The direction of this life

Just a quick(?) note to let any interested parties know that I'm really pleased with the direction that this chapter (61) has taken. It's a little bit slower than I had expected it to be when I first started planning what would happen in these final chapters, but my storytelling pace has never been quick: I like examining emotions and relationships in detail.

I think that this slightly slower day between the characters examines some very important affirmations, confirmations, and realizations that are necessary to the main protagonist's development.

Chie's story ("1 More Chance!" that is) is really about learning: about herself and the people around her, and about her relationships with all of them. Her family and friends, her best friends, her lover, and even the pseudo-child figure in her life - they're all responsible for her growth, which I think is important for where the character is going. She's not the same woman I was writing all the way back in Chapter 1...but I think that's a good thing.

Maybe I have changed these characters so much that they're virtually unrecognizable from the personalities that they represented in the game, but I like to think that that's what happens to all of us as we grow older, and change, and learn about ourselves.

I can only hope that you agree, and that you continue to enjoy the stories I've got left to tell.

:D

I'm not going through -that- again!

Not that anybody really cares, but I've decided that the 8,000 words I'd written so far for the original Chapter 61 would be better served to take place after another day, so I've had to (temporarily) scrap the progress so far on the old Chapter 61, and instead push it to Chapter 62. Now, Chapter 61 is covering a slightly different topic than originally intended, but in much finer detail (it was initially just going to be a series of paragraphs telling the gist in flashback).

This development, of course, will push both the chapter and wordcount up, but I didn't want a repeat of the Chapter 50 situation once again.

If this story were just one story that I didn't really care about anymore, I would just finish the original draft of Chapter 61 and post it as-is. But I really like where this story has gone over the course of the two years(!) I've been working on it, and I want to write it the way that will make me most happy. It's a whole lot of denouement - I realize that, and I apologize for those of you who may find it boring - and resolution...but I think that it's good resolution. Especially in light of where the sequel stories are going, as currently plotted. (By the way, I'm still on the fence about where that story should go, if anywhere at all. Thoughts? Opinions? Would you just like to see "1 More Chance!" end, with no follow-up story at all? Or are you willing to sit through another friendship/drama/romance story about families and legacies?)

For those interested, I'm still updating the earlier chapters, as well...so it's not like I'm not doing any writing at all in the long breaks between chapters. (I'm up to Chapter 20, at this point.)

I may not have the most vocal readers, but I feel like I owe it to you loyal few who are still giving me the chance to tell my story the way I want to tell it, to let you know why there's been such a long stretch between updates.