Writer's Blog: The Last Public Chapter

Next Patreon Chapter: Chapter 9 (coming 4/28)

Current Wordcount: 273k

Average Playthrough: 64k

As some of you may already have read on the Sanctum, Chapter 8 will mark the last update to the Public Demo. This was a decision I made recently, after realizing that Noh's scenes will require coding that will most likely give away their identity. 

Chapter 9 will still be available for all Patrons as planned, but Chapter 10 will be exclusive to AMO Tiers and up. By limiting the second half of Mind Blind, I'm doing my best to staunch the inevitable leak of Noh's identity pre-publication. 

Tiers with Sanctum Discord Access will have a space to discuss the future updates, and I'll be adding in a separate Sanctum channel for code divers that you'll be able to request an invite for. That way, those who really really REALLY need to try and identify Noh prematurely by digging through code (which I genuinely do not recommend for Chapter 10) will still be able to do so. But you won't accidentally stumble on the spoiler, unless people post about it on social media . . . which I earnestly plead that they don't.

I will never blame someone for wanting to know how a story ends. I'm a chronic back-page flipper myself. I understand the need to know. But Mind Blind is a mystery, which means that certain secrets won't make sense unless they're presented at the proper time. Even worse than not making sense, these reveals won't feel satisfying. Noh's identity is one such secret. If people confirm Noh's identity before Button does (100% confirm, not just suspect due to the clues left sprinkled throughout), it will ruin the story.

I'm serious: Prematurely learning Noh's identity will likely ruin your first playthrough experience.

Not wanting to ruin the experience is the only reason I've been able to keep my mouth shut about Noh's real name and motivations. I'm terrible at keeping secrets (as in, cringe-comedy bad at it), but Noh's identity, revealed improperly, would so spoil the enjoyment of a first playthrough that, if I had accidentally announced it early-on and it became public knowledge, I would've changed the entire plot. But at a quarter-million words, it's too late to rewrite the main mystery. So all I can do is beg, if you have access to the demo going forth, that you not leak it outside the Sanctum and risk ruining the discovery for others.

I can't even fully explain why it's so important that Noh's identity be kept secret. Doing so would reveal their identity in retrospect; since there aren't all that many characters left to be formally introduced, the pool of suspects isn't vast.

Since the amount of demo readers is about to get significantly smaller, the input you provide on the upcoming chapters will be even more important. I'll be opening up slots for editors and test readers, but they won't be able to present the variety of opinions that come from having a public demo. Your feedback will matter more than ever, because starting Chapter 10 . . . Button's life is about to get a lot more complicated.

To Clarify: AMOs, MIVs, UCRT Members, and Hero Zeros will have access to Mind Blind in its entirety, from Chapter 10 to "and they lived happily ever after." I'll rely on your feedback and responses to tell if things are working or not. Having the public demo has been IMMENSELY helpful in shaping Mind Blind, and if the story weren't a mystery, I'd probably keep the entire thing as a public demo.