Departed

~Q & A ~

*DISCLAIMER: THIS SECTION CONTAINS SPOILERS FOR THE STORY.*

Hello all!

     Rather than just post an announcement on the upcoming books in this series, I decided I should spice up the end of this novel with a Q&A. Below, I will answer YOUR questions about the story or series, whether it be as simple as, "Why did you choose to write about Harumi?" or a complicated question like, "Why did you kill off Morro?"

     For the Q&A I will have a place to comment your questions, and I'll try to update this page every now and then. I don't mind answering questions about myself, though I do reserve the right to not answer anything that gets too personal. Below, I will have an example question about the topic you all have been waiting for: the continuation of this series.

     Questions --->

>(<>)<

Q – Is 'Departed' really the end of the story?

A – Don't worry, 'Departed' is far from the end of the tale. After all, the Overlord is still alive, and the son hasn't been born yet. The prophecy still needs to be completed. Thus, there will be a sequel.

Book 2 is called 'Prophecy'. It will follow both the Ninja and their successors on their quest to finally defeat the Overlord and bring an eternal peace to the land. However, as the team comes to know more about what the prophecy really means for Ninjago, they'll realize that maybe everything isn't as black and white as it originally seemed.

As of right now, Prophecy will become public on July 18th, 2021. I will drop the Author's Note then, and the prologue and chapters will start releasing weekly on August 1st. I'm still working on the first draft for Prophecy; at the moment I'm about halfway done. With my Departed editing not taking up time anymore, I am confident that I'll have it done by then.

Now, I know what you're thinking. July?! That's MONTHS away!

I know that's a long time to wait, so that's why Prophecy isn't the only continuation that's coming.

Next week (March 21st ), I will post the Author's Note to another story in the Departed series, which is called 'How I Met You'. It's a short story composed of five oneshots following the Ninja during or after the events of Departed. Since the book is short, I will refer to it as Book 1.5. One could read Prophecy without reading 'How I Met You' and be completely fine. It's mostly fluff, but it was fun to write and I think you all will enjoy it.

That's all the news I have right now. If you all have any other questions about Departed, Prophecy, How I Met You, or anything else of the sort, make sure to comment them in the question area and I'll get to answering! See you all in Book 1.5!

~squidneyxd

Q - dOn'T yOu eVeR gEt wRiTeR's bLoCk?!

I start writing something and it goes great but then things like school and family come in between and mess up my writing tempo. When it's all over and I think about resuming my book, at that time it's too late and I kinda lose the passion for it.

All I want is a suggestion. Should I write little by little everyday or maybe take a break for a few days in between?

Thank you for listening to my rant.

A – I can't say I get writer's block, because when my brain shuts down, EVERYTHING shuts down. I can't find inspiration to do anything: write, draw, knit, etc. Those periods of time are always terrible because I feel like I'm just wasting time.

My best advice for getting out of writer's block is to get away from the art/writing/whatever project you're working on. I love to take hikes; I find nature really helps spur some creativity. The same thing goes for hot showers and walks around the neighborhood.

As for losing motivation for projects, my best suggestion would be to just keep working on one. I've had quite a few interesting fanfic ideas come to me during the year and a half I was writing Departed, but I knew if I pursued those I'd never get the main project done. I have a document on my computer labeled 'Story Ideas'. Every time a cool storyline comes to mind, I jot down the rough outline there so I can come back to it later. Knowing I can pursue that idea once I'm done with my main work gives me some motivation to keep writing.

If that doesn't work, I find sometimes forcing yourself to write also helps. Sometimes I'll sit down in front of my computer, turn on some great instrumental music, and say, "I'm going to work on this for thirty minutes. No less, no more." Once I overcome that block of 'why don't I feel like writing', then words start to flow. Sure, the story might take an unexpected twist, but I got my juices flowing.

Finally, I would suggest trying to write a little every day. Maybe it's that fifteen minutes before dinner, or that thirty minutes before you go to bed. I have a designated hour to write, and I feel like I write best during that time. Once you establish a habit, it might make getting into the mood a bit easier.

I hope this helps! :D