Update: Release, Bloopers, Isekai Terry, and the Next Week or So
Added 2024-07-01 02:48:20 +0000 UTCNot that anyone really needs the reminders, but the Volume Three chapters will mostly be moving out of the public section and behind the paywall for the $3 tier tomorrow to satisfy Amazon's exclusivity clauses. Also, the Volume Three ebook goes live on Tuesday, July 2. You can preorder a copy here.
Now, I talked with my publisher. If everything goes right right, the audiobook for Volume Three will get a simultaneous release on Tuesday. The ACX/Audible people have said that it will, but we're relying on their people to do things behind the scenes that we have no control over. It didn't get submitted early enough for a pre-order window, sadly, but you should be able to grab a copy on the 2nd. Yes, I'll post a link after it goes live.
I usually do a little reminder note in the last chapter of each volume that I'll be (theoretically) taking a few days off and that a bloopers chapters is coming. Things are a bit different this time around. A bloopers chapter for Volume Nine will appear in the next few days, assuming I can find a way to funny up a pretty dark volume. I usually have some ideas about which scenes will get the humor treatment, but not so much this time.
While I would normally take a few days off right now, there is the matter of Isekai Terry. Unlike a lot of the things that I post sporadically on here, that book is already under contract and the first draft is supposed to be done tomorrow. Clearly, that's not going to happen. I wasn't very motivated these last few weeks for reasons that most of you are aware of, so it's only about half done. Here's the thing. I still need to finish it. It's not optional. So, for the next week or so, or until it's done, that will be my primary project. At that point, I really will need a break.
That turn of events is also probably a good thing. I've been working pretty relentlessly on Unintended Cultivator for the last 14 months straight. I've written 9 books in that series alone. Over 1 million words of story with Sen. That's about the same number of books that more traditional authors put out in a decade. Working on something else full time for a little while will be a nice mental break for me.
Even so, all of that is also what I've been told is an unhealthy work/life balance. I mean, I don't even take weekends off, which I think has set up unhealthy expectations from some subscribers. I have people unsubscribe if I only post one chapter on a day. It's worse if I miss a day entirely. I don't know if I'm the most productive writer on Patreon, but I'd hazard that I'm probably in the top 5%.
The truth is, I like writing every day. I'm probably going to keep doing it. I'm less of a fan of feeling like I'm jeopardizing my living if I don't want to work seven days a week, every week. So, after I finish Isekai Terry and take a few days off, expect that there will be a formal change to the admittedly vague posting schedule. I'm not sure exactly what it's going to look like, but it'll likely be a five days per week schedule. I imagine I'll stick with the 2 chapters per day thing.
I may still post chapters on weekends. Hell, I probably will sometimes, but it needs to come with the understanding that those chapters are bonus chapters. I probably won't assign myself times to post. At least not at first. My sleep schedule has been so erratic that would be setting myself up for failure.
I know that this will frustrate some subscribers. I know some people will unsubscribe because of it. It's not what I want, but I'll just have to live with that. It does come with some advantages, though. If I'm writing on days when I'm not posting, it'll let me build up a little reserve of chapters that I can use if I get a migraine. I won't be working, but you'll still get chapters. It will also give me some room to work on some of the backburner projects that people routinely ask about, like Rinn's Run and Forde Voss.
In the meantime, though, expect a bloopers chapter and, if you're in the appropriate tier, a flurry of Isekai Terry chapters. Who knows? An Unintended Cultivator short story might even appear.
Comments
Okay, so I've finally caught up. I've read volumes 2 to 9 in the span of a week, which probably wasn't healthy on my part. According to my screen time for Microsoft Edge (I use it for the TTS), I've been spending 8-10 hours on the app for the last 5 days. Anyway, I'm sure you don't care about that. I just wanted to say that this might genuinely be one of my favorite cultivation books that I've read in a while. You took the rather basic setting of a cultivation world and added a luster to it that I haven't seen in most cultivation novels. Your world feels alive, as if most of the characters exist. I'm not going to say that all your characters are perfect (I'm a professional Li Yi Nuo hater), but I still enjoyed the dynamics between characters and the amazingly done character development, especially for Sen. This is most evident in volume 9, which is probably my 2nd-3rd favorite volume of the entire series. (If you're wondering, volume 3 is my favorite, volume 5 was second, and volume 2 was third.) Anyway, I truly love your works. I hope you carry on. I do think you deserve a break, though. Two chapters a day for 7 days is genuinely insane. I don't know how you do it while keeping up the quality of your chapters (I'm saying this as an author as well). Also, all those small comments about your health, like the mentions of migraines, bugs, and so on, are probably all indications that you should take a break. As much as I'd like the thought of 4 more volumes coming out so I can binge them in one fell swoop, your health is more important. Thank you for your great work
DeathTick
2024-07-02 17:17:18 +0000 UTCHey, I like my unhealthy expectations and even championed them in my last comments! I think most people follow good stories, even when the cadence changes. Shirt didn't feel the pinch by changing. Neither did TFD. I refused to subscribe to Mantis for a measly 2 chapters a week and just 11 chapters ahead of a free read. Yet, he magically pulls a quarterly subscription from my pockets. In short, quality is king. Set a sustainable pace and continue to deliver high quality writing.
Fozzy
2024-07-01 15:01:15 +0000 UTCOK, anyone who unsubscribes because you take a day off is ridiculous. I can virtually guarantee *they* take days off from work. From a personal perspective, what I care most about is quality. I'd rather have one chapter a week that is high quality rather than 5 half-assed chapters that suck (from any author). The fact that you can keep high quality while writing so much is insane. People forget there's more to writing a book than just the chapter word count...you have to prep, you have to research, you have to check your story outline, you have to update your outline as things change, you have to review and ensure you didn't make story or grammar mistakes, etc. There's a lot more writing and thinking that goes into "one chapter" than just the content of that chapter, and unless you are the absolute god of pantsers I'm pretty sure you have at least some level of outline and prep work done for your stories. That takes time and effort, and the longer a story gets, the more you need to ensure you are being consistent with your characters and worldbuilding as people will notice inconsistencies. Getting 5 chapters a week is still more than I get from most of my author Patreons; 3-4 per week is more common. Don't burn yourself out, and thanks!
HunterIV4
2024-07-01 13:16:30 +0000 UTCSo un other words. You are too good at what you do and our butts have gotten entitled to tell you how to write and how much to write. BS in its stinkiest form. Thanks for making Mr smile each day.
Barbara Collier
2024-07-01 10:10:20 +0000 UTCThank you. SHORT STORY: PATRIARCH SMACKDOWN or BIG BIRD!
Barbara Collier
2024-07-01 10:06:38 +0000 UTCSustainability in terms of the actual writing isn't really the problem. Sustainability in terms of staying in a good headspace is the problem. I can make myself write in cold blood, but it's a LOT more effort. If I get to a point like I was at a few weeks ago where I want to kill off my main character, that's when my productivity really suffers. Every second at the keyboard felt like torture. I was looking for any excuse not to write. I don't mind working hard. Working hard and hating what I'm doing at the same time is a different story. If I can stay in a good headspace, 2 or 3 chapters a day is pretty sustainable for me. It's five or six hours of work that feels like 2 hours of fun. If my headspace deteriorates, that turns into 5 or 6 hours of work that feels like 12 hours of work.
Eric Dontigney
2024-07-01 07:29:08 +0000 UTCFrankly your output level is ridiculous. I really enjoy the continuous story and the frequent responses to comments, but I do wonder about how sustainable that is. Some other authors write content in advance and only post on a fixed schedule regardless of if they have 2 chapters done or a backlog of 50. A system like that might give you a way to keep steady output at a level you like and get a sleep schedule rebuilt... I like to see the story continue but would prefer it continues for years even at a slower pace vs the risk of burnout and a long break where it sucks to even think abouf writing.
BigFun
2024-07-01 05:56:26 +0000 UTCThanks for the update! And yeah, you do you. Take care of yourself. You pace is already crazy, if you can see to your health a bit better all the more reason to do it.
CentaureHeart
2024-07-01 05:51:33 +0000 UTCHonestly, you write so much that sometimes I have to stop myself from comparing & feeling let down by other writers. Take the time you need to take, to take care of yourself first & foremost
Emma1997
2024-07-01 05:49:56 +0000 UTCAnyone who says that stepping back from forcing yourself to work 7 days a week is unacceptable isn't someone worth listening to. You're a successful writer with published books. You are not beholden to us. I doubt anyone except the most callous people would be opposed to you taking a well deserved break, particularly since it's both been 14 months of continuous output, and more often then not pushing yourself to work through migraines (which again I can't express my sympathy for enough) Enjoy yourself
Captain Nuclear
2024-07-01 05:29:29 +0000 UTCI would be flabbergasted if you weren't in the top percentile on word count, and much higher in terms of writers producing meaningful quality on a consistent basis.
BelligerentGnu
2024-07-01 04:19:28 +0000 UTCThanks for the update I'm thankful for the wonderful story whenever you can drop a new chapter or volume depending on if up keeping up at the time.
LICKnTILC
2024-07-01 04:10:14 +0000 UTCSword forging scene. Replace with something silly.
luda305
2024-07-01 03:07:19 +0000 UTCI have always been both blown away by the pace at which you write and concerned about it's sustainability. I think 5 chapters a week would still be amazing if that gives you room to build up a buffer, do some editing of novels about to go live, and just live your life. It's awesome that you love writing so much and we love reading it! I think the lack of an official schedule has made it seem like we should expect 2 chapters a day. Heck, I've stayed up late telling myself, "The second chapter will get posted in 4 hours." So, I really welcome setting reasonable expectations for all of us. And I am not going to stop reading just because there is not a chapter on Saturday - many of the other authors I read post 1/week. If I'm interested in the story, I'll keep reading. Also, very excited to see what new mess Terry has gotten himself into!
Newbie_101
2024-07-01 03:03:51 +0000 UTCPost when ya can. So far I havent had any problem with how often your posting. I always want more of course lol. But i feel like im getting my moneys worth. Lol
Jeremy Patrick
2024-07-01 02:57:52 +0000 UTCThanks for the update! You're by far the most prolific writer I currently follow and I'm definitely ok with you slowing down a little. It's a marathon not a sprint ๐ looking forward to more isekai terry and bloopers whenever they arrive.
Austin
2024-07-01 02:56:42 +0000 UTC
