I admit, this week has been bad. But..due to some comments on Facebook, and on here, I have decided to do this so maybe people may have an idea what I am dealing with. Getting a request each day on one forum or the other on a story is getting slightly tiring.
Here is a list of every single story I have (except the one shots completed) and their status. (Epic comments means 50-100 chapters estimated):
Alice 2009:
- Tea Shoppe: Pulled for publishing
- Revelations of an Hatter and an Alice
- Alice and Hatter: Complete
- Revelations, Legends and Champions: WIP, Getting ready to go over Chapters for publishing to catch up site to FF, as well as any possible chapters pending.
- A Revelation of the Past: WIP, Once chapter that is prologue is corrected, will publish it.
Inuyasha:
- Blood of Innocence Burning in the Sky: WIP, Epic. All Chapters are released, this is holding until after Original Fiction novel is done.
Once Upon A Time
- The Best is Yet to Come: WIP, Epic depending on how the muses let us go. I need to edit the large chapter I wrote and add in the Killian parts to the episode. A small part after I was done adding him became approximately 1k that was originally 250 words…
Tin Man
- This is Not the Beginning, This is Not the End: WIP, Epic. Huge Epic. I am currently working on getting all the chapters written out to the beta.
True Blood
- In The End: WIP Epic Kinda…. I have one chapter to edit and release. Then when I am done writing my own Original Fic this is top on the list to be worked on.
- Learn to Live Trilogy
- All I Want: WIP, Complete on my end. All chapters have been released to Beta. Currently aiming for Monday releases.
- Sequel: Not started
- I Never Did: WIP. No idea how long it will be. This needs to be read and gone back over with a comb. I plan on working on this on free time. This was to be a release of mine from everything I am writing and ended up taking off on me. I plan on doing this after the original novel.
- Something So Right: Not started. It’s stewing in the back of my head, and will start around the beginning of season 3.
- Never Changing Who I Am: Winner of Kelpie’s contest. WIP: I am finishing this then handing it off to be co-written.
Twilighted Stories:
- Twilighted Tea Shoppe: Pulled for publication.
- What If: WIP, may or may not be epic…. All chapters that had been written has been released to beta. Will work on the rest later. I started this in a different frame of mind that I am going to be changing things up in it. I am not that person anymore, nor do I want to be.
- Wisdom, Justice and Love: WIP. Wisdom is completed. Justice has not been written at this time. Aiming for this when I am done with Novel.
- When I Pretend: WIP, Epic. No lie, this was never planned, and was written when I was in a different frame of mind. It is so different from anything else I written, I need to get in the right frame of mind. I am trying to complete other works so I can move on to this one. What If at least will need to be completed. But this will be epic length at the very least.
- Black Velvet: Halfway finsihed
Charmed/Twilight
- Dying To Start Again: WIP. Chapters will be released once edited to Beta.
Harry Potter/Twilight
- Such a Heavenly View: Year 2. WIP, All written chapters released to beta. This is one of 6 books planned….
Lord of the Ring/Twilight
- The Sun Holds the Moon: WIP Epic. Chapters released to beta. Received the first back, haven’t had time to go back over it.
The Mummy/Twilight
- Light Up the Path: Done.
- Sequel: Not started, researching lightly.
True Blood/Twilight
- Showed You My Scars: Researching and thinking of, not started.
- Set You Free Trilogy
- Every Dark Night Turns Into Day (aka ED): Finished
- Put Your Feet Up to The Edge (aka Edge): first two chapters written, and will be editing before I go to writing my Novel. Planned for when I get back, within the top two!
- ?
- Picking Down Clocks (aka Clocks): Had major revision, will be editing and releasing chapters before I work on Novel
Vampire Diaries/Twilight
- Game of Life: WIP, Epic. No Beta. All chapters written are released.
- Free Will is Everything:
- You’re All I Am Asking For: Finished
- You’re All I Want: Not started. Hoping to start this one soon.
- You’re All I Need: Not started
Anthem of Angels Universe:
- Cross the Line: WIP Epic. Need to write some more…
Original Novels:
- Brotherhood of Aos Si: Need to be finished 1st in series
- Brotherhood of Kaschei: Started, 2nd in a series
- Brotherhood of Tregeagle: Broad ideas written out
- Our Road is Long (Going to be renamed into a Brotherhood story): Need to be revised
- Tea Shoppe: Need to be finished and majorly revised
This is not including all my other obligations. I review for the Non-Canon Awards, I am part of the team for You’ve Got Blood awards as well as I contribute to the Food Blog and maintain the Anthem of the Angels site and the reblog site. I also take one day a week and go through and update the other sites with the stories. I try to make sure the Kittyinaz Group on Facebook is interesting and end up having to play the calming influence. I also make banners and host writing contests. I also host a Rec page on this site that a lot of people still use enough that one page from that section is always in the top ten pages of the day. I try to be nice to everyone, and lately this has been backfiring in my face to the point I feel like it isn’t worth it.
For those that think I shouldn’t start stories, well, if I hadn’t nothing would have been written beyond Revelations and Tin Man. It was due to a very dear friend Faeregina, that had me come back to writing. I had even started What If during that bad time, and let me tell you, it is very depressing to read what I wrote in that time. I refuse to be that person, and to be frank, it was a bad time in my life.
I truly understand the frustration of not getting your stories updated. But I am one person, who is not getting paid to share these with you. I am doing it of my own free will. I am putting aside some obligations to make sure that all the chapters I have written are released to everyone before I work on other things. I am not obligated to write, I do it because I truly love to make up these stories. Your reviews are often what make me move forward. And if you really can see the results, you would be highly shocked on what would be updated if I could make my muse work when I tell her.
Writing comes easy to me, I can pound out a couple chapters in a day if the muse is working with me. But the editing can take me 2-4 days. Think of it as this, my writing is a rough draft, detailed, but rough. The editing is what most people would call writing. I also talked to my betas, and one of the ones that know me best, basically told me to go back to the old way. I was kicking out 2-3 chapter just editing obvious issues. But for those that have stuck with me awhile, I normally add 1-2k or more words to a chapter. I am back to doing that. It is not easy for me to edit, I have to read each chapter once to get the idea, then go back and add missing words and keep going over it until it feels right.
My husband has supported all of this, but he has put his foot down. I need to work on the original novels. If need be, I will stop everything to work on them. I have few chapters and stories left to do, but I will and can just stop and leave you guys to wait until the novel(s) are done. If the muse is willing to work with me and I can write more than the one, then I will be going through and working on as many as I can.
I cannot tell you the stuff going on in RL. It involves more than just me, and it is a mess. It is highly stressful and not something easy for any family to deal with. It is more important than anything else going on, and it started yesterday. This is my outlet, my way to deal with the stuff.
And then there are the wonderful group of ladies I call my betas. The ones I can rely upon to listen, and who try so very hard to get to the chapters I am working on. They have their own jobs, their own lives and even their own fiction they write. I never nor will I ever demand them to put it all to the side for my stuff. I release the chapters to them, but will NEVER demand them to work on anything. It’s not my place.
There is the Banner making I do to help relieve the stress of writing. I used someone’s comment to work on a banner for them to relieve stress before I wrote this. And then slept, cleaned house, and even cooked, and couldn’t just release this from just being written and never stating how I feel.
Please be patient, I know there are people who want updates, and you would be shocked at what the numbers would tell me to update, if I went by them alone. Instead I am going by what the muse lets me do. I am working on stuff, just be patient.
And again, this is not everyone. Not by far, but imagine being asked every single day when I am going to post something, or please work on these stories. It gets wearing and makes me feel like sometimes people think of me being a robot. That I just churn out chpaters easily. I try my hardest to make each and every story interesting to anyone who reads. I have asked for betas since I know I am no where perfect and make common mistakes. I don’t want to overwhelm who I have, so I mention I am doing this story, they read it and if someone wants it, they tell me. That it how the process works. I tell you guys more of what is going than most people, just so you guys understand what is going on. To allow you to know I am alive. I could just say blah, blah chapter is ready for you to read. And leave it only there. However, I understand being frustrated with not knowing when my story that I like is going to be updated.
Before posting this, I had a long talk with a few friends. And they told me their thoughts. Some were shocked, and told me they just love when their writers updated. They make sure to say thank you for sharing a piece of themselves. Others who are writers shook their heads. And yet others pointed out that at least people love the stories. All of these are correct. In fact, I have told myself the same many times. However, again, I am stating to feel that I am being thought of as a machine who can churn out stuff. With my stress in my life being so high, I just want to come into my office and work on my stories and escape for awhile.
I am off to add the chapters to the other sites, then hopefully, I can finish a chapter that I have been trying to work on since Saturday.
Just take care of yourself and family I’m grateful for all your hard work
I love when you update one of the many stories that I follow of yours not joking I do a little happy dance when I see that you do. But yourself and your family come first.
You and your family are the most important I am so glad you have given me the honor to read your work.to all the women who have ever written anything I bow down to you all for you have lifted me up when I have gone though some rough times it is only fair that you have a life and ENJOY it.
Have always tried to be complimentary and supportive of when I pretend and what if ad well as grateful for POA expansion. No. I don’t think you’re a robot. Just rooting for my favorite stories that have not been updated in a long time and for which you had lots of reviews, alerts and favorites on FFn. Hope not to have offended the artist senseibilities. Silversimon.
Oh my gosh! I can’t believe how people can harrass you – and other writers – for updates. I for one am very grateful you are clever/brave enough to share your wonderful writing with us. You shouldn’t have to explain your writing schedule or timings, nor each and every detail of potentially private reasons for delays to said schedule. Please please try not to take the negative comments or pestering to heart.
At the moment I am only reading your True Blood stories as that’s what interests me now, and I’m perfectly happy to receive new cheers as and when you have them ready, but I’d love them just as much even if you only updated once in a blue moon.
Keep your spirits up, and enjoy writing for those who truly love reading
I’m so sorry to hear that RL has become increasingly stressful for you. Please see to your own needs and those of your family before worrying about when you update anything.
In my mind, it is exciting no matter when an update arrives or for which story it’s for. Whether it is tomorrow, next week, next month or however much time passes, I am just as excited and giddy when anything comes, even just regular posts that contain no updates, because I enjoy your writing overall.
Everyone can wait. If you need to work on your novels, then that’s what you should do…I appreciate everything you give us.
After reading this, I’m very surprised that you took time out for me to make my extraordinary banner. You’ll never know how much I appreciated that…even more now. Thank you so much for all you do and for sharing so much with us!
Be well,
~kinnik
Just block them! 😉
No seriously, I get what you are saying and am glad that you have not only said this, but also been so detailed about it. Maybe some of those who help you with all your pages can point this out when they see people come up with these comments. (I’d say ‘us’ but someone else always finds the ones I could find long before I do. 🙂 )
You do what you need to do, when you can do it. As you said, the fan stuff is UNPAID, they should just be happy when they get something. How many stories do I read that update once a month, or in once case, it seems like once every couple of years (and no, I’m not thinking of any of your stories). Real life always comes first, the rest is just for fun. If you aren’t having fun with it, then you wouldn’t be doing it. Fans need to be reminded, I suppose, that if they make it no longer fun, then you would stop and they’d be stuck with half finished stories ending on nasty cliffhangers 🙂
I had to comment after reading the email. The way things are going writers are going to take themselves away from fan fiction sites completely. I just don’t understand the people who harass writers who gift their work so freely when they are talented enough to focus on original works and getting published. This kind of stuff drives me insane and I discuss it often with my son. He writes ff and has a good following but there are always some that start getting nasty about updating. When he had to focus on his degree before Christmas he had a couple get nasty when he said there’d be no more updates til after his module was finished. He also betas for others and makes no apology for living his life so updates are done when he does them and that’s that. He’s lucky that he sees things totally black and white so it doesn’t upset him but he knows it does others and he calls it bullying because they latch on to those that it does bother the most. He had a long message full of abuse and replied ‘don’t read my stories then’. He won;t even reply to them now.
Anyway this might sound all over the place because my fibromyalgia is causing me extreme pain lately and the fibro fog means I’ve had to stop reading current stories for now as I can’t remember what happened and have to keep rereading. But I do appreciate all the writers and I am first to call these stories gifts. You don’t have to give them and every reader out there should be grateful to receive and stop demanding pounds of flesh. Unlike my son, I do take things to heart so I know it’s not easy to ignore those harassing you. You can start as many stories as you like, update when it’s right for you and when the muse allows. More importantly – put your original work first, you deserve the recognition for your talents.
You and your family are what’s most important so do what you have to in order to cope with your stress. Take care xxx
breathe….relax. writing should be fun, not feel like an obligation. your story, your phase, your rules. 😉
Oh darlin’ I hate that you are getting bullied. You are always number priority not any writing take care of you and yours and the rest will fall into place. I think w/ today’s society how everyone is anonymous that people forget manners and common decency the majority of people would not be so rude to yourself but w/ a faceless outlet they feel free to do so. Obviously not all you fans are not so rabid but we are just as passionate and we show it by waiting patiently and praising you as we can.
I for one when I read your list of stories felt like a complete slacker, that is a list of mighty accomplishments finished or otherwise. You never know where a story will take you I comple understand why you start anew when you have some unresolved.
Next time the faceless “fans” are getting too loud just think of it as they’re really passionate and don’t mean to come off so entitled and prickish. At the end of the day you have evoke emotion in people you have and may never meet that’s a lot in a sometime “uncaring and ununderstanding world”.
Keep working on you. We’ll be here.
Have an awesomsauce day!
oXoXo
Oh, no, no, no! Your RL and family NEEDS to come first! How can fans expect writers to work well with their muses if the writer’s world is not going smoothly??
You need to takes care if things as YOU see fit, not anyone else. (And sometimes that ‘anyone’ even includes family)
I love when ever you fabulous generous writers update, and if it has been a long time in between updates I take the opportunity to reread some of it to enjoy it all over again. After all, if I liked the story enough to follow it in the first place what’s the problem with spending time to savour it again?
Hope things in your life calm down soon so you can enjoy writing what you want, when you want.
I always find it so rude when those of us lucky enough to benefit from the hard work authors put into their stories start complaining that the stories aren’t being updated fast enough. When I follow a story I understand that a new chapter isn’t guaranteed to come the minute I finish the last chapter published. When I see a story update alert in my email it is always a welcome surprise, especially when it is for a story I really like. If it has been awhile since the last chapter was published then that just gives me an excuse to go back and reread a story that I like. There are some stories and authors (like yourself) that are just worth the wait, no matter how long the wait might be. Don’t be discouraged by these people. Just know that there are more of us that support you and your work than there are “we want that chapter now” readers. And no matter what, the real world always comes first.
Thank you for doing this complete run down. I love all the stories I have read and eagerly await a new chapter each week. However, I understand this is not the only thing in your life and you do it for yourself, but also all of your fans out there. I am sorry to hear that people have been impatient with you regarding updates. Just trry to remember that it comes from a place of love. You are so great at what you do here that you have people clamoring for more. I hope that RL works itself out soon. When life throws things at me I try to remember that everything happens for a reason. I may not know what it is at the time, and highly disagree but it is usually something I survive and learn from in the end. Good luck! Thank you for writing and being wonderful part of this community.
Dear Kittynaz, I for one am extremely honoured and grateful to you for sharing your fantastic talent. It makes me feel very uncomfortable when I read reviews for writers, in which readers are insulting and/or harassing for updates. Yes, the later can be taken as a compliment, but in my opinion readers should maybe take a step back, remember the writer is actually a real life human being and be very much grateful for what is graciously shared. Thank you so very much for what you give us.
Hey Kittynaz, don’t put weight into the demands of the readers of your fanfictions. Like you said, you are NOT getting paid and therefore are doing this as a hobby. I’d like to say that the majority of your readers understand this but from the tone of your post I can imagine that they do not. Always remember that you are not on a deadline with us. Here you write when you can and post when you can. You shouldn’t feel pressured to do more. Also it is very important for you to take care of YOURSELF first. If having so many projects is stressing you out, it is ok to put the fanfictions on hold until you are able to go back to them.
Hugs hugs hugs hugs hugs hugs hugs
Oh dear! More hugs!
Ok, not sure what you like, so….
*looks in the cupboards and starts muttering*
Tea… Chamomile, yes calming, Lady Grey… nice and smooth, flowery, hmm, Coffee, and Hazelnut Coffee… just for something different, chocolates… plain… hazelnut… mark them… nut allergies… gooey centres, truffles… lots of different sorts… mark the nuts, oh if I’m doing chocolatey goodness… Tim Tams… yes yes… they will go with the coffee too, ooh! hot chocolate… that will go with the Tim Tams too, ummmm…. Food…. popcorn always good… light salt…. light butter… heavy butter… heavy salt… oh caramelised, crisps… nice plain ones usually cover all bases, looks at all the yummy but fattening food and heads to the fridge, strawberries, cut the watermelon, cut carrots and celery… some homes dip and avocado dip for those, hmm, some nice plain biscuits for dipping too… thin crispy ones, oh doing dips gives me an idea, plates up a cheese platter, umm yep think that might be a good start.
Presents a bulging picnic basket (or two, or thee).
This is in thanks for everything you do!
I am constantly in complete awe of what you do. I love every post you put out, even if I dont read all the stories. Doesn’t mean I don’t admire you and give you kudos for writing them, some of them just are my thing *shrug*. But dang girl, the ones I read? Love every second! And I’m sure the genres I’m not interested in are no less brilliant!
So, I’ll join the mass and say I am happy to impatiently, but quietly wait for the stories I am following. And have a little mini party any time an update comes through 🙂
Please take care.
Lots of hugs!
~Gwyn
Btw, that is homus dip in near the cheese platter, note homes dip. The packaging must have a typo 😉
I can add babaganouj to the humus :D.
That said: writing has been my outlet for a lot of years, not that you can tell by what’s been published. I use it when I’m stressed so I can escape for a little while, so my brain can relax.
Yeah, I grumble to myself when I don’t get an update of something I’m reading but I know real life, hobbies and other things take precedence over my enjoyment but that’s just it: my real life sucks right now, being laid off kinda sucks balls, so I have the time to read massive updates. Unfortunately for me not everyone, obviously and thank goodness, has this so I have to find other things to do.
Any way, if you need some help just give me a shout through FB, my contact page, email, whatever.
Now, go relax in a nice bubble bath, talk with the hubs about unrelated to stress stuff and enjoy the rest of your night.
So grateful that you share your wonderful talent – I ‘m in awe of writers who can make RL disappear for their fans and you’re one of them.
Take care of you and yours and we’ll gladly read new chapters when you’re ready to post.
There are a couple of authors I have on a pretty much fixed rotation to check. Miranda Flairgold was the first, and even though she has disappeared off the face of the world, I never think “god what a **** for leaving us behind with an unfinished trilogy”. That’s just so unfair, I mean, it is possible that something happened to cause her to stop writing, or maybe something even worse happenend. And even though her story hasn’t been updated in years, I keep checking. Not typing a message urging her to hurry up, or a demand for something I have no right to demand.
Next on my roster is Wyrdsmith. Another awesome writer who hasn’t updated her stories since 2013. However, she updated her profile sometimes with updates. With her, I know it is real life that is, for christs sake, trying to make her seem like a bad mother. And STILL some people send hateful messages. It is no wonder that some people just stop writing when some people so easily lay down hateful words to someone who is having a horrible time.
Next up is Slayer of Destiny. She, like you, has a lot of stories that are open and unfinished. She, unlike you, updates about once a month on one story (everyone’s guess if it is a new story or which of the already open ones). Do I want more updates? Yes. Will I demand it in a message? No. She does not have to put her, frankly amazing, stories out there. I love that I can come back once or twice a month and reread a story of hers, just to get to the last, new, chapter. Patience has a reward, and het updates are it.
Next up is you, dear dear Kittyinaz. I first read your story I Never Did on fanfiction dot net. And when I read that you updated first on WordPress, I did a little jump to here. I am not going to lie and say I do not anticipate every update, because I do. I love it when you update a story, but I am well aware that every writer has a life, and that they have to live that life. And that I am goddamn thankful that you put your amazing writings out there for me to read and clap gleefully over. If you take a break for a couple of months, I will still be there waiting at the end, not angry. And when you finish your book, I will be buying your hard work. Probably via the amazon link on your site, because that irony would just be too damn good to pass up on
And last, but not least, is Cuinawen, who got me addicted to Kol/Bella.
This was a long reply (my apologies) which took awfully long to type out on an iPad. My tea is also cold, though delicious. The pumpkin hummus is surprisingly amazing, and the pumpkin cookies are bloody confusing. But that is not relevant. Sorry!
What is relevant is that every little word you write, is consumed by me in a way frighteningly similar to Ron Weasley eating. And that I don’t mind how long you do or do not update, because you have a life. A very very busy one from what I can read. So just know that I am one of those that will never try to hurry you along, or attempt to scold you through a message, or anything like that.
Much love,
Annelie
I’m new to your writing but already a huge fan. Please know that while I do really, REALLY look forward to your updates, I firmly believe that they are gifts. No one should make demands on gifts that are given freely and nothing in this world is more important than family. Please take care of yourself and your loved ones and I’ll continue to look forward to each gift in my mailbox.
I think you are awesome and I can’t wait till you do all the updates and stuff you stated. Keep up the great work. I will definitely keep reading