Notes about hiatus

There are a lot of details to get through with this post, so I'll try to be concise. My more typical ramblings can be found at the end.

Hiatus Period: December & January.

• Last chapter for 2022: November 30th, Australian time.
• First chapter for 2023: January 31st, Australian time.

Existing patrons will not be charged during the hiatus. The information I have  from Patreon is that new/returning people signing up will not be possible while payment is paused. Existing patrons will retain full access at their tier for the duration without being charged.

THE NEW SCHEDULE WILL BE THREE CHAPTERS PER WEEK.

Patreon tiers will be changing the number of chapters they are ahead of the free releases. Bonus chapters will be released alongside the first chapter of 2023 to meet the new totals.

• Iron rank will go from 5 chapters ahead (1 week) to 6 chapters ahead (2 weeks).
• Bronze-rank will go from 10 (2 weeks) chapters ahead to 12 chapters ahead (4 weeks).
• Silver and higher ranks will go from 20 chapters ahead (4 weeks) to 24 chapters ahead (8 weeks).

That's it for the details, so now I'll be rambling a bit.

After my poll in which so many of you were super supportive, I ultimately decided to go with what many people suggested, the undisclosed option C. I feel kind of bad because that's the option that is best for me and worst for readers avidly awaiting fresh chapters.

I think when I posted that poll, what I was really doing was looking for permission to retool the way I work completely, which it something that will take time to get right. So, that's what I'm doing.

In December I will be making my way to the US and having a nice long rest where I try and remember how sleep works. My mum is moving out of state this week and I'll be spending Christmas at her new place.

January is when the work resumes, getting ready to start fresh in February. I want to start releasing chapters again with a backlog of buffer chapters already in the can and at a schedule that will allow me to build on the buffer instead of eat into it. I might even get to have a life outside of this office in there somewhere.

I just want to thank you all once again for the massive amount of support you have shown for me, my mental health and the story. I thank you for the understanding

I know that many will be disappointed that the story will no longer be coming out as thick and fast as it has over the last three-plus years, but it was becoming increasingly obvious that it was unsustainable. The breaks were getting longer and more frequent as the burnout came back faster and faster. It doesn't matter if 5 chapters come out per week when I'm only releasing 4 months out of the year.

I imagine burnout affects every writer in a slightly different way, each with it's own nuances. For me, burnout means that my concentration is shot to hell. Five hour writing days become ten hour writing days become sixteen or eighteen hour writing days. That means my sleep ranges from little to none. This is my last full week of five chapters per week and already I've slept four out of the last forty hours as I write this. That four hours was on the couch in my office because there's a builder in my bedroom installing new hammock anchor hooks.

It becomes a vicious cycle. I've checked this very thoroughly, and I know that has an impact on the quality of the work. I am extremely proud of my story, but at the same time, I wonder what it could have been if I'd always been chapters ahead, always well-rested. That said, I don't regret any of it. I have no doubt that the release schedule I've had for the last few years has been a major part in helping the story come to the attention of all of you. But now it's time to make sure I finish the story in the best way possible, and set a standard for sustainability through the next story and every story to come. I hope you'll join me. Seriously, I hope that a lot. I do this for a living now and if people stop buying books, I'm rooted.

-Travis Deverell (Shirt)