Morning folks,

This is long overdue huh.

TLDR:

* Deployment extended until January.

* Writing has been impossible due to workload and environment.

* Uncertain if I’ll continue Winds of Destiny upon my return, and I don’t want to make any commitments.

Less TLDR:

As some of you may have gathered from looking into the comments of the announcement, my deployment has been extended until January. Unfortunately, this has made finding time to write nearly impossible.

The demanding workload, combined with less-than-ideal living conditions, isn’t exactly conducive to creative writing. To give you some perspective: I'm working 12-14 hour days, 7 days a week, with only three days off since I arrived. It’s been mentally and physically draining, to say the least.

To clarify, the work itself is manageable, time-consuming, and incredibly mind-numbing. However, constant proximity to people—even on my rare days off—leaves me with little to no personal space. I share a room with several others, making it difficult to focus, sleep, and relax. Let alone write.

Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.

I haven’t written a single word since May. I initially tried to keep up the habit by writing something—anything—every day, but that approach didn’t really help me make meaningful progress. As a result, completing a chapter has been a real challenge.

Looking ahead, I’m uncertain if I’ll resume writing Winds of Destiny when I return. While writing was incredibly fulfilling last year, it's just not on my radar right now. My primary goal once I’m back home in January is to relax, play some video games, re-establish my running routine, and return to a sense of normalcy. I’ll have a lot of leave to use, so who knows—maybe I’ll find the time and inspiration to write again. However, I don’t want to make any promises at this point.

I still love the story and the universe I’ve created, but I recognize that I've made a number of mistakes along the way—something that's probably expected from a non-native English speaker writing their first book for fun. Would it be ready for publication in its current form? Absolutely not. It doesn’t meet my own quality standards, and it certainly wouldn’t pass a publisher's.

On a brighter note, I’ve had plenty of time to read, which has been a great source of enjoyment. Without access to personal devices at work (Think Personal Computer, Phone, Bluetooth watch), A kindle has somehow been accepted, so that's nice.

I expect to be home for a short break in November, though I’ll likely spend most of that time catching up on sleep—in my own bed, free from the obnoxious snoring of my roommates here!

Thanks for your understanding and support perhaps i'll cook something diffrent in the meantime with these new ideas, or i'll re-write the parts of WoD that annoy me. Who knows.