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Hello, dear readers, It seems we have reached the end of Havenport's first book—the very first book I've managed to finish, by the way—and the time to talk about the future has come.
Time and time again I've found myself questioning what is the story that I want to lend some years to build, who are the characters that deserve a world of their own, and what is it that I really seek when writing stories in the first place.
The answer to these questions? I would love to lie and say that I know, but in truth, that's something I'm still seeking myself.
This year, I've written almost every day, and the days I didn't, because of work or personal problems, were not to waste seeing that every other day I would put a little more effort to reach the week's quota of seven thousand words.
From supernatural romance to an epic adventurer in medieval Japan filled with monsters and elements and then exploring new waters in a magical world that allows one to grow and find the real meaning of self. I do believe I'm allowed to say that I've been working hard to create a story exciting to both you and me.
So, there's nothing fairer than sharing some of the plans to the nearest future—projects that I plan on working on one day and some estimated dates of when you'll have access to them.
Before that, be aware that any of the projects that I'll mention below will take at least until March to reach a point to which I'm satisfied enough with the quality to post it here on Royal Road.
1) Havenport Book 2:
This makes for a most obvious choice, seeing that I've finished the first book and have a lot to tell, but in truth, things are not that simple. Working on the next entry of Havenport means being committed to doing a lot more of it for a long time.
My plans extend to doing the following: a second book, a smaller one in the middle of the second and third, a third one, another in the middle, a fourth, yet another in the middle, and a fifth to wrap it all up.
Why so many books in the between, well, books? That's where smaller stories, in scope, will be told and will serve more to explore the past of the members of Unit 0 and resolve a lot of present-time problems they still face.
2.5 will be reserved for Colette's part, 3.5 will be Dalia's, and 4.5 will be Yui's, as the 2, 3, 4, and 5 will follow a single path envisioning a villain bigger than the one presented in the first book as well as exploring the blurry line that separates humans from supernatural beings.
Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.
(Something to add: expect a non-common romance story that will follow a path that most books don't dare touch unless we consider a specific niche that comes with Japanese modern popular literature. The plan is to make a poly-inclined romance that will consist of tying the three agents of Unit 0 together in the end.)
2) Rise or Die Remake:
A project born solely to finish one of Royal Road's challenges, the story of Rise or Die is one that—even when remembering the stress of working double time to reach two thousand words per day, seeing that I usually do only one thousand—was very fun.
The thing is that with time I've learned that planning ahead is better than trying to fix everything when it all starts to fall apart, so I do believe giving that world a second chance would be wise.
Perhaps the time to do so will be soon, or maybe it will take a long while, but still, it could be fun—a hell lot of fun.
To context, the story revolves around a magicless character named Zero who blindly seeks to get vengeance on a royal family member for doing something very bad and the path she follows to do so, accompanied by a criminal whose anger is untamable like wildfire, a half-beast who relishes on causing pain to those weaker than them, and eventually an Oni that wants nothing more than becoming a blade capable of cutting heavens.
Imagine a story where things don't need to take a dark turn often, focused on unusual people banding together to fight a figure of ultimate power. Fun, right? That sounds like a D&D adventurer, which I do enjoy.
3) Alice: Between Knives and Badges.
Most ideas that I have for books are either based on some piece of media I enjoy or they are born from a dream that I had. In the last month, one idea surged in my head of an interesting project that I could work on, following the story of an unusual main character.
Another night, like any other, a prostitute after finishing her work finds herself thrown into an investigation as one of her 'work friends' suddenly goes missing. The strange thing is that she saw them seconds before taking a bus home.
Arriving at her doorstep alongside her, a detective asks if they could perhaps talk with her, bringing with them a strong rain that forces both to shield themselves from the elements inside the protagonist's small home. There, sharing a cup of warm coffee, she's informed of what just happened.
A room full of blood, a missing friend, and the strange fate that seems to connect these two opposing characters lead to a world of mysteries. How far are you willing to explore this rabbit hole, little Alice?
4) I would add something here, but there are no more projects worth mentioning.
In the end, any choice is better than not choosing at all, so I'll open a public poll so you, dear reader, can vote, or if you rather, just leave a comment.
Lastly, expect some extra chapters from time to time regarding Havenport, as, even if it has reached its conclusion, some chapters I added were removed from this public release since they mess with the feeling and desired timing and will be added as post-end content.
They will add some things, and maybe answer some questions, but, ultimately, they'll serve to show a little more about the book's characters and their lives.
That's it, leave a comment if you want to share your thoughts on either these ideas or the end of Havenport, and I'll make sure to try answering things to the best of my capabilities.
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