Progress Report (Patreon)

A week has come and a week has gone in what seems to me the blink of an eye.

Or, better yet, two eyes.

I've been getting back into the swing of things, both writing-wise and in my job (for that pesky real life never quite leaves us alone). This report comes a day later because I wanted to announce what yesterday I could not: I finished scene four of the chapter!

Now, we'll be getting to the most branchy scene — and also one of the last, since this chapter has six. There's a part in it that I'm a bit unsure about, a bit nervous to start, a bit apprehensive about how it'll develop. But the unpredictability makes writing that much more exciting! And, once I do manage to put the words down into virtual paper, it makes it that much more rewarding.

This week I also finished fixing and editing the feedback my last alpha tester sent me. It's amazing how much a fresh set of eyes can see, how they can easily identify errors that were hidden from me. It's also so... wonderful to have someone excited about what you're writing. Creating is, oftentimes, such a lonely endeavor, and it's easy to get stuck in your head. So it's amazing when, even in an email detailing a bunch of typos and errors, someone takes the time to tell me: hey, I really liked this particular passage.

It brings a silly smile to my face.

Here is the passage, for those of you who might be curious:

"Books, child, are much like people. Time eats at them, and much like people, they grow old and weathered, and the parchments dry and crinkle while the once-proud ink fades. It's our job, my job, to preserve them, to make them beat even the sacrilege of time."

Next week should be relatively calmer, and I hope I'll have more time to write. The goal is to finish 2/3 of scene 5! I want each path to really be unique, and I'm even considering adding a... choice that may make things messier but so much more entertaining. Especially for those who like to play darker Romanus, the kind who definitely has a bigger mark on the palm of their hand.

I'm still debating since it'll have far-reaching consequences but... I'm leaning towards adding it! I want to finally start playing with the corruption mechanic.

That's it! Meet me again next week, under the deepening shade of yet another tree. One good thing about roads is that they seem to never be lacking trees to embellish their path. September has come, and while sunshine still glints off the lazy roll of distant waves, the mornings and nights are marked with a chilly breeze that speaks of autumn.

I, for one, cannot wait for it. I miss the rain.

Have a fantastic week! 🌹