Returning soon (Patreon)

Hi everyone, it's the middle of July and I am reporting in as promised.

Progress has been very good.  I feel...honestly, pretty well recovered.  I'm fully recuperated from the exhaustion, the stress and emotional breakdowns I was experiencing have faded, and I have my energy and focus back.  I've been doing some writing over the last couple of weeks, and it's been going well.  So I consider myself recovered enough to resume work, and I'm anxious to do so as soon as possible.

That's the good news.

The less good news is that, having recovered my overall physical and mental health enough to have a relevant context in which to interpret this observation, it has become inescapably clear that OVDT has become a big problem for me, mental health wise.  Of the various projects I have been plugging away at, I've tried to work on it as well and have just bounced hard off it.  Massive writer's block, immediately spiking stress when I try to focus on it, and general signs of complete burnout related to that project.

Which is...not ideal.  I already knew it was a growing problem for me and had planned to put it on official hiatus next time I reached a story milestone, but I really, really would like to finish Book 4 before doing that.  Right now, I am a bit uncertain of my ability to hit that point.

So, here's what I am going to do.  I will make one last attempt to re-launch OVDT as of what would be the usual Tuesday update, setting aside tomorrow to focus on it and get a chapter done for the Avenist-tier patrons, and resume the usual posting schedule from there.  If I am unable to accomplish that goal, or if doing so proves so difficult and mentally taxing that continuing to do it will just send me inevitably into another crisis before I can finish the book, then I will admit defeat and formally shelve OVDT for the time being.  I'll then move on to a different project for a while, which I will launch and give details about as soon as I am able to.  I've got a couple of things cooking and could potentially get one off the ground within another week or so.

I would hate more than I know how to express leaving OVDT where it is right now, just smack fucking dab in the middle of everything, but I have learned the painful lesson that if I don't acknowledge and work around my mental illness as necessary I will damage my brain, and then there'll be no more stories at all for who knows how long.  Also I'll be miserable, which I guess I should try to avoid.

So!  I'm officially resuming work!  Chapters will begin shortly - hopefully with the resumption of OVDT, and if not, with something else.

Thank you all so very much for being patient with me.  I'm sorry about the lack of content.  I promise I will do my best to put out something that's well worth your time just as soon as I'm able.