June 21st, 2020

Another just because (I'm lazy), one thing I am NEVER doing again is writing the prompts as June unfolds. I did that the first time around in 2018, and…ugh. That was a HASSLE.

See, despite my magnificent writing and equally magnificent ego, upon contemplation I've realized that I don't really get…into fandoms. In the traditional talky-speaky way, that is. I write, and by god do I write (this annual prompt fill is a good example), and I'd like to think I contribute good, solid content to all the fandoms I write in, but there is a decent lack of communication between me and literally everyone else in said fandom. See, I write, but that's it. So my only interactions with others fans is basically them leaving comments on my works and me responding to said comments, and for people who have been following my works for years, I do have some rapport and friendliness, but there's still a disconnect, whether of distance or of time. I also look at other content too, of course, but that's not communication as such.

Point being, ladies, gentlemen, and gentlethem, I have NO IDEA what I'm doing here, and don't let my good writing fool you. The first prompt list in 2018 I scrambled to get done, then I had the brilliant idea of arranging said list and writing it in advance. Aside from serial procrastinating that meant I still wasn't done by the time June 2019 rolled around, that idea worked great. And in 2019, I noticed that some other content creators tentatively followed my lead, but never completed the list or went too far. Was this on me? Its not like I expect people to follow some random author's pronouncements, nor should they if they don't want to. Was I expecting too much of the people who did try a few prompts? I mean, I'd had the same problem, and I could whip up 500 or so words pretty easily. The others were drawing, and from experience I know that one's hard.

Because I'm not so much with other content creators or fans, I didn't know the usual protocol for prompt lists/fandom months. Who's in charge of the other ones? Is it a top fan thing, or something the original creators announced, or what? Heck if I knew. Heck if I know now. Was I doing something wrong? This I do not and did not know.

Then, with my trademark panache and lack of worry about consequences, I was like, fuck it, I'M the one in charge of this fandom month, ish, as much as anyone could be, since I'm really the only one gunning for it, and I say what goes. If I wanted other people to participate, and I do, it was up to me to make participation easier and more comprehensible.

Hence, this year I posted the prompt list itself in May (I originally wanted to post it May 1st, but of course was kneecapped by procrastination and forgetfulness once again), in advance of June itself. People can have more time, like me, to actually work on whatever prompts they want to do.

In hindsight, I was basically forcing people to do exactly what I swore to never again do, and that was write prompts on a day-by-day basis from the first of the month. Sorry about that for whoever thought about participating or did participate for a few days! We're trying something different this go around.

I'm also planning to release the June 2021 prompt list at the end of this June, so that like me, people can have the entire year to work on their thirty prompt fills. Because, looking back on it again, how much is twenty extra days worth for thirty prompt fills? Did I give you guys enough yield time?

Higurashi is one of those lovely fandoms that its so small you can basically do whatever you want, within reason. Trying to do an annual RWBY prompt list would be way harder, and posting the list in advance would probably lead to so much confusion.

Thoughts?

11.09 AM, USA Central Time