THE GOOD NEWS
I will deliver the good news first, to cushion the blow. It is as follows. I’ve been working non-stop to get out some chapters of a new story that I think you’ll love. Yeah! This new story is an action-packed martial arts story with elements from Xianxia, a deep cultivation system, horror elements, a unique universe, and a cast of interesting characters. It’s entitled Though the Heavens Should Fall, and I hope you like it. It has a lot of unique elements - like the Iron Teeth - so it should even appeal to people who don't like cultivation style stories.
You can find this new story at my new personal website or at royalroad. I will be putting out an additional two chapters every week, and sometimes a third. I want to get out enough to establish the plot as quickly as possible, while keeping quality high.
THE BAD NEWS
With the latest arc ending, there’s been a lot of speculation about where the Iron Teeth will go next. Unfortunately, I’m sorry to say that The Iron Teeth web serial will be going on hiatus. I’m very sorry to do this, but I really feel it’s necessary. There are a lot of reasons for this.
Writing The Iron Teeth has been a lot of fun, and I’ve been doing it for three years now. It was my first major writing project and that’s a long time to continuously work on one project. Not only have I been writing all the chapters for the web serial, but I’ve also been working on the book versions. However, over that time, I’ve grown a little exhausted with the story and it has suffered quality wise because of that. I need a break to get things in order and refresh my interest, and I can’t do that if I need to keep churning out chapter after chapter.
A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.
I won’t be halting work on the series completely. There’s still the matter of the books. I will be editing the story to improve it for the book version and correct the flaws I feel have crept into the story because it has stretched on for so long without me taking a break. In particular, I feel a lot of the side characters have suffered plot-wise because I’ve been forced to keep advancing the story without stop, and there are other issues as well. A lot of the characters need to have their personalities rounded out and their plots expanded before I start writing new stuff for them. If I were to keep writing without a break, it would really hurt the depth of the story, and I want to write as high quality stuff as possible.
This isn’t a sudden decision. I’ve been planning on doing this for a while, but to do right by my readers, I put it off until I’d wrapped up large parts of the story so that you wouldn’t be left hanging. Several plots have come to natural end now, so it’s the right time for a break.
This editing break will also give me time to correct other flaws in the story and learn from reader feedback. So, please tell me what you think about the story in depth. My new discord is probably the best place for this.
Of course, I don’t want to leave my readers with nothing, so I will be putting out another story that I think you will like while I’m doing this editing, ie Though the Heavens Should Fall. I’ve learned a lot of from Worldshift – like how to plot a complete story - and I hope to apply it to both to this new story and to my editing of the Iron Teeth. I also need to do some serious reorganizing in regard to my website, Patreon, and my promotional strategy. So, expect large changes there soon.
Again, I’m sorry to do this, but it had to happen eventually. I wish I had unlimited time, focus, and inspiration, but I don’t. I’m just one guy. Please check out Though the Heavens Should Fall. I think you’ll like it.
If you want a notice when I restart the Iron Teeth, you can find my email list here.