Going forward

So, now that I got the latest part finished (woho!) I need to also add something not as fun. I hinted at it in my little disclaimer update, but recently my working situation has changed. A good friend has started their own company, it's longer hours but it's with people I actually like. It's meant that I've had less free time to write and a bit less energy for when I do have time. I kind of pushed myself to get this last one done, because I didn't want to leave you all hanging with too many unknowns, but in the near future at least I'm going to be getting slower.

I'm not stopping or giving up, I want to make that clear. I just have fewer hours to commit and not just from some game but because I'm working much longer hours and it can sometimes drain me. And when I'm drained, writing is a slower process. It may be several extra weeks between stories for the next little while. This might change if things start settling down but not sure that will happen for a while. I wish I could just mentally transcribe all this in a weekend, but sadly that's not how this works.

Part 21 - Zainab and the Spring Flower

Part 21 - Zainab and the Spring Flower - PDF Version

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Part 21 Summary

Part 21 picks up moments after the end of part 19. Andrea and Megan are with Zainab at her family's home in Surda. Spoilers below.

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New story this weekend, but first a quick word.

So I know it's been forever, a new job has started and it's eating up a lot of my hours (but it's a good friend's startup so the long hours aren't nearly as soul killing!), but I'm finally nearing the end of the next story. Day or two tops!

However, aside from that I want to say one thing that's been on my mind some as I write this next story which goes back to Andrea, Megan and Zainab in Surda.

What I'm writing is fiction, but fiction that borrows from elements around us. I'm personally white and American, but now a bunch of my characters are not in America so I'm starting to get into less and less familiar and intuitive territory. They're in a fake country I made up in part so that I don't misrepresent or insult a real one. I grew up in a very Persian heavy neighborhood, so I have some familiarity with at least the kinds of Persians who fled the revolution. But even still, even with it being a fake country with fake people, I don't want to insult any real ones. Just kind of the way I am personally. I'm the kind of person that throws a party and spends the whole time making sure other people are enjoying it and never being able to enjoy it much myself so long as I think other people aren't also.

So, this I guess is my one big disclaimer. I'll say it here so I hopefully don't feel the need to pester and repeat it with every chapter that's taking place in Surda:

I try to do justice to representing people from other places as real human people not only relying on stereotypes and culturally assumed tropes too heavily. In some areas I have personal knowledge and experience I can draw from, in some areas my understanding is only Wikipedia deep. If at any point, you find something hard to believe, just try suspending your disbelief a little harder if you can. If at any point I offend you with my ignorance, know it's the last thing I intended and please let me know where and how I did it because it's the only way to learn and improve. The last thing I want to do is paint whole groups of people unfairly. I don't expect problems, I feel like I do a decent job to keep people human (though not always very likable), I just needed to say my piece this once.

A call for art

Increasingly, though I don't think I've put it this way, I've begun to see the story as different "volumes" for lack of a better word. Think of them like seasons of a tv show with each part being an episode. The first volume is parts 1-8, it's meeting the girls, having them first dabble and have them culminate in the end with Sophia heading off and the others free but shamed. The second volume is 9-18, involves Sophia's journey through Atlantic City, Lea's reaction to it, and the introduction of Zainab into the equation. Now we're just starting the third volume. It will not be the "final" volume, but it is a slightly modified version of what was the "final" part of my original arc and so it feels a little "final" to me nonetheless.

So as I keep thinking of these as two now complete "volumes," I've been having more and more thoughts about something I've always wanted for this series: art.

This might be pie in the sky thinking. The problem is that I may have a way with words, but my artistic skills otherwise are just not good. I can sometimes do passable simple stills, but I couldn't draw a decent person to save my life. But none the less, I've often (and increasingly so of late) wondered about having a piece or two of cover art. It's asking a lot to get one for every single part, but.. that's why the idea of volumes has been making me think of it. A cover for volume 1, a cover for volume 2, that's not exactly exorbitant.

So I'm putting a call out. If any of you fans can draw, it would be utterly amazing. But if not, if you know people you think would do this well, who's style you like, and who takes commissions at a reasonable price, let me know. I don't have a lot of money, but I am possibly willing to pay a fare price if it's needed. I don't want to make things complicated here by asking for money directly from anyone, which is why it would obviously be ideal if any of you had any kind of skill or willingness to get commissions for me. I'm also more than willing to basically pay "in kind." I could put you in the story, make another story you'd describe, or just at minimum give you advanced access to early drafts and such.

Just a topic to leave you with for now that I'm sure isn't going to be quickly settled.

Part 20 - Lea and the New Partner

Part 20 - Lea and the New Partner - PDF Version

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Part 20 Summary

Part 20 follows Lea for a few days after finishing her contract with the casino. Spoilers below.

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Lea's Newest Residence

In part 20, Lea is finally finished with her contract and finds a new place to live. Like with the cabin, I found as I was writing I was having a hard time picturing it in my head, so I decided I needed a reference layout to keep things consistent. Unlike past ones I didn't make this one I found it, but I used it while writing to try to keep things right. I'm putting it in the "read more" because for anyone who hasn't read part 20 this is a little bit of what might count as a spoiler.

New distraction

So it's been about a month and I just wanted to give a quick update. Unfortunately I've been going a little slow but I am still going! Just slower. Kind of found a new addicting thing and it's been slowing me down. I got Crusader Kings II during the recent Steam Summer Sale after heavy recommendations. I'm now 165 hours deep, It's been making the writing go slower. Sorry, still just human and all that.

I'm hoping the next part will be done next week or so.

Part 19 - Andrea and the Long Journey

Part 19 - Andrea and the Long Journey - PDF Version

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This is new and as of now, not posted anywhere else. I hope you all enjoy.