Hello everyone. Iota here.
I know you all have been wondering where Darling in the Future has been for almost a year. To be honest, this year has been hell. There's no reason to sugar coat things, the coronavirus is making everything difficult for everyone, and for those of us in the United States, we had elections this year. That doesn't even take into account my monetary situation and mental state, and inability to work in these conditions due to health conditions. 2020 has been a downwards slope that can't seem to even get out of it's own way, and I don't see the situation improving for some time.
Moving on, writing is a side hobby for me. When I first started Darling in the Future, I had no idea it would be received so well. The last thing I tried to write before this was... atrocious, and that's putting it lightly. I'm astounded of the support this little idea got, and that's originally what pushed me to keep writing chapter after chapter. It was a passion at first. But, the thing about it is... the more support it got, the more wary I became of the direction it was going to go soon. There are some story ideas ahead that I think a lot of readers will be upset with. My worry is that if I kept going, my support that kept the story going forward would turn into hate. When I had a discord, I had talked to many people and tried to figure out their views. It was mostly neutral (ie. "It's your story, do what you want") or negative (ie. "I can't believe you'd do that"). I won't lie, that really, really discouraged me.
Ever since then, I think it's been weighing on my mind that I don't want to disappoint anyone. Maybe I thought that if I left things open for a while, people could come to their own conclusions about the fic. Yet, here I am still receiving reviews asking for more, and I'm conflicted between wanting to give more and wanting to keep things to myself. There's also the issue of my short attention span, which makes me burn out on things fast. These two issues together have culminated into my inability to continue the fic. Depression is also part of it, and what help I had gotten this year turned out to only make things worse. My meds made it hard to cope with things, made me restless, and have constant night terrors. My sleep is screwed up beyond belief, and now I have no income to even assist with getting more help. I'm stuck mentally right now with nowhere to go because of Covid.
HOWEVER. However, I think I want to pick this back up. I want to bring Darling in the Future back and continue. I want to find a schedule I can work with and slowly chip away at this, because I had planned at least 20 or so chapters, as well as a sequel. This fanfic truly is a passion project of mine, and I haven't thrown it away. There are many, many, many difficult hurdles for me to deal with at the moment, but I want to push through them and continue writing this piece. There are also other stories I have come up with - original ones - that I would like to write out as well.
In conclusion, I really, truly want to thank everyone who keeps up with this story. I'm going to stop giving estimates on release dates, but I'm going to try to fit this into my daily routine and get it updated, and I'm going to have my editor and boyfriend keep me at it. You've all been so incredibly patient with me and I can't just sit here and let that go to waste. So, I will be picking this up again, but be aware it will be a slow process, especially since I'm not even close to 100% right now. I'm barely functioning at 50%.
With that out of the way, I would like to ask for something that I know I have no right doing. Monetary support. I want to preface this by saying this is completely optional. I am going to continue this fanfic either way, but if you do wish to support me, you have no idea how much I'd appreciate it. I am currently debating on starting a or something like that, to have even a tiny amount of income. Having one thing like that off my mind would really help me get going again. Again, you don't need to give me anything. This is simply for those of you that wish to support me even further. I do drawing as well, so maybe rewards could be drawings. I'm not sure. Either way, don't feel at all obligated, please. This is a tough time and if you have nothing to spare, don't send it to me. I want everyone to be well and happy. DM me on my Twitter if anyone at all wishes to donate to me. Thank you in advance to anyone that does donate. Even a dollar helps.
Basically, TL;DR: I'm here, I'm alive but things suck. I have a ton of things that I have to deal with and this year has thrown me for a loop. Despite that, I want to continue this fanfiction. It may be slow, but I'll be working on it again. I have to push some things out of mind that are discouraging me and just get on with it. I hope you will all like this, no matter how it turns out. Also, if you wish to donate to me to help me out, DM me on Twitter or send me an email. Please don't feel like you need to, only if you really want to. I will continue regardless.
Finally, a big thank you to those that have been here for me through this ride. It's bumpy and scary for me, but even if I'm barely chugging forward I will. I have no reason to hide my hurdles from my fans and readers, which is why I'm so open to you all. It's just how I am. You can call me weak or a brat or whiny. I feel it is better to be transparent to those that have been wondering what is going on with me. I want things to be better for myself and for everyone else. There are people who struggle less and struggle more than me, and I send my regards to everyone who is struggling at all. Life is tough, but we will get through this. There's no reason to hide your pain and suffering to those you care about. That's just my opinion though. Sorry for the rambling. I thank you all again for your fantastic support. Darling in the Future will continue. Keep your notifications on, and take care darlings. - Iota