The Ocean: BNHA x OP!Reader

Important Announcements

Hello everyone!

So obviously I haven't been updating recently (for a lot of reasons, but I'll get into that in a minute).  Originally, I wasn't going to post this until later, but so many of you have been asking about updates and whether the story will have a continuation, and since I'm not confident on how much longer it will be until I'm comfortable with releasing an official update, I figured you all could use an explanation now.  If you don't feel like reading through everything, there is a summary of everything at the end, but I highly recommend you at least glance through what I wrote, as it provides details and reasonings for each of the announcements I'm sending out today.

Ok, first things first:  As I mentioned before, I fully plan to continue this work.  The only thing that I was still uncertain about was the method with which I would be continuing it.   However, I have officially decided that this story's continuation would exist in the form of a second book.  I feel that The Ocean ended on a very satisfying and balanced note that truly rounded out the whole of everything that happened, and I believe that forcing a continuation of chapters would be a disservice to everything that was written so far.  So, my solution is to create a new book that, while continues to tell the story of the main character and her experiences, will be a complete work in and of itself that focuses on a new area.  I had actually already planned to make this story a series in which a few specific main ideas all work together to contribute to a single overarching theme, and I feel that this would be the perfect area to begin the second of those ideas.

(I'm curious if any of you have been able to identify the first idea or the main theme yet, by the way, so please let me know your guesses; I'd love to see what you think!)

Alright, now for the second point: Because the next update to the story will come in the form of a second book, it naturally requires more planning and detail than a simple chapter release.  Something that I'm not quite sure some of you realize is the fact that, aside from a few minor details being adjusted to connect to the plot of the anime more closely, every single event that occurred in the Ocean was, in fact, already planned from the moment of the book's conception.  The plot, character developments, and major events were decided well before I started writing the very first chapter.  I believe that this detailed plan is the reason that the book turned out as well as it did.  These books are my babies, and I spend endless amounts of time pouring over every single inch of them looking for ways in which they can improve.  I simply cannot bring myself to rush something as important as the book's planning stage for the sake of an earlier release.  I would never be able to forgive myself if it turned out worse as a result.

Third up: If you are worried about how to know when the second book is released, I will be releasing another update chapter similar to this one at the time that I publish the first chapter.  Also, for the sake of a silver lining, you all might be happy to know that once that update does finally come along, it will occur in the form of a mass release of chapters (I typically release at least five chapters any time I start a new book so that readers are able to get a better feel of its contents before going to single-chapter releases).

Fourthly:  I understand that it can be hard to wait for another chapter and that it can be frustrating not knowing when that time will come; really, I do.  I am a very avid reader of independent authors who release single chapters whenever they get the chance, and I have been known to get incredibly impatient when those updates end up taking longer than I would prefer (I actually don't read fanfics very often, believe it or not, but I do surf the internet for updating stories all the time).  However, that being said, something that I would strongly request you all keep in mind is that there is, in fact, a person behind the pages you're reading.  I see all of your comments, and I truly love that you all like the story so much that you can't wait for a continuation.  But comments along the lines of 'when is the next update?' or 'why hasn't there been an update?' simply do not come across very well, regardless of your intention.  I do my best to assume that everyone commenting is doing so out of a love an curiosity for the development of the story, but there are some things that just get to me despite that.  I love seeing your guys' comments -- especially ones along the lines of expressing your love for the story, how it made you feel, and even saying that you can't wait for the next update -- but comments like the ones I mentioned make me feel as though I'm being told that my priorities and my time are not as important as the next chapter.  I understand that that is not the meaning behind them, but my brain is not a very rational existence and often likes to pretend that I'm not doing what's right.  The fact of the matter is, I refuse to allow myself to deprioritize my grades, my relationships, and my mental health any longer.  So please keep that in mind when you write your comments in the future.  Because even with the best of intentions, some things just don't translate well over text.

Last thing: I love you all so, so much.  You guys are amazing, you're hilarious, and you're the reason that I'm still doing this.  In fact, I constantly call my family to tell them about some of the comments I get and how giddy they make me over the fact that you like me work so much.  I'm going to continue to do my best to do right by you guys, and I hope you'll stick around with me as the story fully blooms into what I know it can be.  Thank you so much for everything, and I truly love you all.

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Summary:

1. The story will be continued in the form of a second book, which will most likely be part of a larger series.

2. The release of the second book is not yet scheduled due to the fact that it is still in the planning stages.  It will be released as soon as possible, but it might take a little while, so please be patient.

3. The day that the second is released, there will be an announcement update through this book just like today.  The release will occur in the form of a mass release of the first few chapters.

4. Please refrain from leaving comments urging an update (ex: 'when is there going to be an update?' or 'why hasn't there been an update?).  Despite your intentions, these comments do not come across well over text, and they make it difficult for me to focus on writing the coming chapters.

5. Thank you all so much for supporting me through everything.  I am sincerely grateful for every last one of you, and I can't wait to see where the story takes us!