Author's Update - What's Going On?

- TL;DR to save you time:

Hey everyone! Quick heads up - I'm making some important updates to the first 6-7 chapters of Railroaded to strengthen the story's foundation. The first chapter is already rewritten (though I'm holding off on posting it until the others are ready so everything flows smoothly). Don't worry, the story is absolutely continuing! These revisions will make everything more cohesive and true to the world's lore. All updates will be done by February 20th, 2025. Read on for the full details if you're curious about the specifics!

The Full Story:

Hey there :)

I wanted to share some important changes coming to Railroaded. While I work professionally with writing, fiction writing is a different beast in some ways because I hadn't developed a consistent habit of writing and publishing the type. Last year in 2024, I decided to test the waters by writing a short story that would let me explore some themes and ideas I'd been pondering based on a game my best friend suggested I download at the time. That exploration turned into Railroaded. My initial focus was on building a consistent writing and posting rhythm - getting chapters out regularly to maintain momentum. To give myself some props, it worked. I wrote, and wrote, and now we're at roughly 300k words.

However, While this helped establish a steady pace, it meant some elements weren't as refined as they could have been.

Let's talk about Xander. From the start, I had a clear vision in my head: I wanted to write a character with real demons and struggles from his prior life, not your typical "normal person gets transported" story. This was crucial because I wanted to explore meaningful themes - the journey of becoming a better person, wrestling with faith in extraordinary circumstances, and more. But here's where I stumbled: while I knew who Xander was at his core, I hadn't fully mapped out all the details of how that character would manifest in the early chapters. This led to some inconsistencies in his portrayal, particularly at the beginning.

This focus on momentum over details created another challenge: I didn't pay enough attention to how certain story elements would logically play out within the established lore. To be clear - I don't have an issue with Xander being abrasive in the early chapters. What bothers me is how his characterization shifts somewhat jarringly in later chapters, and more importantly, how some of his actions didn't trigger the consequences they realistically should have in this world.

For example, with patch 3.0's release, we learned much more about how The Herta and her dolls actually function in this world. Looking back, I realize the scene where Xander talks his way into her "favor" doesn't work, at all. Instead of trying to bluff someone who's essentially unbluffable, it would make more sense for Xander to catch her attention by presenting something genuinely valuable - perhaps knowledge that, by all rights, he absolutely shouldn't possess.

Or perhaps he just has an additional way of having Herta entertain the notion of working with him. Who knows. There's different possibilities to make this work. Point is, I know I can write the earlier sections of the story better (and have a plan set).

Why am I doing this? To tell the truth, this story is deeply personal to me - it's actually a celebration of brotherhood, written as a tribute to my best friend who not only reads the story but has been an incredible source of support. The themes of faith and personal growth we've explored together in our friendship are woven throughout the narrative. Thus, I feel I need to make it justice before closing off the Belobog arc.

I've already completed the rewrite of Chapter 1 (not including the prologue), but I'm holding off on posting it until I've finished revising the following chapters. This way, everything will flow smoothly when the updates are complete. The revision is looking to add between 30,000 and 60,000 words of new content - which explains why I'm taking until February 20th, 2025. I know that seems like a while, but I want to make sure every addition serves the story and characters well, rather than rushing through such a substantial expansion.

I'll post updates to let you know exactly which chapters have been revised once they're completed. And yes, I realize I'm basically asking you to re-read the beginning of the story - I promise it's worth it! Think of it like watching your favorite show again and catching all those little details you missed the first time around. (Except this time, those details actually didn't exist before... because I'm adding them now. But you get what I mean!)

Your support and feedback have been incredible throughout this journey, and I genuinely believe these changes will make Railroaded an even better story for all of us to enjoy.