Changes

R.I.P. is officially out of print.

You can no longer buy new copies (printed or ebooks), yet the few that are currently in circulation can obviously still trade hands. I did this because, after much deliberation, I’ve decided to rewrite it and eventually merge it with the rest of the story. Ideally, once I’ve done this, I will continue on, get an agent, and try to get a book deal.
I have no idea how long that will take . . . especially since I’m in college, and while my desire to finish this project is strong, my motivation to actually write varies greatly from day to day.
To those of you who have read R.I.P.: I apologize to leave you on a cliffhanger for so long. If I do manage to publish this next one, it will not end on so much of cliffhanger–let’s just say, it’ll be a bit of a cliffhanger, but things will be more complete (think like, the story is open to continue but almost everything came to a satisfying end). Furthermore, when I say I’m rewriting R.I.P. I don’t mean I’m changing the plot. The sequence of events will be the same, and I’m not removing any characters. I’m just making the quality of the writing better. There might be a few things I’ll cut, but you can trust that any pieces that are cut were not essential to the story. I appreciate everyone who supported my wild, starry-eyed fling into authorship and novel-publishing, and I intend to use the money I earned to advertise and build up a fan-base. It would seem one needs a large platform of supporters for many publishing houses to even consider accepting one’s work–which could be my unraveling, considering how much of a socially-inept hermit I am. I’m sure I’ll whittle it down to a science eventually, though. 🙂
Now, all of this might sound like pretty bad news (after all, it does look like I’m taking steps backwards here), but there is a silver lining: I finally finished drafting the rest of the story. Meaning, I rewrote Turbulence (*cough cough* again) and while I was at it, I wrote what was supposed to be the third installation (Closure). I’m 92% certain the plot I’ve written is a keeper, too. So, now I’m on the rewrite stage and I get to pick it apart (hip-hip-hooray . . . . ), add detail, and work out the kinks in general. I actually wrote the whole draft over summer break–so yay me! I did something productive this summer and didn’t sit around playing games and watching YouTube the entire time (though I definitely still did a lot of both of those). Anyway, this means it shouldn’t take a decade to publish it. Although, you never know. I think I’ve got a cool idea here, but will publishers? It was easy to get into Booklocker–just be proficient at writing and don’t include erotica (spoil-sports)–both of which I nailed. A traditional publishing house will be much different. And don’t even start on the agents! You gotta win them over first, so you can have a cheerleader wad up your hopes and dreams into a ball and pitch ’em at the publishers–since doing that yourself is “unsolicited” and “desperate.”
I’m sure I’ll be fine.

In other news, the Fall term starts for me in about a week. Textbooks and fees have been killer this semester, too–I’m hemorrhaging money, guys. At least I won’t have to drive back and forth to campus, since all my classes have been moved online. Of course, I think I’d rather have the commute, as I benefit more from the lectures than just studying by myself. Maybe my Spanish class will be easier, though–oh, and I don’t have to go out at 7 p.m. for an astronomy lab; I can just hang out in my backyard and look at the stars. Heh. Compromises must be made, in light of the circumstances.
. . . which leads me into the virus. I hope everyone is doing well. My family’s whole attitude towards it is rather blasé; we were worried at first, but then, when things didn’t get as bad as people said it would be, we calmed down. I know there’s a whole controversy around wearing masks–from discussions about whether or not it even helps, to how it infringes on people’s rights–and I, for one, have no problem wearing a mask. As a matter of fact, I got a special mask from one of my favorite YouTubers (Quality Content Athletics–merch of Jordan Maron, aka CaptainSparklez), and I think it’s super cool. Not that defending others from potential coronavirus germs is a fashion statement . . . but we might as well try to have fun with this, right? And just think: so many arts n’ crafts people are making a killing off custom-made masks right now. This pandemic has spurred on a whole new business venture that will undoubtedly crash and burn the moment everything is in the clear, leaving a select number of people much, much richer than before (looking at you, toilet paper and hand sanitizer companies).
Oh, that’s not you? Or me? Sucks to be us then, I guess.
Lol. I’m not hating on anyone who saw the chance and took it–really, I’m not. Honestly, I admire them for being so attentive and ready-for-action. Kinda like people who invested in Bitcoin.

Oh, final thought before I leave: since R.I.P. is officially out of print, should I take down my Facebook “Author Page”? Or perhaps re-brand it? Comment and let me know what you think! 🙂