A not so open letter I'd send to so many authors if I were a complete asshole

[conuly]

Dear author,

I love your work! Really, love it.

I see from your website that a lot of things have happened lately - good things, bad things, mixed things. Boy, it's been a roller coaster and also it appears that either you or your closest family member or maybe your pet is suffering from a mental illness of sorts. SO TOUGH. I completely understand why you had to take a hiatus. Totally. I get it.

But if I might suggest an alternative plan? Instead of taking a break, why not go all in and channel those feelings into your work? Overwork, schmoverwork! Write a little!

Sincerely,

Somebody who wants a sequel

***

I can be patient, really. In some cases I've been being patient for years. But it is so frustrating!

Comments

[movingfinger]

This is why I think overshare-y author websites are a terrible idea. If they turn into a chronicle of Sads, readers get Feelings---overidentification, guilt, annoyance that author is not ignoring the problems, etc. But I am an introvert anyway.

[conuly]

I'm not any more thrilled when things are going well for the authors and they're just too busy being happy to write, nor when I have no idea why I have no sequel.

[jack]

c.f. snap sanp motherf*****s :)

[darkoshi]

There's a good book by Jane Emerson/Doris Egan from 1995 which was intended to be part of a trilogy. I kept waiting for a sequel to come out. I was going to write that I finally gave up hope. But that may not actually be true, as whenever I browse a physical book store (rare as that is now), I still check the "E"s looking for either of her names, even though I don't remember the original book's plot any more. According to a few of the comments on that page, she's given up book writing for good (doing TV instead) so I really ought to give up all hope.

[conuly]

You are evidently not the only one wanting a sequel!

[archangelbeth]

*laughs hollowly*

(Ah, but you see, all my energy is being channeled into... being the power-source for an extrovert.)

(I know you don't mean me.)

(I'm just constantly drained.)

[conuly]

*hugs*

I try to take comfort in the fact that even if I were bad enough to write and send the letter, all that'd happen is the quality would suffer and I'd get an unfortunate character named after me.

[archangelbeth]

Or SADFACE.

*sadfaces*

(It's often very frustrating. I'm channeling the exact sort of creative energies into... things that aren't profitable, and often aren't even something that can be shared with anyone else, because it's too full of in-references.)