The Future of the Conceptual Deck (Patreon)

Hello! I hope everyone has had a good start to 2023!

So this post is one that I've been thinking about for a while. The Conceptual Deck is my first fanfiction, and has been an incredible learning experience. Some lessons I've learned as I write, others I've learned after I released the chapters. Either way, the story has evolved and changed dramatically since I first started. 

I've very much enjoyed the whole process of creating the Conceptual Deck, but I'm beginning to realize that a lot of my earlier mistakes are coming back to haunt me. Even as I enjoy writing it, its becoming harder and harder to do in ways that are satisfying and interesting. I find myself wanting something new, something where I can take what I have learned and apply it. I am also picking up on the readers, who's interests appear to be waning. This leads to a pretty big set of questions, the most important at the moment is, what happens to the Conceptual Deck? 

There are a few options on the table, all of which I am considering. The first is to pick a point in the story, something relatively soon probably, and put it under hiatus when it reaches that point. This leaves the story open for me to maybe return at some point, although the likely hood of that happening beyond occasional one-shot style story snippets is unfortunately unlikely.

The second option is to write an ending. I have had an ending in mind for a long time, but this is definitely rushing it. IMO the story isn't ready for its ending, but I'm not interested in writing the thirty to forty chapters that would take get it to that point. So this would be a rushed, sudden, but cannon ending.

The third and final choice is to abridge the ending. I could, hypothetically, write three or four chapters worth of abridged story, explaining what happens, what changes, some of the story-beats I had in mind, before describing the ending. 

Keep in mind that I would finish the current arc before doing any of these.

So, those are my options, as I see it. I have a favorite, but I would like to hear what everyone thinks. I understand that The Conceptual Deck is what brought a lot of you to my patreon, but I hope that you continue to support me as I begin the process of eventually starting a new story. I would really like to hear what everyone has to say.