crikey. a year since I started writing Fateheart. Roughly. What a time that was.
and still is, actually. it's not like I've stopped. The third book, second sequel to The Starless Sea, is in the works. I took a break from it the past months because I have been quite unwell, but it is called The Lotus Flowers and it WILL get done it WILL it WILL it WILL.
I also have Fever Pitch to finish, which is an interrim story that was going to go along with the rest of the collection of stories in the extended canon, but is actually rapidly approaching another full-sized book. (I think Fateheart has warped my perspective slightly on what constitutes a full-length story hahah.)
@erinmorgenstern are you aware that Zachary Ezra Rawlins has moved permanently into my brain? He has truly set up his entire life and his gaming desk in here and refuses to get out.
I've spent more close and intentional creative time with these characters - with Zachary, Dorian, Kat, Madame Love Rawlins particularly - than any others ever in my life and by golly I'm having a great time.
Erin pls read Fateheart and then have an extremely detailed conversation with me about Zachary's backstory, I have so many questions and also I want to know what you think of Leander.
Kidding. Erin owes me nothing. Though I owe her so much creative fulfilment at this point I would hardly know where to begin.
I've always wanted to be a writer, and I've known forever that the way to be a writer is to write. Only in the last year have I fully and confidently begun to claim that I am, in fact, a writer. And that is thanks to The Starless Sea. Some of this fanfiction is the best stuff I have ever produced, and I am very, very proud of it.
(Shoutout Death in the Valley, my beloved.)
Currently editing the latest Zachary/Dorian story to go up on Ao3 later today. It's called 'The Man Named Sky' and it is, courtesy of Katrina Hawkins, another dumb contrived time-travel plot (she loves them). I like this one a lot. It was supposed to be short, and I still think it's short, but it also turned out to be around 27k words, which my friends assure me is not, in fact, a short fic.
Ever onward, ever upwards. Book 4 is already in the planning, and then who knows. My mother keeps telling me to apply my attention to original works but until I have thoroughly and entirely worked through all my many, MANY thoughts about Dorian, I simply shall not be able to, I think.
And I'm having too much fun.
Gonna try to work on Fever Pitch (Set 5 years after Fateheart, 6 - or 9, depending on how you count it - years after The Starless Sea) while I'm at home for two weeks. It's an Alice and Wonderland-themed Starless Sea story, so that's going to be fun.
I have several other little gems to bash out for the extended Fateheart canon collection, and Lotus Flowers rolls slowly ever onward in the background like a slow-cooker pot with a dull red light that fills the kitchen with a slowly growing scent of herbs.
I am a writer!!! I have so many things in progress and so many things I am excited to work on!! And literally all of them are from or about The Starless Sea!! Haha!! WHat!!!!
Anyway. Thank you, Zachary, for the matcha latte drink by my side right now. Thank you Erin Morgenstern for writing a very fun book I like very much. Thank you to my discord besties for being so madly supportive and lovely about everything I write. Thank you to the academy for this little golden statue. Thank you to Mhatma Ghandi for peace and love on planet earth. Thank you Jennifer Coolidge for empowering women everywhere what no what let me finish my speech le t me hELP--
