Children of the First

Hello all,

PLEASE DON'T STAB MY FACE! I'm really sorry it's taken so long to post anything... at all. I suck. I'm trying to suck less. So here's a relatively recent correspondence (that is now outdated in some ways) with CotF reader virulent Goblin. Thanks to vG for agreeing to let me post it!

VG: I still check your site every so often. I see you haven't updated in a while - is everything okay? I use the alias virulent Goblin for my comments, just so you know, and I think your world is interesting, unique, and well written. I hope you haven't stopped for good.

AMcG:

Hi, sorry it took me so long to get back to you. Honestly, I think I put off replying right away because I was embarassed that I've been so neglectful for so long. Though, I probably should be.

Ah, virulent Goblin you are. I always enjoy your comments and general web-proximity. It is partially because of you and a couple of other readers and friends who keep poking at me to write CotF that I can honestly say I'm not abandoning it forever. The other part of that is that I really like the world, too. (Thank you, by the way, I'm glad you like it--I have so much fun coming up with it, it feels really good to share it with people who want to read it.) I may wish I'd done certain things differently from time to time, but now I know a little better and overall I like how it's progressed.

With me, in the big picture, I think everything's okay. I just have a lot on my plate right now. I had to buy a new car because my old one died, and I have to have one for work and tutoring. So now I have car payments to worry about, which means I have to work more for money, and both my jobs are fairly demanding (though I have gotten a promotion at one and a raise at the other--the only reason I could buy the car at all--which is nice but also reminds me that I'm putting that energy into something that I don't reall want to be doing.) On top of that, I'm taking the GRE on the 23rd, so I've been studying for that a lot, and my girlfriend just moved away to school, so that's been tough too. Unforunately CotF had to take a back seat, but I'm always hopeful that something will give and I'll get back to it. I have been writing sone poetry, but I have to do that for several reasons.

I don't know if you wanted to know all that or not, but I wanted to give a real answer since I took so long doing it.

Thanks for writing and for keeping hope alive.

Rock on. \m/

-Alex

So I took the GRE and broke up with the girl, which frees me up somewhat. (I did fine on the GRE--not as well as I could, but right on the "acceptable" line.) I have been writing poetry and I've been reading a good bit, but I think CotF still seems a bit daunting. I am trying to get over that. In fact, I'm going to work on it today. I would love to publish a chapter a day--or five chapters a day, for that matter--but it's just not feasible right now.

I can't tell you all how much it means to me and how much I appreciate your continued support and simple fact that you care whether or not chapters are being written and/or published. Thank you all so much. Hugs and Kisses!

Rock On. (do it)
\m/
-Alex

So here's chapter twenty, right on schedule... at 3 a.m.
So, holiday stuff: I'm going to try to do at least one or two regular chapters between now and January 2nd, with bonus stuff going up on update days that lack chapterage (or chapterosity, if you prefer).
Thanks for reading!
Rock on. \m/

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So we have another guest piece for you! This time it's a bit of fanart from Dawn (also known as Tigerkytti). She's a Super Ninja by day, and a rockstar/artist/writer/poet/blacksmith(maybe?) by night. You should all check out her deviantART and The Dreams of Insanity for her wordings.
...maybe she'll do more pictures if you do, who can tell with that crazy cat?
(Get it? Man, I'm funny...)

So, here she is:

Fera "Feral" Ignus

Thanks Dawn!

I pasted a copy of the hiatus announcement post into the forums over at the WFG, and the lovely
Kyt Dotson was kind enough to send me a short piece from her story, Mill Avenue Vexations. It's pretty cool, even out of context (maybe especially out of context--woo, ambiguity!), and hopefully it'll tide you over at least until chapter 10.  While you wait for me to get my act together, why not saunter over to Mill Avenue Vexations, or to the Web Fiction Guide for bunches of other stuff.

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Children of the First was just reviewed over at The Web Fiction Guide, which is one of the best (if not the best, since Pages Unbound is out of the running) communities of web fiction readers and writers. Chris Poirier, one of the WFG Editors and author of Winter Rain, gave CotF 3.5 stars in his review, Children of the First: a fun little romp, and I think that's pretty decent for nine chapters in. The review was very well written and I tended to agree with Chris's criticism, though I have the benefit of knowing that certain things are going to change as the story progresses. Chapter 10 is getting closer every minute (well, not this one), and I'll have it up as soon as possible (it's gonna end up being looong). For now though, we'll have the first guest piece.