) story, Strange Bedfellows. This chapter will make 100% perfect sense if you haven't read it, but I think the little Easter eggs...
2023-06-28 23:46:11 +0000 UTC View PostHi all,
Here it is: my first finished story that's set in the Ten Kingdoms! ^_^ As previously mentioned, this story is about how Lord Kalus, Shara, and Lyra came together and got their happy ending. It's about 104k words altogether and the short description is: "A noble knight and virgin princess forced together by a tyrant."
I won't delay any longer except to say this: I know that some of you might not like the reluctance aspect tha...
2023-06-19 17:34:51 +0000 UTC View PostEDIT: Now available for $1 Patrons!
Hi all,
The next chapter of ADT is attached. :)
Changing topics, I didn't get the editing done on "Strange Bedfellows" by this chapter's release as I'd hoped, but it's very close. I sent it to my editor, who graciously agreed to do an extra 5 months worth of editing (100k+ words) for this story.
The next ADT chapter (#49) will see some references to its events, so I'll release SB no later than June 21st so you will hav...
2023-05-31 21:48:07 +0000 UTC View PostEdit: Now available for $1/month Patrons! Also, I copy/pasted the notice below to a separate post earlier this month, so you probably already read it. :)
Another month, another chapter... this time with orcs! :)
In other news, I finally finished the story that tells the backstory for Lord Kalus and his wives, Shara and Lyra. And by "finished", I mean got a solid draft done that needs polishing before it's ready to be released. ($15/month patron...
2023-04-26 22:21:23 +0000 UTC View PostEDIT: Now availble for $1/month patrons! :)
So, I said that I wasn't going to write longer chapters anymore in the previous post, but this one is north of 24k words. However, this one was almost entirely written (though in dire need of editing) when I published the previous one... so does it really count? ;)
As always, I'd love to hear your thoughts/comments/opinions on the chapter, either here on Patreon or on Discord. Also let me know if you spot any t...
2023-03-29 19:47:07 +0000 UTC View PostEDIT: Now available for $1 Patrons!
Well here she is... another 25k word chapter.
I think all of these longer chapters are the reason I've been slowly falling behind on writing lately (not enough to affect the schedule; don't worry). 4x 25k word chapters = 5x 20k word chapters. I'm writing at the same rate but publishing words at a faster rate. So I'm going to be more disciplined with chapter endings going forward, since I'll keep falling behind if...
2023-02-22 22:51:59 +0000 UTC View PostSo, there's a continuity error in chapter 44 because of a last minute change I made right before publishing. I made this change by moving some lines after my editor and story consultant had gone through it, so it's entirely my fault. (Thanks to Michael56Smith for commenting on the post to point this out.)
The error was small to fix, (I only had to change 2 lines to eliminate it), and it wasn't huge story/plot/character wise, but admittedly...
2023-01-26 03:40:25 +0000 UTC View PostEDIT: Now available for $1/month patrons.
First chapter of the year! ^_^
So, it's almost 25k words. I just want to reiterate that 20k is a much more "normal" chapter length... despite the fact that they've been creeping longer lately. So don't necessarily expect 25k chapters every month. I still aim for 20k, but sometimes the chapter needs to hit a certain point before it ends, and occasionally I misjudge those points. When that happens, you get...
2023-01-26 00:13:38 +0000 UTC View PostEDIT: Now available for $1/month patrons. :)
Well, this is the last chapter this year, and what a year it's been. 1 year ago, chapter 31 opened with Rachel waking up on the day after her wedding night. A lot has happened since then, and plot events are going to start accelerating even more soon. I could've named this chapter "the calm before the storm", but chapter 6 already took that title.
Buckle up, because the next chapter (#44) will open the new yea...
2022-12-28 23:57:52 +0000 UTC View PostEDIT: not available for $1/month patrons.
Hi all, here she is. :)
Please also note, I created separate channels on the Discord server for each chapter, and made the previous ADT chat a "general" channel. So if you want to discuss the chapter, feel free to do so the in the chapter's channel (unless you haven't read it and don't want spoilers). I figured that should help with spoiler events, and as usual I love hearing your feedback.
Also, I pl...
2022-11-30 23:58:42 +0000 UTC View PostEDIT: now available for $1 patrons. :)
This chapter is about 25k words like chapter 39, but that's not the new normal (you need three to make a pattern ...right?). As always, I find myself having to restrain myself from commenting on the chapter to avoid spoilers.
Let me all know what you think in the comments below, or on Discord. Also, feel free to ask questions about ADT, especially on Discord. I promise I won't give spoilers, so if you're curious abo...
2022-10-26 23:09:15 +0000 UTC View PostIt seems there's been some confusion regarding when chapters are posted for different patron levels, so I'm going to pin this post and update it every month.
Patrons at the $1 level:
Patrons at the ...
2022-10-02 16:07:41 +0000 UTC View PostEDIT: Now available for $1 patrons!
There's so much I'd like to say about this chapter, but spoilers...
BTW, I started adding the "day" tags at the very end, stating on which day after Ethan's arrival the chapter begins and ends. Hopefully that'll help everyone keep keep track of the chronology better.
I would love to hear your thoughts as always, and enjoy!
Cheers,
Antiproton
2022-09-28 23:35:00 +0000 UTC View PostEDIT: Now available for $1/month patrons.
Here she is... ^_^ There's some stuff in this chapter that I've been building to for a while, so enjoy. :) As always, I love to hear your thoughts; on Discord preferably, but here on Patreon works too.
Anyway, enjoy the chapter!
Cheers,
Antiproton
2022-08-31 22:26:05 +0000 UTC View Post
EDIT: I changed/retconned the name of a city; see the comments for the reason.
I say "world map" but the world is much larger than the section pictured here. For starters, the wood elven kingdom is FAR larger than Ivernia; the bulk of it just isn't on this map. Also, there are locations on this map that we won't visit in ADT, but will in other stories set in the Ten Kingdoms. (Dragon Elder level patrons will recognize a couple.)
Hopefully the map is self...
2022-08-26 22:59:39 +0000 UTC View PostI've had a couple patrons reach out asking if the chapter was delayed. It hasn't been, just this month has 5 Wednesdays and I release new chapters on the last Wednesday of the month. The next chapter will drop on Wednesday the 31st, usually in the evening my time. (US Central time zone) It will be longer than usual though, about 26k words vs the normal 20k words.
For the Dragon Warriors and up, ($5/month and up), I'm releasing a...
2022-08-26 12:37:46 +0000 UTC View PostPatreon used to automatically integrate membership tiers into Discord, so simply becoming a patron with the same email as your Discord email was enough to give you the proper roles.
However, they (apparently) stopped automatic Discord integration without telling Patreon creators because it no longer works.
I mean, seriously? A little warning would've been nice. 2022-07-28 12:52:33 +0000 UTC View Post
EDIT: now available for $1/month patrons!
Here it is, fresh off the proverbial presses. There's some stuff in this chapter that I really enjoyed writing, but I can't say what because spoilers. I think I say something like that every month.
Anyway, enjoy!
This chapter has already been to the editor so you shouldn't have to deal with typos. From this month (July) onwards, that should be the case. ^_^ (I finally got caught up eno...
2022-07-28 00:10:40 +0000 UTC View PostI was DMing with a patron on Discord earlier today, and he suggested that I add a "day tag" in the chapter whenever the day changes so readers can see how much time has passed.
So for example:
So and so fell asleep.
* * *
-- Day 63 (Ethan's arrival in the Ten Kingdoms is day 1)
* * *
So and so woke up.
The idea is to let readers know how much time has passed between events/chapters. &...
2022-07-22 21:21:30 +0000 UTC View PostHi all, :)
Here she is; chapter 37. I really enjoy writing this story, and I'm glad you all enjoy reading it. I'd say more, like something about the chapter, but, then there would be the problem of spoilers... I'd love to hear your feedback; preferably on Discord, but here on Patreon works too. :)
Also, this chapter has already been to my editor so you shouldn't have to deal with typos. In the unlikely event that you spot one, let me know. From this m...
2022-06-29 22:25:38 +0000 UTC View PostHere you go, this month's chapter. :) I always want to say things about a chapter when I publish it... but then I'd have to give spoilers. Anyway, let me know what you think, especially on discord but here on patreon is okay too.
Also, a note. I made an edit to chapter 34 just before I published it publicly that's very small, but I thought significant enough to mention. When Lady Ekthros and Sarah are at the tailor's shop, Ekthros mentions "gilding the lily...
2022-05-25 21:35:25 +0000 UTC View PostHi all. :)
I'd love to say something about this chapter, but spoilers, so... I won't say much and let you get to it. If you see any typos, let me know.
Anyway, enjoy chapter 35!
Cheers,
-Antiproton
2022-04-27 23:56:18 +0000 UTC View Post
Yes, this is the dragon-steel version, though the shaft should have some Celtic-looking runes/designs on it. However, my CAD skills aren't nearly up to the task of creating them.
Fantasy stories often get war hammers wrong by making metal ones much too large. Think of a typical (large) fantasy war hammer and compare it to a sledgehammer or maul, and you'll get an idea of what those oversized ones would be like to actually wield.
By contrast, Ethan's war ...
2022-04-15 13:57:48 +0000 UTC View Post
Ethan needed a ranged weapon, and I wanted something different that most people wouldn't think of. I created this design in CAD to be a fantasy/magic version of the Roman Pilum, which does exactly what Selene said it does. Daggers are also super useful, so I combined them with magic.
(Note: The YouTube Channel "Scholagladitoria" has several videos on the pilum which were invaluable to me when designing this, so I thought I'd give him a shoutout.)
I freely admi...
2022-03-30 22:36:32 +0000 UTC View Post
EDIT: I forgot to mention that the green dot on the blade is the point of balance.
Here it is, Ethan's sword, or sword/spear, as drawn by me in CAD. A weapon like this did exist in history, and it was called a "sword-staff". However, this one doesn't have a wooden shaft, so that's not a great name for it.
I've spent a long time refining the design in CAD so that it would truly be a function sword if someone made it in real life. The profile and distal...
2022-03-30 22:35:59 +0000 UTC View PostHere it is. :) I particularly enjoyed writing this chapter, and I hope you enjoy reading it just as much. Let me all know what you think on Discord, or in the comments below if you're not on Discord. Let me know if you spot any typos and I'll get them fixed.
Enjoy!
Cheers,
-Antiproton
P.S. I have CAD drawings for the three weapons described in this chapter for $5/month patrons and higher.
2022-03-30 18:36:12 +0000 UTC View Post
(The last one didn't have the image; sorry for the mistake.)
I drew this in CAD a while ago because I needed it to properly draw Ethan's new weapons, on which it will make an appearance. I'm planning to release the CAD drawings for two of the weapons after the next chapter drops, either that same day or the day after.
So yes, you'll get to see full CAD drawings for Ethan's weapons.
(The one I haven't drawn yet is the new head for Ethan's h...
2022-03-16 19:54:01 +0000 UTC View PostHi all,
Here's the next chapter, and I've been looking forward to this one for a long time. And yes, what I foreshadowed in the last line of the last chapter will come to pass in this one. Drop a note and tell me what you all think. Preferably on Discord, but here on Patreon works too. :)
Enjoy!
-Antiproton
2022-02-23 23:54:12 +0000 UTC View PostI opened Discord this morning and they said I had to confirm my account with a phone number. I did, and then they immediately disabled my Discord account. I guess confirming a phone number violates their terms of service?
*shakes head*
I sent Discord an email and I'm waiting to hear back, though apparently they're "currently experiencing increase volumes" of help requests. I'll let you all know when things have been resolved, but unt...
2022-02-03 15:50:32 +0000 UTC View Post