Hello dear readers,

It is with a heavy heart that I am writing this post to let all of you know that I will not be able to continue the story in this form.

When I started "Just a Bystander" about two years ago, I thought it would be quite manageable for me to keep pumping out short chapters at a steady pace. I used to write a lot in play-by-post RPGs on forums a long time ago, and this platform offered a way for me to begin writing in a more disciplined way that was familiar to me. For a time, it worked wonderfully. The relatively bite-sized nature of the writing meant that I could indeed punch out more of the story every time. And when your reviews and comments came flooding in, I found myself galvanised. I cannot express how invigorating, how powerful it is, to be supported by readers. The fact that there are people out there who enjoy reading what I have written has bouyed me through many a dark day, and I am glad to know that the stories that play out in my head have given other people some enjoyment and food for thought.

But, as those who have followed since the beginning will know, real life has stepped in sometimes and disrupted my writing schedule. I am holding a full-time job with a pretty heavy volume of work, and I also have other personal responsibilities that call for my time and energy. Those disruptions in the past were difficult to plough through, but I recovered somewhat after each one and managed to get back to the writing table.

However, it's been a few months now (and I really do apologise for the radio silence), and it has become clear that I cannot keep this up. To top it off, a more recent (but happy!) development also means that I will have less time in the future to commit to serialised writing.

I feel... I feel really sad that I cannot continue writing in this way. Even though I have not always replied to comments (or spoken much on Discord), I do read every single comment and review, and I do take pleasure in knowing that there are people out there in the wide world who enjoy following Caden's story. There is so much more I feel I have left to share, and it pains me to know I may never get to read your reactions to the things that are yet to unfold, if I am ever able to get it all out of my head and onto a page. "Just a Bystander" has been my most cohesive attempt to write the novel that has been rattling around in my head since I was a child, and all of you have made this journey such a wonderful experience for me.

There are no words to really express how much it means to me that you have been a part of this.

I cannot promise a return to RoyalRoad, or even the proper completion of this story... but I want you all to know that this is not the end of my life as a writer. I am still going to try to finish this, perhaps as a 'proper' novel, or in some other way... and when that time comes, I would very much like to share it with all of you.

If you'd like to keep in touch, do join the Discord and give me a holler from time to time.

With fondest wishes,

Aefraga