Hello everyone,
This isn't a bad news announcement xD Well... in a way, it might be.
I have a birthday tomorrow, so I've been doing more thinking than writing over the last couple of days, and I realized I'm not happy with where Unbowed is going, or rather, what it has turned into.
This was the first time I posted chapters as I wrote them, without letting them sit as drafts. As a result, I made a few decisions that slowly pivoted the story away from the direction I had originally planned.
So... I've decided to rewrite it.
There are several reasons why I came to this conclusion, but the biggest one is Lucas.
Even though I poured my soul into writing him, he turned out much blander than I intended. He lacks agency, he's far too passive, and while my plan was always to slowly build his character, we're already over 60 chapters in and he has yet to undergo the major changes I envisioned.
That made me question Lucas himself. More importantly, it made me question whether the ending I had planned for Book 1 could even happen without turning the novel into an endless web serial, which is NOT my goal.
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Lucas will have much more agency. His powers will change completely, the way he thinks, the way he acts, and the way he experiences this world.
I might even turn him into a mage instead of a melee fighter.
So I'd like to apologize for putting Unbowed on hold, but I simply can't write a story that isn't doing justice to the idea it was built upon. My goal has always been to share the story that inspired me to write that very first chapter. and I will.
I also promise that Unbowed will return in August, or September at the latest.
I'd also like to invite those of you who'd like to become Alpha Readers to either comment below or DM me. I'll be picking 10 readers who will receive access to early drafts before I start posting the rewritten version of Unbowed on RR.
Those chapters, and perhaps even parts of the plot itself, may change based on your feedback. I've always listened to your criticism, and quite a few changes in both GoV and Unbowed were inspired by your comments. I'm genuinely grateful for that.
Now, regarding GoV...
With Unbowed being rewritten, I'll be dedicating much more time to Book 2. My goal is to finish it by the end of July, and I'd love to have Book 3 written by December, so I want to increase my writing speed a little.
Once again, thank you all so much for your support.
The next GoV chapter will be posted tomorrow <3