Yeah. I've been really excited, working on my new project, but...

You've persuaded me. Ending it there, of all places, is just a really annoying move. Leaving that author note on chapter 30 left me feeling awful for days. It's not Orvi's ending.

The more I think about it, the more it feels like some kind of temper tantrum. To contextualise my dissatisfaction, Blood & Noodles had 22 followers for most of its run-time. I was scared I was wasting my time - I'm at the age where I feel compelled to build skills and qualifications - and that I was compounding bad habits in my writing, over and over again.

I earnestly believe that writing is an act of (or at least an attempt at) communication. The upshot of that is that the reader is just as important as the writer. I couldn't really know whether I was getting better or worse without feedback - my opinion of the story oscillated between it being the new Blood Meridian to the second coming of My Immortal. I knew neither of those were accurate assessments, but had no idea what was

I wanted to justify continuing Orvi's story badly enough that I put around $80 (the AUD to USD exchange rate is awful) into a small ad campaign, which is what boosted the story to rising stars. It went up to about 80 followers, and I assumed that was that - B&N had hit peak popularity. I went back and forth for a little while, but decided that writing a new story would let me learn from the mistakes of Blood & Noodles and do better. I felt bad about leaving readers hanging, but the ending was a ending, even if it wasn't a good one.

Then B&N got onto Rising Stars, and just kind of loitered there for a while. I was stunned. But I'd made my resolution, and I had to stick to it

Then people reviewed and commented. Very encouraging. They noted all the little things I did wrong - I'm still embarrassed about Sash kicking Orvi's ass so easily in Ch.6 - and how much they'd like to see more. So, really, I ended up getting the feedback I wanted after I decided to quit. A bit of irony, there.

I feel like a complete jackass, doing this. Like I've been constantly asking if you wanted a lollipop, then stuck an entire pack in my throat and choked on it, cackling all the way. There are a lot of great writers on RR who go years whole careers without much recognition, but they keep at in anyway. I don't know. I'm rambling.

Here's the draft blurb for part 2: Memory & Madness

Three years after the Foot faced the god Dure, the great city of Yooli - a city of riches and industry - faces annihilation by rival Houses. In the wake of the war, refugees flee through the wilderness of Heartlands. Hired as guards for a particular caravan is a group of outcast monster hunters - amongst them the genius swordswoman Kit and the accursed cardsharp Vin. The price of their services? Kit's family safeguarded, and Vin's unholy blood destroyed.

But as trials mount and tensions rise, Kit's loyalties are tested; and Vin's psyche grows increasingly unstable. Will the two of them get what they want? And is it worth the cost?

Part 2 will be split between the perspective of Kit and Vin, the latter of which is exactly who you think he is. Let me know what you think.

Anyway, the time-frame for Part 2 remains similar, because I need a backlog and some sizeable edits to the original plan for Part 2. December-January, probably. Hopefully you're not sick of me by then.

Once again, thank you for reading Blood & Noodles, and thanks to those who have commented and reviewed. I literally would not be doing this without you