Weekly Check-In (Plus a Rant) (Patreon)

RANT ENGAGE!

I admit, I'm a little bummed out after this week.  The chapters I released on Patreon are fun, and I think they've been well-received.  However, I've come to realize that Royal Road is definitely not a healthy way (for writers) to release books.  There's a part of me that acknowledges that looking at comments is always going to be a losing prospect, because even if they're overwhelmingly positive (and they are), I'll always focus on the negative ones.  Sometimes, their criticism is valid.  I'm not perfect, but even with that, I stand by my narrative decisions.  If I write something in a particular way, I'm doing it because I think it's the best way to steer the story in the direction I want it to go.  I get that, and I can usually only say, "If you don't like it, nobody's forcing you to keep reading."  

However, what really bugs me is when people criticize the story for not being what they want it to be.  For instance, I remember one commenter who criticized the story for being dramatic, and actually wanted it to be more like Azarinth Healer.  While I liked that one for what it was, Death: Genesis was never supposed to be a slice-of-life story.  Instead, it's a dramatic action-adventure book that will probably only rarely delve into slice-of-life territory.  That was pretty clear from the first few chapters, I thought.

It's also a little annoying when people view the characters as game pieces and only think about their development in terms of how they can kill things better.  They never think about it like the character is a real person who will make bad decisions based on psychological trauma.  For example, though Zeke keeps it bottled up most of the time, he's a damaged person who spent two years underground with only monsters (that were trying to kill him) for company.  Is it really such a leap to think that he'd latch onto people after that?  That he'd want to keep them safe?  That he would want to protect them?  That he would, after only being with him for a short time, risk his life to save Tucker, if for no other reason than because he wants a friend who isn't a bear, zombie, or his lover?  Even if it's the wrong decision, it's consistent with the character.

I know that every writer wants to trust their readers to read between the lines and pick up on subtext, but I sometimes wonder if it wouldn't be better to just club people over the head with it.  

In the end, I'm well aware that I can't please everyone.  Sometimes, the story just won't click with people, and that's okay.  For example, when Zeke goes on one of his well-trod genocides, there are always people who complain that he killed them without reason (despite there always being good reasons to kill them).  Then, if Zeke decides to trust a sentient being who's thus far done nothing to harm him or his group and free her, there are plenty of people who complain that he didn't just kill a captive in cold blood.  In that instance, it turned out to be a mistake, but that's the thing - people make bad decisions all the time.  Zeke's been doing it since the very beginning of the story.  It's almost a theme at this point.  Will he learn?  Maybe.  Will he get better?  Probably.  But he's still just a damaged guy in his early twenties (an age where everyone makes all the right choices, right?).  It's going to be a long road.

Anyway - that's my rant for today.  I'm assuming most will probably ignore it (because who wants to read my whining?), and that's valid.  I shouldn't be complaining, given how successful this has been.  But I just wanted to get this off my chest, and I figured that you all would understand where I'm coming from.

RANT COMPLETED!

So - like every other week, this is also my check-in post.  If you have any questions, comments, or concerns, here's where to stick them.  I'm really excited about where the upcoming mini-arc, and I think you'll all enjoy it immensely.  

And for those who have complained about the cliffhanger yesterday, sorry - I didn't plan for that to be a Friday post.  

As always, if you haven't done so yet, please leave a rating and review on Royal Road (click HERE to be redirected to the story's listing), it helps out a ton for you to do so.  It not only increases the story's visibility, it also helps keep me focused and in a positive frame of mind.  Like almost all writers, I am a validation junkie, so keep that in mind.  If I get at least a few positive ratings or reviews, I might have to increase the number of available chapters next week.  Just saying...