AmberAutumnFlowers

Hey everyone, I’m currently facing quite a dilemma...
          	
          	So, I’ve thought about revising all the Secrets of the Ancestors books a few times now. However, that has always meant that I’d have to completely rewrite the entire plot. But that doesn’t have to be the case. 
          	
          	It actually occurred to me far too late that I don’t have to change EVERYTHING. The plot and the characters will stay the same. I’ll only change the bits that don’t make sense. I’ll let the relationships between the characters develop more fully. I’m looking for plot holes and trying to fill them in. In some places, I might change my writing style.
          	
          	The biggest problem, however, will be book 2. That was the book in which the big secret, which had been hanging over the story since book 1, was revealed, and at the same time the book where the ??? first appeared. (I have to speak in riddles here so as not to give anything away.) I’m really unhappy with it, so the revised version of this book really has to be good. I’m also thinking about keeping a certain character in the books for a bit longer, and perhaps they’ll even team up with the ??? – or at least try to. 
          	
          	I can’t say anything for certain just yet, though. Just wait and see. 
          	
          	In Shadows of Truth, I’ll be inserting five new chapters after Chapter 11. Just wait and see what’s in store. I don’t even know myself yet.
          	
          	I’m going to take all the volumes offline soon and then go through each chapter at my own pace to revise them. To avoid putting myself under unnecessary pressure, I’ll only publish each volume once I’ve finished writing it in its entirety.
          	
          	I have no idea how long this will take, so I don’t want to set myself a rough deadline.

AmberAutumnFlowers

But before I unpublish the books, I’m going to back them up somewhere else, just to be on the safe side, and that’s really a lot of work and will take a while.
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AmberAutumnFlowers

The advantage of simply taking the books down rather than deleting them is that you keep the views, votes and comments. (I’ve just tried it out specifically to check). The downside is that many comments will probably no longer really match the story. They won’t be displayed next to the relevant paragraphs any more, but only at the very bottom of the page in the actual comments section. 
          	  
          	  However, the comments are still very, very important to me, just like all the views and votes.
          	  
          	  I’d, of course, be absolutely delighted if even those of you who’ve got quite far through the story would still start from the beginning again when I publish the revised version. And I’d be delighted to receive new comments then, too.
          	  
          	  I know it might be asking a lot to reread nearly four whole volumes. But I really do want to improve! I know this fanfiction has great potential (just showing off a bit, hehe), but I didn’t realise that potential early enough. This story is my pride and joy, but I still often cringe when I read through the earlier volumes. 
          	  
          	  I want to give you – both current and future readers – a WaCa fanfiction that stirs up big emotions. One that keeps you on the edge of your seat. One that has you puzzling over the plot. One that you won’t want to put down. I want you to be shocked, desperate, angry, happy, amused. 
          	  
          	  That’s why I’ve made this difficult decision. It feels like a farewell, even though it isn’t really one. 
          	  
          	  Secrets of the Ancestors will return. Better. More polished. With a different series title.
          	  
          	  (I don’t think it really fits at all, but I’ve never changed it. I just think it’s brilliant that the abbreviation is SotA, which you can say quite easily, just like a proper word. I’ll bear this in mind when coming up with a new series title. And then I’ll have to change it on all the covers.)
          	  
          	  Thank you for your understanding (I hope) and your loyalty. I’m sure we’ll be reading each other again soon in the new *Shadows of Truth*! )
• Ответить

AmberAutumnFlowers

Hey everyone, I’m currently facing quite a dilemma...
          
          So, I’ve thought about revising all the Secrets of the Ancestors books a few times now. However, that has always meant that I’d have to completely rewrite the entire plot. But that doesn’t have to be the case. 
          
          It actually occurred to me far too late that I don’t have to change EVERYTHING. The plot and the characters will stay the same. I’ll only change the bits that don’t make sense. I’ll let the relationships between the characters develop more fully. I’m looking for plot holes and trying to fill them in. In some places, I might change my writing style.
          
          The biggest problem, however, will be book 2. That was the book in which the big secret, which had been hanging over the story since book 1, was revealed, and at the same time the book where the ??? first appeared. (I have to speak in riddles here so as not to give anything away.) I’m really unhappy with it, so the revised version of this book really has to be good. I’m also thinking about keeping a certain character in the books for a bit longer, and perhaps they’ll even team up with the ??? – or at least try to. 
          
          I can’t say anything for certain just yet, though. Just wait and see. 
          
          In Shadows of Truth, I’ll be inserting five new chapters after Chapter 11. Just wait and see what’s in store. I don’t even know myself yet.
          
          I’m going to take all the volumes offline soon and then go through each chapter at my own pace to revise them. To avoid putting myself under unnecessary pressure, I’ll only publish each volume once I’ve finished writing it in its entirety.
          
          I have no idea how long this will take, so I don’t want to set myself a rough deadline.

AmberAutumnFlowers

But before I unpublish the books, I’m going to back them up somewhere else, just to be on the safe side, and that’s really a lot of work and will take a while.
• Ответить

AmberAutumnFlowers

The advantage of simply taking the books down rather than deleting them is that you keep the views, votes and comments. (I’ve just tried it out specifically to check). The downside is that many comments will probably no longer really match the story. They won’t be displayed next to the relevant paragraphs any more, but only at the very bottom of the page in the actual comments section. 
            
            However, the comments are still very, very important to me, just like all the views and votes.
            
            I’d, of course, be absolutely delighted if even those of you who’ve got quite far through the story would still start from the beginning again when I publish the revised version. And I’d be delighted to receive new comments then, too.
            
            I know it might be asking a lot to reread nearly four whole volumes. But I really do want to improve! I know this fanfiction has great potential (just showing off a bit, hehe), but I didn’t realise that potential early enough. This story is my pride and joy, but I still often cringe when I read through the earlier volumes. 
            
            I want to give you – both current and future readers – a WaCa fanfiction that stirs up big emotions. One that keeps you on the edge of your seat. One that has you puzzling over the plot. One that you won’t want to put down. I want you to be shocked, desperate, angry, happy, amused. 
            
            That’s why I’ve made this difficult decision. It feels like a farewell, even though it isn’t really one. 
            
            Secrets of the Ancestors will return. Better. More polished. With a different series title.
            
            (I don’t think it really fits at all, but I’ve never changed it. I just think it’s brilliant that the abbreviation is SotA, which you can say quite easily, just like a proper word. I’ll bear this in mind when coming up with a new series title. And then I’ll have to change it on all the covers.)
            
            Thank you for your understanding (I hope) and your loyalty. I’m sure we’ll be reading each other again soon in the new *Shadows of Truth*! )
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AmberAutumnFlowers

Hi folks :) I have some really good news to share about my life ^^
          
          So yesterday I received the marks for my final exams. There were four final exams in total: two were graded A (English and Spanish) and two were graded B (Travel and Event Management and Business Administration). 
          
          I’ll be completely honest: the Business Administration exam was absolute hell for me. That was the subject with the most material to cover. I couldn’t even take it all in, so for some questions I simply had to write down whatever made the most sense to me. I wish that exam had consisted solely of cost calculations. I was actually very good at that. 
          
          But after the exams I was completely down – and I mean COMPLETELY. I cried about it for days on end. I was sure I’d completely failed because of that stupid business administration exam. I’d never been particularly good at that subject. In fact, in the last regular test, I was just one point (or two?) away from a poor grade. 
          
          Well, somehow I managed to scrape a B. But I’d really like to know how the points were awarded. I can’t even remember what daft stuff I wrote in there. I don’t know if we’ll get the exams back any time soon, or if they’ll be locked away in some safe in the school cellar and we won’t be able to collect them for another ten years or so.

AmberAutumnFlowers

Right, and from now on I’m allowed to take to ✨drive✨. I’ve actually passed my driving test. I have no idea how that happened either. We only drove for about 20–25 minutes, really. I had to turn round, park, drive briefly onto the motorway once, and that was basically it. I basically just drove round four corners. It actually struck me as a bit suspicious straight away because it was so short. I thought it would be much longer and more complicated. Above all, I didn’t have to do the emergency braking manoeuvre. I actually thought that was nice (though of course I hope I never have to do anything like that in real life). And luckily, I didn’t have to overtake on the motorway. That always stressed me out so much. 
            
            I was absolutely terrified of driving (and still am, to some extent!), and because of that I was on the verge of a nervous breakdown for nearly four years every time the topic came up. 
            
            And then, at some point, I had to do it after all. And, of course, with my fear of driving, I had to drive such a huge thing. I actually fell in love with that car at some point, even though it’s from a brand whose cars I don’t generally find very attractive. I’d love to have one myself, but firstly, it’s incredibly expensive; secondly, it’s far too big; thirdly, it doesn’t have the shape I want; fourthly, it’s a BMW; and fifthly, it’s got up to 536 HP. How on earth am I supposed to afford that? 
            
            So, now I need my own car. Unfortunately, I have to choose just one, because I’m obviously not filthy rich.  lol
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AmberAutumnFlowers

I’m not sure how long this has been around, but apparently you can now see on the social feed what the people you follow are commenting on other stories. Not sure what to make of it...
          
          I’d also like to let you know that I’m officially back from my break! I’ll try to write and read more often again. I’m not sure when the next chapter will be out, though. I reckon I’m about 75% done with it. 
          
                    へ   ♡   ╱|、
               ૮  -   ՛ )      (`   -  7
                 /   ⁻  ៸|       |、⁻〵
           乀 (ˍ, ل ل      じしˍ,)ノ

AmberAutumnFlowers

Important news!
          
          I think I need a bit of a break. Lately, I’ve somehow lost the motivation to read and write. That’s why I’ve decided to take a temporary break and focus on other things. This means that, for the time being, I’m pausing all R4R (although you’re still welcome to keep reading if you like) and won’t be continuing Withering Petals for now. 
          
          I don’t know how long I’ll be away. Maybe I’ll be back as early as next month. Maybe it’ll take longer. But I’ll definitely be back. 
          
          I’ll be uploading Chapter 10 of Withering Petals soon. That wasn’t actually the plan, as the official release date is in June. But since I’ll be inactive for a while, I want to at least give you a bit of new reading material. 
          
          Thank you for your understanding and support :)

Spiritsx

@AmberAutumnFlowers will be eager for ur return maybe we will return for hiatus around same time best of luck  I plan to come back right after art fight
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Catsarecool1457

@AmberAutumnFlowers have a good time off!! take as long as you need, and i hope you'll be back soon (:
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Catsarecool1457

hi!! im semi-active now, and idk if you are!! however, if you are reading this, would you like to continue or R4R? I can stick with the same book or change one, but i'd ask you to read my new book, listen closely!! of course, you can stick with other side, but listen closely really needs more reads, as it is new (: 
          
          please consider, and thanks for reading!! ((:

Catsarecool1457

@AmberAutumnFlowers you dont have to!! no rush, but i'll read a few chapters now, to make up for lost time ((:
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AmberAutumnFlowers

@Catsarecool1457  heyy! I’ve been pretty busy with driving lessons lately, and then I was away on a school trip last week, so I haven’t had a chance to read. But it would be really nice if we could continue our r4r :) I’ll definitely try to read both stories
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AmberAutumnFlowers

Why does it always happen to me that random people add volumes 2, 3 or 4 to their reading lists, but not volume 1? Like, I see them for the first time in my notifications. 
          
          "[Userxyz] has added [volume 2/3/4] to their reading list." But I've never seen them adding volume 1 to the tbr list. 
          
          Very strange. I actually doubt that they want to read it, but why add it to the list at all?

AmberAutumnFlowers

!!!Very long message incoming!!!
          
          I have to talk about something.
          
          A while ago, I had the impulsive idea to rewrite Lake of Visions, as it is the weakest volume so far. Then I wanted to rewrite Shadows of Truth as well — removing plot points that do not make sense, rewriting characters relationships, etc. 
          
          So I began with the planning of a new version. But again and again, I was torn. On the one hand, I wanted to give future readers a better structured, high-quality rewriting, something that does not appear to have been written without a plan and goal. Something that is actually worth reading and voting for.
          
          At the same time, just abandoning my work of the past 3–6 years felt like I was betraying myself. This so-called work may be of the lowest quality, but it's like a baby to me, and a rewrite is like throwing this baby away because I wanted to have a better one.
          
          And still I tried to convince myself that a rewrite would be the best choice. I did not have the motivation or the genuine desire to carry out this project. My "desire" to rewrite the books was actually the desire to please future readers. Not myself. Not my current readers. 
          
          But who knows when and if I get new readers again? What if all my efforts are in vain in the end? 
          
          Thus, I discarded the idea again. This was a hard choice, for it meant accepting that more people would read this fanfiction full of plot holes and stupid decisions of mine. 
          
          Maybe that's also a good thing. Maybe people who are unsure of their own writing skills will read my texts and realise that they don't necessarily have to be perfect before uploading something. Maybe my mediocre work makes people feel better about theirs. 
          
          (Part 2 in replies)

Catsarecool1457

@AmberAutumnFlowers hey i love shadow of truths! of course, you should leave it alone if you want to, so im not saying anything about my opinion! i love your writing, but i get your point. it was three years ago, so disliking or maybe just seeing it as okay instead of good is a good sign that you're growing as an author! You're writing gives me inspiration, and as a young author i take every word you type/write onto paper and study it. i think you are truly amazing at writing!! (:
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Squirrelflight29

@AmberAutumnFlowers I've felt that way before, when I was actually writing on Wattpad. If you want to keep your original work as well as create a rewrite you can! I know this might not sound as helpful since I'm not as dedicated with my writing career, but you can just write a second draft and post it as a separate story from your first one. You're strong to keep on writing even though you feel like your previous work is mediocre. It means you're improving and can.. yknow, actually write better than you could a few years ago. Very inspiring message though, thank you. Random people on the internet's approval shouldn't be a personal priority. :)
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AmberAutumnFlowers

@AmberAutumnFlowers  
            
            
            And no, me calling my work mediocre is not an attempt to fish for compliments. I am serious. If you like it, alright! But it won't change my opinion. I'm being 100% honest with you here.
            
            So yeah, I won't change anything. But if you ever have the same thoughts as me, think carefully about what you want to do. It's best not to think about what non-existent people want. There's a good chance it won't make you happy because it's not your heart's desire. There is nothing wrong with starting all over again because you truly want it. There is also nothing wrong with leaving everything as it is. 
            
            It is important that you do not feel obliged to do anything that you are not 100% ready for.
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