To all of my dear readers:
*sighs*
(what is about to follow will be very long, and undoubtedly boring, but I beg you to read this!)
I know, I KNOW I swore and promised I won't pull the plug on this story and continue writing it no matter what but... I'm sure you've grown as tired of waiting for chapters and as disinterested with this story as I have become frustrated with it. This story as grown so tangled to the point that I want only to scream every time I sit down to continue writing it. At this point, salvaging it and attempting to untangle it is impossible.
Faults with a chapter usually don't appear until later in the story one wishes to achieve a certain affect and finds it impossible due to inadequacies of preceding chapters, lack of support and balance. This is exactly what has happened, only rather than the problem lying in only one chapter, the whole of what I have written this far is at fault.
When I first began this story the storyline I had in mind was quite different from what it turned out to be. Evolutions, additions, and adapatations to that plotline occured of their own accord in a manner that I was wholly caught off guard and astonished even myself.
How is this a bad thing? An example: when first conceived the idea for this story, Evelwyn and all concerning her (Evelwyn's Gift, Mornth, the Northern Queen, etc.) was not a part of it. Neither was Perita. All of these characters and events were added during a bout of wild inspiration and creativity. The problem? It didn't fit. It just doesn't fit, no matter how hard I try to manuver these wildly-growing storylines (as they seemed to GROW and GROW!), they just don't fit into the whole. Perhaps there could be some chance of them fitting into the overall story IF and ONLY IF things were added to the earlier chapters (before these ideas were conceived) to prepare for such events and their conclusions, such as foreshadowing, buildup of suspense, and exposition.
However, what is most important is that in the midst of all these developments, the original spirit of the story was lost. The theme, the mood, the heart of it disappeared almost entirely as the writer became too preoccupied with trying to make deadlines. See, pleasing you by updating at regular intervals (though even this I could not do) became so important to me that I would write chapters without thinking them through as thoroughly as they deserved, forcing out purposeless scenes through gritted teeth simply for the sake of lengthening an already forced, uninspired chapter.
It finally came to me that the only way, the ONLY way, to save this story (because, you see, I really do love this story!) is to stop and start again at the beginning, with a clear, unalterable vision in mind and no pressures to spawn hatefull mutations. I must unravel and reweave the tapestry, so to speak.
In English: I am going to take down this story.
I will spend quality time thinking about it, rethinking and carefully replanning the plotline (without the horrible mutations, accept those that are truly advantageous) and sequence of events, replotting all aspects of it with a surgeon's precision, and then wait for inspiration to retell the tale--leisurely, without stress or pressure, as oftentimes for me creativity cannot flourish in such conditions. I think that all of us are far better off this way--I don't have to suffer anymore in continuing to write a story that I know is doomed, the story itself will be the better for it, and you all deserve much better than half-hearted work.
l will undoubtedly repost the story once it is complete, but I advise you not to hold your breath or even wait or look out for it, as it will most likely be a long time until then, and I would go insane with stress at the thought of you waiting anxiously for it (as I hold you in such high regard). Please forget it, but should you perhaps in the course of the next year(s) happen to spot it again, then I would hope you have the patience to read my new story (as it will be a new story, not merely a revised one). I beg of you not to have many expectations for this new story, as it will undoubtedly be quite different--and to many of you, disappointingly so--but you can expect it to make sense and that I will be somewhat satisfied with it.
Should you have read this very long, formal, and boring apology and respond to it, please no tears or death threats or anything of that sort, but please kindly place suggestions on what to keep and not to keep, or what may improve the story, or how you think certain parts of the story should be. Feel free to note what pleased you immensely, what you hated and was exasperating, and everything inbetween. You may even e-mail me if you like. I promise I shall take all you should say into serious consideration.
Lastly, let me just say here briefly how much all of your responses have meant to me and how I have appreciated your interest! Thank you for reading my story, thank you a thousand times! I shall miss you all so very much, and remember you!
(Is it just me, or does all this sound too much like a break-up? Albeit a very formally worded one...)
*sighs*
I've put this off for far too long.
I regret to say that this is the end. I bid you all a very fond farewell. Good-bye.
--SoHo Chic...
and all the characters
*sighs*
(what is about to follow will be very long, and undoubtedly boring, but I beg you to read this!)
I know, I KNOW I swore and promised I won't pull the plug on this story and continue writing it no matter what but... I'm sure you've grown as tired of waiting for chapters and as disinterested with this story as I have become frustrated with it. This story as grown so tangled to the point that I want only to scream every time I sit down to continue writing it. At this point, salvaging it and attempting to untangle it is impossible.
Faults with a chapter usually don't appear until later in the story one wishes to achieve a certain affect and finds it impossible due to inadequacies of preceding chapters, lack of support and balance. This is exactly what has happened, only rather than the problem lying in only one chapter, the whole of what I have written this far is at fault.
When I first began this story the storyline I had in mind was quite different from what it turned out to be. Evolutions, additions, and adapatations to that plotline occured of their own accord in a manner that I was wholly caught off guard and astonished even myself.
How is this a bad thing? An example: when first conceived the idea for this story, Evelwyn and all concerning her (Evelwyn's Gift, Mornth, the Northern Queen, etc.) was not a part of it. Neither was Perita. All of these characters and events were added during a bout of wild inspiration and creativity. The problem? It didn't fit. It just doesn't fit, no matter how hard I try to manuver these wildly-growing storylines (as they seemed to GROW and GROW!), they just don't fit into the whole. Perhaps there could be some chance of them fitting into the overall story IF and ONLY IF things were added to the earlier chapters (before these ideas were conceived) to prepare for such events and their conclusions, such as foreshadowing, buildup of suspense, and exposition.
However, what is most important is that in the midst of all these developments, the original spirit of the story was lost. The theme, the mood, the heart of it disappeared almost entirely as the writer became too preoccupied with trying to make deadlines. See, pleasing you by updating at regular intervals (though even this I could not do) became so important to me that I would write chapters without thinking them through as thoroughly as they deserved, forcing out purposeless scenes through gritted teeth simply for the sake of lengthening an already forced, uninspired chapter.
It finally came to me that the only way, the ONLY way, to save this story (because, you see, I really do love this story!) is to stop and start again at the beginning, with a clear, unalterable vision in mind and no pressures to spawn hatefull mutations. I must unravel and reweave the tapestry, so to speak.
In English: I am going to take down this story.
I will spend quality time thinking about it, rethinking and carefully replanning the plotline (without the horrible mutations, accept those that are truly advantageous) and sequence of events, replotting all aspects of it with a surgeon's precision, and then wait for inspiration to retell the tale--leisurely, without stress or pressure, as oftentimes for me creativity cannot flourish in such conditions. I think that all of us are far better off this way--I don't have to suffer anymore in continuing to write a story that I know is doomed, the story itself will be the better for it, and you all deserve much better than half-hearted work.
l will undoubtedly repost the story once it is complete, but I advise you not to hold your breath or even wait or look out for it, as it will most likely be a long time until then, and I would go insane with stress at the thought of you waiting anxiously for it (as I hold you in such high regard). Please forget it, but should you perhaps in the course of the next year(s) happen to spot it again, then I would hope you have the patience to read my new story (as it will be a new story, not merely a revised one). I beg of you not to have many expectations for this new story, as it will undoubtedly be quite different--and to many of you, disappointingly so--but you can expect it to make sense and that I will be somewhat satisfied with it.
Should you have read this very long, formal, and boring apology and respond to it, please no tears or death threats or anything of that sort, but please kindly place suggestions on what to keep and not to keep, or what may improve the story, or how you think certain parts of the story should be. Feel free to note what pleased you immensely, what you hated and was exasperating, and everything inbetween. You may even e-mail me if you like. I promise I shall take all you should say into serious consideration.
Lastly, let me just say here briefly how much all of your responses have meant to me and how I have appreciated your interest! Thank you for reading my story, thank you a thousand times! I shall miss you all so very much, and remember you!
(Is it just me, or does all this sound too much like a break-up? Albeit a very formally worded one...)
*sighs*
I've put this off for far too long.
I regret to say that this is the end. I bid you all a very fond farewell. Good-bye.
--SoHo Chic...
and all the characters